The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-10-10

Wheeler Hall and Mrs. Eleanor Rein
 But if the authorities who caused his arrest have any evidence which would show a logical motive for his alleged act they have care fully withheld it
 The explanation of Raymond Schneider, 22, whose accusation caused Hayes arrest, was that 1t was case of mistaken identity. Hayes, he said, thought he was shooting 15- year-old Pearl Bahmer and her step father. Nicola Banner.
 But the only motive he. advanced Tor the reckless crime was sort of auisotism on Hayes part-a desire to right a supposed wrong done friend, Schneider, who although mar ried, admits he is in love with Pearl.
 Calls Schneider Liar
 Hayes retort was that Schneider was "a damned liar" He admitted going with Schneider to the deserted Phillips farm, where the bodies were found, in search of Pearl and her stepfather.
 They heard shots and screams, he said, and ran toward the crabapple tree whence the shots seemed to come, observing an automobile dash away as they ran.
 Beneath the tree, s.e declared they found the minister and the choir singer dead and--he added--Schnei4 der bent down and stole the min ister's watch.
 This Schneider hotly denied dur ing the all-night grlling to which both youths were subjected. Schnei- der, in turn, accused Hayes of hav- ing committed the theft.
 One of the most glaring discrepan- cies in Schneider's story is his as- sertion that neither he nor Hayes touched the bodies, except for the filching of the watch--of which he accuses Hayes.
 Throat Was Cut
 It has been established by be- lated autopsy that Mrs. Mills throat was cut from ear to ear and her head almost severed. Schneider could not explain this.
 Neither could he explain how the bodies came to be laid out carefully, side by side, as If for burial.
 He was equally unsatisfactory as to how the love letters written by Mrs Mills to the minister came to be scattered about the soene--or who propped one of the minister's cards against the sole of his shoe, as If to make sure of identifieat
 His story does tally remarkably however, with the first statement. at- tributed to Mrs. Hall after the mur- ders were sdiscovered-that her theory of the double staying was mistaken identity" This state ment later was repudiated by Miss Sally Peters. confidant of Mrs. Hall. who said the rector's widow could imagine no motive. except possibly that of robbery, for the ilurder.
 Officers still At Work
 Although they expressed confi- dence that the case had been prac- ticallv solved. the authorities are sill at work tonight flying to re- concile all the evidence with Schnei- der's story--or to bring about fur ther admissions which would make his story more plausible. He was subjected to repeated grillings to- day.
 A part of Schneiders story was corroborated by Pearl Banner.
 On the night of September IA, she said. she was out with Schneider. remaining until about 9 o'clock. When she returned home, she con tinued, she found her stepfather on the porch, intoxicated. and consented to go with him while he attempted to walk off the effects of his drinking.
 They passed Schneider, Hayes and Leo Kaufman on street corner, she said. and the three youths followed them After they had walked some cl1 la yt1a tjrod and wanted to return, but her step- father seized her by the arm and i'm sisted that she continue. She began to cry, she said, and the trio rushed up. Schneider doffing his coat and expressing his determination to beat Bahmer The encounter ended without blows, however, she said and she and her stepfather returned home.
 Shows Pistol
 Schnediers story tallies with hers perfectly up to this point, except that Schneider said Pearl and Banner walked on toward the Phillips farm. Kaufman left them then, he said, but he and Hayes determined to fol- low on, Hayes showing him a .32- caliber pistol and assuring him there was no danger Suddenly, he said they saw a couple beneath a crab apple tree and Hayes whipped out his pistol and began to fire. exclaiming .'There they are-IIl fix themI'
 After the struggles of the pair be- meath the tree were still. he said he stole forward, struck a match and cried to Hayes:
 My God, man. you've made a ter rible mistake"
 Snatehes Watch
 Hayes then snatched the minister's s watch and they both fled, he de- clared.
 Schneider was quoted as telling the authorities he had taken Pearl to the scene on Saturday-two days after the shooting-partly out of morbid curiosity and partly because he wanted to show her how nearly she had come to being slain for her walk with her stepfather. It was Schnei- der and Pearl, who first 'discovered" tho bodies and notified the police.
 Pearls version to reporters today was somewhat different.
 "Raymond saw me Saturday and insisted that we take a walk" she said 'He took me up Derussy lane. 1t was the first time we had ever been up that way. We sat down in the grass near the apple tree to talk. looked over and saw the bodies, and said to Raymond. There are two people lying down
 "sWhy don't you attend to your own businessg" he replied.
 .sThen I walked over and saw they were all bloody and ran away fright ened Then we told a policeman"
 Schneider Seemed Worried
 The girl said Schneider had ap- peared worried ever since the shoot inG and on two occasions had asked her to go to Perth Amboy with him. Then, apropos of nothing, she in- Quired:
 "Did you know Raymond had a