Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-10-13
DYED COAT Of
MRS. HALL MAY
Be GOOD CLUE
Detectives Take New Line
in Murder Case After
Schneider Denies Story
of the Double Killing.

New Brunswick, N. j.. Oct. 10
(by the Associated Press) THE
case against Clifford Hayes, who
was held four days as the slayer of
the Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall
and Mrs. Eleanor Reinhardt Mills,
blew up with boom today. and
the authorities turned back in their
investigation to theories that pro-
vided a more logical motive for the
double crime.
The blowup came when Ray
mond Schenider, Hayes accuser,
summoned Prosecutor Beekman of
Somerset county to the jail at
Somerville, where Schneider was
held as a material witness, and re-
pudiated his entire story of the
crime. The authorities immedi-
ately renewed their investigation
of leads which had been relegated
to the discard when Schneider's s
statement led them to declare they
had solved the case. The new turn
took them back to the home OF
Mrs. Frances Stevens Hall, widow
of the slain clergyman. and TO that
of James Mills, widower or the
dead choir singer.
Detectives Seize Coat.
Detectives visited the Hall home
and took away a fawn colored coat
and scarf which she had had dyed
in philadelphia since the murders.
They sent 1t to an analytical chem-
list for analysis of brown spots
which the Philadelphia cleaners
reported were beneath the black
dye they had applied.
Mrs. Hall is known to have worn
n light colored coat in the early
morning OF September 15--the
morning after the murders--when,
according to her story. she went
to the Church of st. John the
Evangelist, looking for her miss
ing husband. She has told the au-
thorities her eccentric brother,
Willie stevens, accompanied her to
the church and back. Witnesses
who saw her return home declare
she returned alone at about 1880
a. m.
Detective Fitzpatrick. who went
for the garments. reported Mrs
Hall acted "peevish" when he de-
manded them.
Mrs. Halls attorney. however,
issued a statement saying Mrs. Hall
was glad to surrender tnem'
though the action came rather
late"
James Hills, church sexton and
husband of the slain choir singer,
was questioned briefly at Prose-
cutor Stricker's office again this
afternoon, but the nature OF the
questions asked him could not be
learned.
4 Party of -Four.
State troopers. who have be-
come increasingly active on the
case. let 1t be known that one OF
the theories now entertained is
that the -layings were perpetrated
by a party of four-three men and
one woman, who Travelled In two
automobiles.
Unconfirmed reports reached
Eere from Philadelphia today that
the gold watch removed from the
minister's pocket had been found
in a philadelphia pawn shop.
Detective Collins went to Phila-
delphia to check up on the watch,
and also to seek further informa-
tion from the dyeing and cleaning
firm which did Mrs. Halls work.
Says It's Iie.
Schneider suffered q nervous
collapse this morning. Then he
sent word to Prosecutor Beekman
OF Somerset that he had something
more to say. When Beekman en-
tered, with a stenographer and
three newspaper men. Schneider
blurted out with tears streaming
down his face, that his earlier
statement was "all lie."
He had told the story, he said,
TO get revenge on Hayes. who, he
believed. had told stories tending
to involve him in the Hall-Millsl
case.
Beekman Immediately went be-
fore Justice OF the Peace Sutphen,
who had held Hayes for the grand
jury, and asked that the murder
warrant against him be dismissed.
The request was granted.
When Hayes reached home. his i
mother. who had expressed conf
dence in his innocence from the
start, staggered out to meet him
and flung herself into his arms.
Hayes helped her tenderly up the
porch steps.
Schneider still is in the jail as |
a mater..l witness. Prosecutor
Beeknan refused TO say why hei
still was held.