New-York tribune., 1922-09-25
Inquiry Shows Names of
DIR. Hall and Mrs. Mills
Were Linked for Year
Before Double Murder
Hunt for Slayer
Is Begun ALI Over
Pair Who Found Bodies
Examined; Girl Locked
Up as Incorrigible lie
By Boyden Srarkes

NEW BRUNSWICK, N. j., Sept. "a.
independent Investigation here has
shown conclusively that the congrcga-
tion of the Church of St. John the
Evangelist has been seethng for more
than year with gossip concerning the
relations between the Rev. Edward w.
Hall and Mrs. Eleanor Mills, for whose
murdercrs the authorities of two coun-
ties have sought unsuccessfully for
nine days.
Only a score of the parishioners were
in the pews that were crowded to-day
by morbidly curious persons who mo-
tored into New Brunswick from every
point of the compass. A half-dozen
members of the choir ard church were
asked by reporters if they had been
questioned by any one representing the
prosecutors Of either Middlesex or
Somerset counties. None of them had
been, although it was announced last
week by Assistant Prosecutor Tooan
Of Middlesex County that every Cne Of
them would be interrogated
Begin Inquiry All Over
Because of the carelessness with
which the authorities handled the
bodies after they were discovered in
field on the Phillips farm they were
forced to-day to begin their investiga-
ton all over. They brought Pearl Beh-
mer, q fifteen-yearold girl, and Ray
mond Schneider, young married man,
to the courthouse for an exhaustive ex-
animation. These two, while hunting
for mushrooms, found the bodies.
Schneider was required TO tell Of all
his movements between Thursday and
Saturday morning when he discovered
that until o'clock Thursday night he
was strolling with Miss Behmer In
Buccleugh Park, at the end Of the
Easton Avenue car line, which is within
a quarter of mile of the Phillips
farm. After that until quite late at
night he was in the company of two
other young men, Clifford Hayes and u
youth named Kaufman. When Schnei-
der was permitted to leave the cougt-
house tonight he appeared to be dis
turbed by the length ana severity Of
the questioning to which he had been
subjected. He said that the detectives
had instructed him not to 20 out of
town.
Girl Is Locked Up
They locked Pearl up for the
night" volunteered Schneider about
his partner in the mushroom picking
expedition.
Investigation developed that Miss
Behmer's father, Nicholas, the pro-
pretor of a poolroom at 22S Nelson
Street, had asked the police to hold his
daughter for the Juvenile Court as an
incorrigible. He objects to her as
sociating with Schneider an associa-
tion which first cana to his notice
when the girls name figured in the
Hall-Mills murder as one Of the finders
of the bodies.
Detectives had an idea that one or
the other of them might have found
on the scene the automatic pistol with
which the pair were shot and taken
this as souvenir, falling to realize
its Importance to those who are
searching for the killers.
learned at the Jail, but merely "de-
tained'' in the custody of Mrs. Albert
Puerschner, the Jail matron.
Is the identity of the slayers of
Mr.. Hall and Mrs. Mills known to any
member of the church? This is the
question the Investigators are asking
themselves. The vestry, b. their reso-
luton of faith in Dr. Hail. tacitly
acknowledged their belief in the
church gossip concerning the woman's
infatuation for the minister.
Created Scene at Camp
The church maintained camp this
summer near Asbury Park. On July
IL two automobile loads of church
people went to the camp. One car was
driven by DR.. Hall and the other by
Mrs. Hall.
In Mrs. Halls machine were Miss
Ruth Remington and Miss Walker. In
the rectors car were Mrs. Mills, a
Mrs. Hassel and Mrs. Carrie Geinel,
head of the mothers guild in the
church and also matron of Ever
greens, the Episcopal home for. the
aged at Bound Brook.
There were four tents at the camp
and Dr.. Hall slept in pup tent by
himself. Mrs. Geinel, a middle-aged
womans was compelled to return to her
duties on July 15 and DR.. Hall volun-
teered to drive her. 1t has been
tssatInaed ." raas 1--WE,