Evening star., 1926-11-05
MRS. HALL ALMOST
IN TEARS AS MILLS
TEST|F|ES AT TRIAL
.Composure of Slain Rector's
Widow Is Penetrated for
First Time.
81 KNOW THEY ARE DEAD"
WITNESS QUOTES HER
Illness of Pig Woman Likely to
Deprive State of Her Story
Altogether.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SOMERVILLE, n. j., November 8.
Mrs. Jane Gibson was too sick to
come to court today, but the Hall
Mills case went ahead without her.
Mrs Gibson. expected to testify as an
eyewitness of the Staying of the min
lister and choir singer four years age,
was reported somewhat improved
over her condition Of last night, but
there was no intimation from the
Somerville Hospital when she will be
able to testify, If at all. Mrs. Gibson
has been unofficially designated as the
States star witness.
James Mills, husband Of the slain
woman Mrs. Eleanor r. Mills, testl-
fed just before the luncheon recess.
He was calm and told his story or
his last sight of his wife In dlspaS-
sionate voice.
In contrast to the lack of emo
ton displayed by Mills was the first
apparent slight penetration of Mrs.
Halls composure. AS the church sex
ton told of the visits of Mrs. Hall to
his house, with the news that her huS-
band had not returned and to learn
that his wife also had failed to come
home, the rector's widow seemed on
the verge of tears. She at once re-
covered her possession
Mills Testimony Is Brief.
Mills remained on the stand only a
short time, direct examination alone
being completed. He quoted the de-
fendant, Mrs. Hall, as saying in reply
to question as to the possibility that
her husband and his wife eloped, as
saying: "No, / know they are dead
or they'd have come home"
The trial moved slowly and without
from %
witness stand. The belligerent special
prosecutor. Alexander Simpson, and
the suaVe defense counsel Clarence
+. Case, exchanged thrusts at inter
walls in connection with questions on
direct and cross examination. COun-
sci seemed to find it hard to phrase
their questions so that they would
meet the fun approval of the opposi-
ton.
Once or twice Mr.. Simpson seemed
slightly irritated and spoke with some
ahruptnesS to his witnesses. This
caused Mr.. Case to suggest. the posi-
bility that the prosecutor had suffered
a bad night"
Not at ALL rejoined Mr.. simpson
''it was very pleasant, except l missed
your society"
The defendants entered the court
room a few minutes before the vet
all who had business with the court to
draw near"
Willie Shakes Hands.
All were well poised as usual. Mrs
Hall and her brother, Henry Stevens,
were almost stern in their, dignity
Willie Stevens. the other brother, with
The fireman's complex, was affable
He shook hands with members of the
defense counsel and several friends
before taking his seat and later rose
to greet others with clasps of the
hand. Mrs. Hall and Henry Stevens
did no hand shaking
Although Mrs. Gibson is not avail
able at the moment, Alexander
Simpson, special prosecutor, has an
other witness, on whose testimony
he relies, in waiting. Henry L. Dick
man, former New Jersey State po-
h"eman, reached Somerville in the
custody Of Federal officers. lie ap-
pears in the case, via a military
prison on the Pacific Coast and after
long absence from New Jersey
HffairS
DIckman was serving a sentence
in the West before conviction on a
charge Of desertion from the ARMY
when he was returned East to testify
as a State witness in the Hall Mills
case,
Dickman disappeared in 1923, with.
out going through the formalty of col,
iectlnE his salary, and representatives
of the state expect him to testify that
he was bribed to discontinue his in
vestieatiOn of the crime and leave the
vicinity.
Photographs i'm Evidence.
The early testimony today was al
most routine. a. s. Nanderveer took
the jury to the scene OF the crime
with a series of. photographs. the
presentation OF these exhibits requir-
ing an hour. This testimony developed
that the 'crabapple tree" under
which the crime is alleged to have
been committed has disappeared, as
has a cedar tree 10 identify certain
physical characteristics OF the Phil
lips farm. which has been much photo
graphed as shown by today's %
photographs.
Warden James Major and Capt. j.
J. Lamb OF the New Jersey State po-
lice identified Is packages collected
IL connection with the investigation
Of the murder. which We're kept in
the safe az the county Jail until
turned over to the State police. These.
however. We're merely identified and
not offered in evidence.
Mills Identifies Photograph.
Mills was called 10 the witness stand
shortly before noon. Shown an enor-
mouSly enlarged photograph of his
wife, he identified it with an air of
detachment, as though it all were an
old story to him. He showed no emo
ton.
Speaking in a low voice that even
the jurors could scarcely hear, he
related that Mrs. Mills left their
home about 7:30 pm. on September
IA. 1922, and he never saw her again.
He told how he sat up almost all
night waiting for her to return and
even went to the st. John the
Evangelist Church and looked be-
tween the rows of seats for her,
thinking that perhaps she had suf-
fered one of the fainting spells
which sometimes overcame her.
The next morning, he said. Mrs.
Hall came to the church. She asked
him. he said, if there was sickness
In his family, and he answered that
no one was sick, but that his wife
had not returned home during the
night Mrs. Han said her husband
also had failed to return, Mills testi-
ned.
IT asked her do you think they've
eloped?' she said no, / know they
are dead, or they'd come ho0As"