Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-09-18
MYSTERY Wells
DOUBLE MURDER
IN NEW JERSEY
Day. of Investigation Fails
to Solve the Staying of
Clergyman and the Wife
of the Sexton.

New Brunswick, N. J. Sept. IL
Mrs. Edward w. Hall, whose hus-
band, the rector of the Protestant
Episcopal church of ST. John the
Evangelist, and Mrs. James Mills,
wife of the sexton Of the church.
were found dead from bullet
wounds under an apple tree in a
rustic lane Of Somerset county on
Saturday morning, told detectives
today that she was the woman in
the polo coat who was seen enter
ing the Hall home at o'clock Fri
day morning, soon after, the po-
lice allege, the double shooting oc-
curred.
She told them, detectives said,
that becoming worried over the
failure of her husband to return,
she had gone to his church to sec
if he had been detained. She said
she had been accompanied by Will
liam Stevens, her brother.
William Phillips, Waterman at
the New Jersey College for Wom-
en-, which stands directly across the
street from the Hall residence, had
told the police he saw a woman
run down the street about 2 o'clock
Friday morning and enter the Hall
home. Detectives said he had
made no report of seeing a man
with the woman.
Declines TO Comment.
"I am tied by my sisters honor,
and that of my family. They are
not going to question me-" said
Stevens when asked about the af-
fair. He declined to comment on
the mystery surrounding the dou-.
BILE shooting and said that he was
going out Of town, and would not
answer any questions.
A day of investigation, authori-
ties said, had failed to lift in any
material way the veil Of mystery |
which shrouds the deaths of one |
of the widest known members Of |
the Protestant Episcopal clergy of |
New Jersey and the wife of the |
sexton.
County Detective Totten said
that all aspects of the case still !
remained battling.
The detective said that Mrs. Hall
had been questioned twice by him
self and his assistants. and Char
lotte Mills, the 16-year-old daugh-
ter of Mrs. Mills, once at some
length.
Expert Trap Shooter.
Totten said it had been learned
that Mrs. Hall was an expert trap
shooter.
Mrs. Hall told him, Totten said,
that after her husband received a
telephone call on Thursday night,
he informed her that he was Ego
ng over to stratghten out the Mills
bill" She explained to the detec-
i've that this referred to Mills
wages as sexton.
She related that when her hus-
band did not return at midnight,
she grew nervous and at about 2
)'clock, went to the church to see ]
f he had been detained there"
Mrs. Hall, according to Totten, said
she thought her husband had gone ]
o the church. Il
Detective Totten pointed out that S
Wills had told him that it was a
message which also
sdlltu MS vile llOIll lIlGll tluillt
IN Thursday night. 1t was in an
Iwer to question about the Mills
Message that the sexton answered
if you really want to know where ,
I'm going, follow me and find out" I
Mills Went TO the Church. t
Detectives also attached signifi- J
,ance to the fact that Mills told q
hem that when his wife failed to t
eturn Thursday night, he too, Y
vent to the church about o'clock q
for spiritual consolation" and re- I
NAMED some time, but that he did f
lot report meeting Mrs. Hall there I
Until about 9 o'clock in the morn
ng. A conversation which &C. Il
last week in the headquar- !
ers of the local fire department., y
which the police think may have :
ONE bearing on the case, was con-
idered by the authorities today.
fire Captain Michael Riggin was :
,assing the time of day with Will
lam Stevens, detectives said they
earned, when the captain remark
d that things were rather slow I
round town.
Maybe they are now" Stevens
aid, and has admitted replying,
but something big is going to
lappen soon"
Declines to Answer.
Stevens, when asked what he
meant by this statement declined to
nswer. 4
Services in the small but wealthy n
hurch of st. John the Evangelist, ri
we're conducted today by the Right II
rev. Albion Williamson Knight, n
ishop Of the Protestant Episcopal h
iocese, of New Jersey. The text o
( his sermon was Faith, Hope e
nd Charity" v
He referred briefly to the TRACE is
Y. He said that he had been ac- d
TAINTED with the rector for a long T
n IN = F. 6zXfIkE