Evening star., 1926-11-07
Prosecutor in First inquiry
Paid Him So, 500, Former
State Trooper SWears.
BATTLE OF FINGERPRINT
EXPERTS is LIKELY NEXT
Clothing and Letters Found Near
Slain Pair Again Are Iden-
titled at Trial.
By the Associated Press.

SOMERVILLE, n. j.. November g..
With other testimony Of the long
court session almost routine, closing
minutes of the stay on the stand Of
Henry l.. Dickman, former New Jer
sey State trooper, stood out in the
trial today of Mrs. Frances Stevens
Hall and her brothers, Henry and VIII
lie, on a murder charge more than
four years old.
Dickman testified that the late Aza
riah Beekman. some time prosecutor
of Somerset County. paid him $4,000
to leave New Jersey when he was en-
gagged. in April, 1923. in investigating
the Staying of Rev. Edward W. Hall
and Mrs. Eleanor Mills.
With the testimony of Dickman the
sole oasis in the colorless desert of
identification of exhibits, consisting of
clothing of the slain couple, the oft.
displayed articles found about the
bodies, and letters, interesting but ap.
parently not conclusive, was hint of
battle of fingerprint experts to come.
A New York authority on finger
prints again declared that a smudged
card in evidence bore the imprint of
Willie Stevens left index finger.
Defense Expert Ready.
The defense has made no secret of
the presence of fingerprint experts in
its camp. Joseph Faurot of New
York was on the witness stand for the
State briefly today. as a recalled wit
ness. He will return next week for
cross-examination.
Dickman, brought from a military
prison at Alcatraz, Calf, where he
was serving a sentence for Army de.
sertion, told of joining the New Jer-
sey State police in 1921 and beginning
an investigation into the Staying Of
the minister and choir singer in Oc.
tober of the following year. In direct
examination he testified that he de-
serted the Navy and was dishonorably
discharged from that branch of the
United States armed forces.
Under crOss-eXamnatiOn he was
asked by Clarence E. Case, defense
attorney:
And you were drunk for II days
when you got in trouble in connec-
ton with the Army desertion?"
Yes"
And then you deserted the New
Jersey State police, leaving three
months pay behind you?"
Well, I left and didn't wait to get
my pay
Then Prosecutor Simpson asked a
question.
Paid To Leave, He Says.
Why did you leave the New Jersey
H.
II was paid
BY whom?"
prosecutor Beekman."
You mean Azariah Beekman, who
was prosecutor of Somerset County
them
Yes"
How much did he pay you?"
TWENTY-FIVE hundred dollars"
What did he pay you that money
for?"
ITO leave the State
why did he wish you to leave the
State?"
He didn't say"
Defense eetorney resumed the ques-
tioning
"Azariah Beekman is dead, is he
not?"
so l understand"
That's all"
Simpson Resumes Floor.
Prosecutor Simpson took the floor
again.
You didn't know that he was dead
when you made an affidavit that you
were paid to leave the State, did
you?''
No"
That's all"
Azariah Beekman. who died two
years ago, was prosecutor of Somer
set County at the time Mr.. Hall and
Mrs. Mills were slain. Later he was
made district judge.
The procedure of the defense in ex-
tending what amounted to an invita-.
ton to the State to bring out the
statements from the witness that he
was paid by Beekman to leave the
State seemed to be based on a convic-
ton by defense attorneys that the
testimony would not be accepted by
the jury and would serve to discredit
Dickman's previous statements.
He had said that in February. 1928.
he had gone to the home Of Henry
Stevens at Lavallette, n. j.. to ques-
ton the man who now Is defenda mt
as to his movements on the night Of
the murders. Stevens told him, he
said. that he was fishing on the beach
at Lavallette.
Stevens was quoted by the witness
as saying that he had at various times
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