Evening journal., 1922-10-07
REOPEN MILLS,
HALL KILLING
(contnued From First Page.)

home OF his sister. Mrs. Hall. tbs
minister's widow
Stricken stated he intended q
question James Mills. the Janitor OF
the church pf St. John the Evangel.
ist and husband OF the slain woman
Mrs. Hall would be re-examined. also
the prosecutor stated.
The re-opening OF the probe OF
/ the murder mystery was started or
orders OF Governor Edwards who
forwarded a sharp note TO local
authorities ordering them 20 press
the investigation.
The Governor was evidently stir
red TO action by Charlotte Mills. the
15-year-old daughter OF the dead
choir leader.
Somebody has lied" said Strick-
er today. Were going to reopen
this whole investigation.
He admitted that no tangible clues
10 the solution OF the murder ha6
been unearthed since the bodies Of
the minister and singer were found
under an apple tree on the deserted
Phillips'farm near here. three weeks
ago.
Stricken made public a passage
from one OF the love notes that went
from Mills 20 the Rev. Hall.
II am sorry you bought me that
spicy book" the passage read. "It
fred my soul and waited me into the
spiritual world-oh. goodnessl"
This led to a conclusion by
Stricken that the minister fire.
quently purchased "spicy" books for
the leader OF his choir and the wife
OF the church sexton.
Possibly today. and certainly not
later than Monday Mrs. Hall and
Mills will face each other across
table In the court house. and one or
the other will make good on the
statements he or she has made.
Contradictions in the stories OF
the two that are almost vital must
be explained. on the thoroughness
OF the explanations given at that
time the future action OF the authori-
ties will depend. An arrest may fol-
low this extraordinary dual examina-
tion.
This is the plan OF the prosecutors.
Stricken and Bsekman. In Mills they
will have a mild hammered man OF
small stature. who has contradicted
himself more. than once since the
body of his wife and that OF the rec
tor were found side by side. In Mrs.
Hall they will have. on the other side
OF the table. a woman who. accord
ing 20 all reports. is strong minded.
cold, determined. shrewd. II. as is
promised, the two are handled by
the prosecutors without gloves the
examination room viii be the set
ting OF a most dramatic scene.
In Mrs. Halls story the most i'm
portant point Is her assertion that
her brother william accompanied
her on her nocturnal trip TO the
church in search OF her missing hus-
band. Against this Is the fiat state
ment OF a watchman. William Phil
lips. that she entered her home
upon her return. quite alone.
Phillips was re-examined by the
yesterday. Between
Mills and Mrs. Hall is an issue OF
veracity as 10 whether when they
met the morning after Hall and Mrs.
Mills disappeared he mentioned the
possibility of an elopement. There
Is also Mills statement that he saw
and talked with Mrs. Hall not less
han three times on the Friday, while /
Mrs. Halls statement Is that she
net Mills but once, in TIE morning
Both Mrs. Hall and Mills have re-
declared their belief in their
spouses. They not only |
believed no III of Hall and Mrs. Mills
out they had heard no gossip OF such
, thing. Their attitude is that which
many members OF the congregation
n the Church OF St. John the Evan
yelist sought to maintain but have
5een forced to relinquish. giving up
almost inch by inch as testimony
,iled up against the rector.
II may be said now that the be-
1avior of the clergyman and his
,hoir singer not only occasioned gos-
in but constituted A scandal and
vas the subject of jeering comment
md actually Of official action in tn
,hurch. whose vestry adopted COM
resolutions at the time OF
IalTs death. Fellow choir singers
md church members not only knew
u the relations Of the two. but boys
n the school that Charlotte Mills
ttends chattered TO their meetings.
he pair were seen together in New
FORK arm in arm like bride and
How was It possible" the pros
cutors will ask Mrs. Hall and Mills
for this state OF affairs TO have ex-
sted right under your noses and you
Iot know about It? And II you did
now about It. why did you not say
o before and what did you do to stoT
n affair that threatened the wreck
4 your homes?'
II the prosecutors are TO be be
Ieved that is the manner in which
hey intend to put question, Stricken
nd Beekman contend that the time
as now passed for kid glove tactics
nd that they have built up the case
efficiently to warrant the use OF
lore aggressive methods OF exami-
alton. whether the examination OF ,
lothlng or the checking up of move
rents OF individuals has encouraged
ne prosecutors TO adopt new meth
ds is unknown.
The authorities have learned that
-all more than a year ago thought n
Use to render harmless the revolver
wned by william Stevens. Mrs
-alPs brother. The pistol was taken c
Y the authorities nearly two weeks '
go. It is not of the type that the
lurderer used. In addition. one
all's order, the hammer had been a
ed down by a locksmith so that
le cartridge could not be fired J
'hether Hall feared that William q