The New York herald., 1922-10-24
mrs. MILLS'S SISTER
KNEW OF HER LOVE
Wife Told Mrs. Barnhardt She
and Rector Were Ready to
Leave America.
WARNED TO FORGET HIM
Paterson Woman Says Clergy
mans Letters Show Him
in Worst Light.

Mrs. Elsie Barnhardt, sister of Mrs.
Eleanor Mills, and her husband, Frank.
a craftsman. who live in East Thirty
eighth street. Paterson. told THE New
YoRH HERALD last night what they knew
Of Mrs. Mills's life In the weeks before
she Was slain with the Rev. Edward
Wheeler Hall. Mrs. Barnhardt said Mrs.
Mills confided in her about her affair
with Hall, once making this remark:
II like him and he likes mel All l
have to do Is to say the word and wen
so--leave America"
In summing up what she called this
whole business" Mrs. Barnhardt said:
From the last talk I had with my SIS
ter l gained the impression that she adj
mired the minister. and was perhaps in
fatuated with him. But l thought that
/ 1t was all on her part and did not be-
/ lieve the minister returned her love. !
| thought it was more sriritua. love than
anything else. But. oh. when l read
those letters he wrote to her! He was
! worse than she was 20
1 Tell of Exchanging Visits.
The Barnhardts live on the second
floor Of four family fiat While Mrs.
Barnhardt was finishing up the supper
dishes and her husband worked on pro-
lection plans Mrs. Barnhardt spoke
about Mrs. Mills's visit to her in Pat
erson five weeks before the murder.
Mrs. Mills at the time had barely
recovered from her operation. Indeed
said Mrs. Barnhardt. the trip from New
| Brunswick to Paterson was too much
for her and Mrs. Mills had to spend the
first day at Paterson in bed because OF
the overexertion.
Mrs. Mills did not discuss her love
affair with the clergyman at tha
time. said Mrs. Barnhardt. Mrs. Barn
hardt recalled that Mrs. Mills wa:
looking forward with anticipation Il
a little outing of the womens guild o.
her church at Point Pleasant. Mrs
Mills spoke of this trip and of the gen
eral church affairs and mentioned
that Mr.. Hall was a fine minister ant
that he was getting along nicely. She
spoke also of the plans which tn,
Milses were making for paying bach
the money which Hall and the church
had advanced for her operation.
Admits Admiring Hall.
/ In the two weeks before the murde,
Mr.. and Mrs Barnhardt repaid thu
visit of Mrs. Mills and went to New
Brunswick to- spend day. Mrs. Mill!
appeared to be more joyful and more
or less recovered from the operation
1t was at this slime that Mrs. Mill:
confided to Mrs. Barnhardt that she
liked Hall. Again she spoke of hin
as wonderful man and wonderful
- t1a,
| several other women in the church
were also impressed with him.
Mrs. Minnie Clashe, who has beer
mentioned in the case, was crazy about
| Mr.. Hail." according to what Mrs. Mills
| told Mrs. Barnhardt, who added:
My sister then said. But Mr.. Hall
wouldn't do any favors for her. and
thought that my sister was flattered.
and I didn't suspect that there was
anything more between her and Mr..
Hall than admiration on her part.
You know how women in church
are. They think tneir minister is a
great man, but / never thought there
was any love between them."
Chided Mrs. Mills.
Mrs. Mills, however. talked more and
more about Mr.. Hall, but still. Mrs.
Barnhardt said, 1--WE didn't think any
thing of 1t until she dropped little re-
marks such as the one about leaving
America Mrs. Barnhardt thought this
was a clear reference to plans to elope
| to Europe.
Mrs Barnhardt was surprised to
learn that her sister felt that way, and
said to her:
You are living a lie."
| Mrs. Mills did not take that view OF
| it, and Mrs. Barnhardt declared that
''even after she talked that way l didn't