New Britain herald., 1926-11-30
called by tho state in rebuttal.

Somerville, N. J., Nov. 30 CF- Tho Hall Mills case today was threatened with a possibility of end ing in a mistrial.
 It was the announced intention of Special Prosecutor Alexander Simpson to request a mistrial on tn grounds of prejudice on the part of jurors at the conclusion of his rebuttal today.
 A letter from Gilbert A. Van Dorn. owner Of the hotel where the jurors are quartered, and 12 affidavits which Simpson claims to have gotten in support of the letter. form the basis of his charges,
 Van Dorn's Letter
 Van Dorn. who claims to have overheard conversations of the jurors, says in his letter:
 Several of the jurors are openly hostile to the state and have been since the day the trial started I have heard Juror A say in my presence: Simpson is lying -, and I wouldn't believe word he says This same juror told me and told Longenatto. the court officer with the jury, that Mrs. Gibson Is her on oath
 These remarks were made both before and after Mrs. Gibson testi- fled. Longenatto and I told him she was an honest woman with a good reputation"
 Other Objections
 Van Dorn also declares that sev- eral of the jurors have objected to Simpsons importation into Somerset county from Hudson county to con- duct the states case, that they 'in- tend to show up Hudson county be- fore they get through that they can not come here and run things" | "The conversations Of the jury are | held in their own rooms with the 1 door open" the letter states. Ere | qucntly the jurors named, and some of the others discuss the case with unauthorized persons and Juror "A has discussed Mrs. Gibson's reputa- | tion with me-
 Van Dorn claims that jurors stood nine to three for acquittal before hearing the testim ony of Mrs. Jane Gibson. key witness for the state, that they referred to her as "a great liar" spoke of Simpson in rotten language" one of them predicted a verdict in 20 minutes. and that they spent some of their evenings "hol- lering about taxes"
 Van Dorn says he signed the let | ter, but that 1t was typed by Her bert B. Mayer, a reporter for the | New York Mirror, the tabloid which instigated reopening of the case after four years.
 ! 12 Affidayits
 The 1e affidavitS charge that some of the jurors have slept during the trial and that others have an nounced that their minds were made up before hearing testimony. Tele- ! phone calls to friends have been permitted to jurors in some in stances, it Is alleged, and their opln- ions relayed outside their living quarters.
 Before the trial, Simpson asked for a jury from another county, al- l leging prejudice in Somerset county. | but his request was denied. The jurors were selected from an old list. containing some names of dead men. 1 known as struck jury"
 Surprise Move
 Simpsons threat of mistrial took | the defense by surprise as a speedy acquittal was expected by them. The | jury was reported from one source to stand II to for acquittal. Timo- | thy N. Pfeifer. one of the defense counsel, said, however: Tn the event of a mistrial. we could plead. at the opening of the new trial, that our clients have been I placed In former jeopardy. and move that the new trial be dis missed"
 Simpson's announcement came shortly after the defense rested its case, and after Mrs. Frances Stevens Hall, who is on trial with her broth ters. Henry and Willie Stevens, had completed a two hours cross examin- ation and had stuck to her story that she was innocent of the staying four years ago Of her husband, the Rev Edward w. Hall and Mrs. Eleanor R. Mills, choir singer in his New Brunswick church. Her broth CTS had made similar denials before 1 her.