The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-10-25
SAYS SHE'S
WIT Ne SS
TO MURDER
Widow Claims to Have Seen
Killing of DR.. Hall and
Mrs. Mills
By WILLENE TAYLOR
lo'Aff l, CORRESPONDENT l. N. sERvlcEl
'eopyright. 1922. BY International
news Service. Reproduction

--' y. International
service Reproduction
prohibited.).
NEW BRUNSWICK, \. J.. Oct q
Mrs Jane Gibson, widow farmer
Q admitted to International
| news Service that she is the myste-
iioos eye witness to the Halls-Mills
'iU1uefs AT der very humble home
on Hamilton road she told of her
presence on the Phillips farm OFF
Derussey lane at the time DIR. Ed
ward Wheeler Hall and Mrs. Eleanor
Mills We're killed more than Ave-
weeks ago.
Yes, I was there I kept II all
- 'nyself Tor a long time because
ielt the minister and Mrs. MjllS
got whatthey deserved for being
there on that spot at that hour
she said. That spot is wei
known hunting ground Every
BODY there was moneyed' - every-
body In the affair Is .moneyed, ex-
cept the Mills. The Mills are moor
just like we are.
Well about two weeks ago
went TO the authorities ana told
them about it. 1 went for certain
reasons Yes. they've know about
il that long
1t is believed that Mrs. Gibson
was prompted in telling her story
to clear Clifford Hayes, the youth
who was under arrest. falsely
charged " h knowledge of the
crime.
I did hear Mrs. Mills call out the
first name of a man who has been
under suspicion all along In this
case" Mrs. Gibson said. The
stories printed in yesterdays papers
We're all wrong. They got hold OF
few facts and then got mixed Up
on the rest.
NO. II was not at 9 o'clock. but
later. The moon was out and small
but 1t was not light enough to dis
tinguish faces"
At this point in her story. Mrs.
Gibson had the reporter stand abou.
20 feet in front OF an automobile
light to see il the reporter was dis
tinguishable at that distance This
act pointed to the possibility that
there was an automobile at the
scene of the murder by the rays OF
which Mrs. Gibson saw the crime.
She would not verify this possi-
bility.
NO. Rev. Hall and Mrs Mills
were not nnticed to the scene by
their murderers." Mrs. Gibson said
They were found there"
Note: This is the most important
part OF Mrs. Gibson's story for it
clears up the many theories thsi
have been advanced suggesting tina
the pair were kidnapped and cal
ried to the crab apple tree or tha
they were killed elsewhere and theii
bodies brought to the spot.
The reporter read to Mrs. Gibson
a story appearing in a New York |
newspaper which told her expert |
ences on the murder night as CLEAN
ed from "a reliable source
The slayer was a man." the re-
porter read.
"Oh, that's all wrong They got |
il all wrong she said, shaking her |
head.
When read a paragraph telling /
that she was in search for stolen I
corn a few Yards from the cab ap /
pie tree and suddenly pe upon a
group of quarreling people, who
soon opened fire. Mrs. Gibson said
nothing but to read on
To the rest OF the printed versions
she only smiled. said most of the
stories were "all wrong and main
tanned her determination to remain
quiet until The authorities said she
could talk
My son William knows nothing
about il at all. I have not told him
a woodland l won't tell a word"
she said. Il just happened by the
murder scene by accident"
Mrs. Gibsoas corroboration of the
story that she was an ey> witness
most vital develo pment In the Hall
Mills case for many days. 1t fixes
the time and place OF the crime and
possibly the identity OF the slayers
Mrs. Gibson would say little else
Il will not talk yet because the
people concerned are very wealthy"
she said, and II they learned all l
know they would have time to do
away with evidence. It's all ter
-ible mess. Ny real name is Mrs.
Jane Gibson, and / live with my
son. william, 81 years old. here on
Hamilton road, sometimes known as
Milestone road We have had hard
season. My corn and my pigs have
been stolen-crops have ben awful.
On our 60 acres here we have had
bad luck and on top of that prices
have been so low, tomatoes and 9TH
er truck have not been worth haul
Ing to town.
All day yesterday. Mrs. Gibson
either denied her connection with
the EYE witness" story or fatty
-efused to talk TO the many re-
porters who called. She even set
her dogs on them. Mrs. Gibson is
a middle aged. athletic. sensible
minded woman who gives the ap-
rearan~e IF being ''unaf, aid OF the
devil himself" but who possesses a
kindly expression also. When ask
ed II she had been afraid TO tell OF
the crime al first, she said:
TT takes a lot to make me afraid"
Her tumble down" house is just
off the eastern end OF Derussey lane
at the other end of which. about one