The Washington times., 1922-10-26
Of
ACCUSED .
IN HANDS
. OF STATE
Auto Light in Road Revealed
Figures Plainly, Says ;
Eyewitness In Case.
By Intsrn.sional News Service.

Oct. 26.-In q statement to the
press today Mrs. Jane Gibson,
elf-proclaimed eyewitness Of the
murder Of Rev. DR.. Edward w.
Hall, and his choir singer, Mrs.
James Mills, declared that she
had positively identified for the
county authorities the man who
did the shooting and the woman
who accompanied this man.
At the time Of the. shooting,
Mrs. Gibson said, she did not
know the man who did the shoot
ing, but later she identified him
at the courthouse, where she had
been taken to make q statement.
Mrs. Gibson said that the wom-
IN eompsnion Of the Killer did
not, know herf but that she (Mrs.
GibsCdJ knew the other womsn,
6STing seen her once before q
. runmage sale.
Three Astos PARKED In RoaA.
Mrs. 0ibson also told Of seeing
three automobiles near the scehe
OF the tragedy ON. the night OF
Sept. IL and said that the flash.
iisf1t OF one and the flashlights
carried by the slayer and his
companion assisted her to see their
faces.
Mrs. Gibson identified the mans
appearance as follows: heavy built
bushy eyebrows, and q thick must
ache. .-. .. o..
Investigation Of the murder
reached its final stage today when
all the principals were summoned to
tell their stories to deputy Attorney
General Wilbur A. Mott, who Ia now
in supreme command Of the probe.
Mott intimated that arrests were
Imminent without awaiting grand
ury action s... --.
~ Principals Again Called.
Those summoned to the courthouse
today included Mrs. Hall, widow OF
the slain clergyman; her two broth.
ers, Henry and William t'WhiieC
Stevens; her cousins, Edwin and
Charles Carpenter; Mrs. Minnie
Clarke; James Mills, husband OF the
dead choir singer; Charlotte Mills.
sixteen-year-old daughter Of Mrs.
MiIls: Ralph Gorsline. a church yes.
tryman, and Mrs. Jane Gibson, who In
alleged to have been an eyewitness
Of the double killing.
The most important Of the wit.
nesses were believed to be Mrs. Hall
and Mrs. Gibson, who declares that
one Of the two women at the scene
Of the tragedy cried:
''Oh, Henry, don't" to the actual
slayer, calling him by name.
James Mason, in charge Of the
Detectives, said that investigation
is now being carried on along sew
eral lines that hitherto had been
deemed too unimportant to follow
up. He said that, from the owl
dence In hand. and that from the
indications of new evidence forth
with. he looked for q speedy solution
OF this battling mystery
Says She Knows Slayer.
The murder took place Just six
weeks ago today, and in all that
upon whom, the charge could be
fixed.
Mrs. Gibson, Il IL reported now,
said that she knew the man who did
the shooting. She added also that
the actual shooting was preceded
by q desperate struggle between the
clergyman and the singer on one
SIDE and another woman and her
male companion on the other.
This statement was borne out by
the condition of the corpses when
they were found on the morning Of
September 16 beneath q stunted crab
apple tree on the Phillips farm-the
scene Of this melodramatic killing.
Both bodies bore scratches and
bruises. All the skin was torn from
DIR. Halls knuckles. and Mrs. Mills
face, neck, hands and arms were
scratched deeply a. with fingernails.
Mrs. Gibson fled from the scene In
panic during the shooting and could
throw no light upon the gashing of
Mrs. Mills throat with q knife.
Mrs, Gibson's Detailed Story.
Mrs. Gibson, In q new detailed ver-
sion Of what she claims to have seen
on the night OF September IL, cleared
up some vague points and disorepanr
cies that had existed before.
She had set out on her muie 10
trail q wagon which. she believed,
was carrying stuff stolen from her
farm. A she passed about twenty
feet from De Russey lane, she saw
an oid-fashionsd, high-bodied auto
mobile Of peculiar shape. There was
la woman In q sray coat reaohfng 10
her knees. and man standing nears
do. shs has fnrnishsd Ne esnnAy