The Washington times., 1922-09-20
'SPOOK HOUSE
BELIEVED Scene
Of \. J.SLAY|NG
Phillips Homestead, Long un-
tenantsd, Is Found Furnish
ed-Thought Trysting Place.
CONTINUED from First Pags)

the person who called him. the
clergyman replied:
"Oh. yes. Well, l was going TO
the church anyway. Yes-well, Il
think I can arrange that, too"
Investigation of the ownership of
the mystery farmhouse showed that
II had been purchased by Joseph s..
Porter, OF this city, officer of Z local
ban that Is trustee for the $4,000
estate OF Willie" Stevens, half
brother of the slain clergyman's wife.
Where and Why Known.
The pistol in the case was brought
to the court house by Detective Fred
A. David, who had it wrapped in a
piece of newspaper and would not
tell for some time what he had In
the package.
The authorities refused TO tell
where the weapon was found or who
owns it or give out any Of the find
insg of their five-day investigation.
I'VE know when they were killed,
whore they were killed, how and
why" said one of the officials, but
that Is all he would tell.
James Mills, the singers husband,
was grilled twice yesterday. He was
taken at o'clock to the office Of
Public Prosecutor Strickler and
questioned for an hour. He was
permitted to go home. attend his
wife's funeral, and in the afternoon
he and his daughter. Charlotte.
fifteen, were both taken to the
prosecutors office and quizzed
again.
| The authorities would not reveal
the nature Of the questions they ask.
ed him and Mills later referred all
questions to the officials.
Two grand juries were officially
notified OF the case yesterday. JUS
tice Parker told the grand jury OF
Somerset county that II was their
duty to act II II was found the MUIR
ders were committed in that county.
! He referred TO the tragedy as AN
atrocious crime" Justice Bergen ad-
monished the grand jury Of Middle
sex county to keep informed as TO
the case.
Mrs. Mills Buried.
The juries were given no details Of
the case. They were not told OF
| the package Of which Detective
| David found or Of the handkerchief.
Authorities at first believed that the
| handkerchief was the property OF
! the dead woman, but this has not
been proved. and now they are work
ing on the theory that there might
have been a second woman on the
scene when the murders were com.
mitted.
! Mrs. Mills was buried yesterday.
The simple ceremonies over her body
were quite a contrast to the elaborate
service held over the rector's body.
Twenty.eight clergymen united In a
tribute to him, but only one was
present at her services, which were
held in a dingy Undertaking parlor
where the mourners sat on camp
chairs. Mrs. Mills went TO her grave
as she went through life. simply and
unostentatiously. Her husband and
daughter and a dozen relatives and
friends were the only mourners.
There was profusion Of flowers
on her casket, however, proba bly,
more than were sent for Hall. One
| Of the wreaths was sent by Mrs.
Frances Hall, widow of the man be.
| side whose body she was found
! The funeral was arranged entirely
by Charlotte. This fifteen-year-oId
girl explained that father is not
himself now, and I was mothers .
| pal" She had her mother buried
In her choir vestments.
Charlotte has been the heroine
these last few trying days. Though
rent with sobs most of the time, II
was she who mustered the strength
to talk to the family. to brace up
her father, and to arrange for her
mothers funeral.
She remains emphatic in the de.
Tense Of her mothers character, re.
fuses to speak I'll of Mr.. Hall, and
declines to interpret his meetings
| with Mrs. Mills as gossip has trans.
lated them.
The authorities would not deny
or affirm that they had questioned
Mrs. Hall today nor her brother,
William Stevens, nor any members
OF the household.
Two detectives strolled yesterday
around after William. He Is said to
have q child's mentality. Everybody
In town knows him and every one
says Hello. Willie" when they meet
him. Other members of the family
have refused to allow him to have q
share In handling the family for.
tunes. william came into prOmi.
nence In the case because he walked
into a fire station Thursday and told
the captain that something terrible
was going to happen"
One theory that Is being discussed
around the court house is that a
woman and q man tracked the rector
and the choir singer to the place
where 1t Is said they had been ac.
customed to L.~at. and that the
! woman attacked -, Juls. both
fighting until the man VINO was with
her became frightened and began
shooting. It is even hirted that five
or six persons may have had h part
In placing the bodies where they
were found.