Evening star., 1926-11-26
OATH SAVES HALL
DETECTIVE FROM
ARREST IN COURT
Simpson Orders Di Martini
Jailed When He Appears as
Defense Witness.
EMPLOYED BY WIDOW
AFTER DUAL MURDER
Judges Decision Blocks Effort to
Have Carpenter Deny Pig
Woman's Story.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
COURTHOUSE, SOMERNlLLE, n
j., November 26.--FeliX di Martini
employed as a private detective by
Mrs. Frances Stevens Hall after the
staying of her husband and Mrs.
Eleanor r. Mills, was sworn just be
Mills trial today.
Di Martini who has been threatened
with arrest on a warrant charging
him with being an accessory after
the fact of the murder, did not begin
his testimony, but was sworn that he
might be placed under the protection
of the court. He spent the luncheon
recess under the custody of the
sheriff
George Sipel was on the stand as
the hour approa aChed for recess. but
he was withdrawn temporarily that
l)i Martini might take the oath and be
immune temporarily from arrest. AS
soon as the detective walked to the
witness stand from an anterOOnl, Alex
ander Simpson, special prosecutor, told
Inspector John j. Underwood to arrest
him.
Blocked by Defense.
The Jersey City police official start
ed toward the witness, but Timothy
\. Pfeiffer. Mrs. Halls counsel. and
state Senator j. Henry Harrison OF
Newark, Di Martini's lawyer. called
attention of teh court to the fact that
the witness was under the protection
Of the coul' hi Martini then retired
with a sheriT's deputy.
It was believed that a warrant would
be served on hi Martini when he com
pletes his testimony and leaves the
courtroom. Senator Harrison said
that when ID: Martini is arrested his
counsel will have three alternatives
seek an immediate hearing. apply for
bail or sue for a writ OF habeas COZ =
puS. The State will attempt to have
him placed in Jail.
Di Martini was arrested in Brooklyn
on u warrant charging him with being
an accessory to murder, but was re,
leased on an order from a New York
court. He has not been indicted.
The sensational incident with Di
Martini as the chief figure came after
Sipel. a neighbor of Mrs. Jane Gibson
had been put forward to attack the
woman farmers story.
Experts Cross Examined
Cross examination OF three defense
fugerprint experts was concluded. the
trend OF the States questions indiCat-
ing that an attempt may be made to
show that enlarged photographs OF
tingerprintS submitted by the defense
ire not complete representations. Each
expert was asked if the photOGrap phs
were "distorted" and answered in the
negative.
~ =.
ing. ruled at the opening of court that
Henry de In Bruyere Carpenter could
not testify as to his alibi on the night
of the murder in an attack on Jane
Gibson's story The New York broker
after denying that he had taken any
letters or packages" from Mrs. Halls
home on Saturday or Sunday, follow
ing the double Staying, as testified by
State witnesses. left the stand. 1t
seemed doubtful, in view of the an
rival of di Martini and the presence of
other defense witnesses, that Mrs
Hall would reach the witness stand be
fore tomorrow.
Judge Parker today ruled that
Henry de Ia Bruyere Carpenter, Wall
street broker. could not te stify for the
denfense to offest the testimony given
for the State by Mrs. Jane Gibson.
Justice Parker ruled that the ques-
ton was not as to whether Car
pender was generally competent as
Il witness.
Judge Explains Decision.
Mrs. Gibson did not at this trial
incrimnate him either on direct or
oss-eXamination.' said the court,
"and if such things were not as
serted it would be futile to contra
dict them. There is no testimony in
this trial tending to place Carpenter
at the scene"
His ruling was that Mrs. Gibson at
this trial had only identified Calpen-
der as a man whom she had identified
in the story told at the preliminary
hearing and that her latest story of
what she saw at the crabapple tree
the one given at this trial-did not
name Carpenter as one of the persons
she saw there.
hearing on charges against Willie
Stevens and Henry Carpenter, had
placed Carpenter at the scene, and
in her cross examination a this tria |,
carpenter was taken to her bedside
TO be identified as the man whom
she had incriminated at the prelim
mary hearing.
Called to Stand.
After the decision that he could not
testify with reference to Mrs. Gibson <
accusations at the preliminary hear