Evening star., 1926-11-19
BY FRANCES MOVES HART.
pecial Dispatch to The Star.

By FRANCES MOVES HART.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
SOMERVILLE. N. j.. November
Jane Easton came to
court in the Hall-Mills case. In our
day we have known moments almost
unbearably tense, when life has easily
shamed melodrama the moment
where Wilson's voice rang out sud
denly grave and beautiful, to q breath
less room and to a world, bringing
them war and a dream, God helping
us. we can do no other; the moment
after we heard the crying Of the
the sky and knew that we were
caught in our first air raid; the mo-
ment in Philadelphia where other
searchlights played on thousands
upon thousands of straining faces
waiting for two white bodies crouched
under the steel-blue arc lights to
spring amazingly to life; the moment
before the guns roared in the Paris
streets on that miraculous November
day. bidding a world to be about its
business-moments that have rung a
hidden bell, warning us this, this is
history. Old wives over their knitting
will tell tales of this when you are
gone; old men nodding in chummy
corners will pass it on to young men
whom you shall not live to see. This
Is history, and you; thrice lucky, are
watching it. Mark 1t well, 1t is good
to know history when you meet it."
More Dramatic Than All.
Yesterday, once more, the bell rang,
and we greeted 1t. We have seen. too,
many dramatic entrances. Bernhardt,
liy,, min indny,oi fo hlv N2nOlA0n' y
eaglet; Duse, sweeping forward In
black velvet and flaming braids; Ed
ward Of Wales, advancing, shy and
blond and charming, through a wor:
Shipping ballroom; Walter Johnson,
swinging sturdily on to frantically
cheering alien field; Mary Pickford' s
honey-colored curls, lifted high above
the clamorinG street by the swarthy
Doug; Raquel Meller, exquisite and
enigmatic in her great lace fiounces
and fringed dark eyes, holding out
magic to a hushed audience; dozens
and dozens Of others-kings, cardi-
nails generals, athletes, heroes and
public idols. but never, never one who
made onehalf so dramatic an entry as
this wasted woman, mOtionlesS on her
stretcher. Yesterday Jane Easton
came to court, and as long as there
and crimes and trials and laws and
murder, there will be those to tell of
how she came.
People were waiting to get into the
courtroom before it was light. At 10
minutes to 10 they banked the court
house steps and stretched across the
streets. Inside the courthouse they
choked stairs, entrances and dOorways
to the point of stlffocation, and this
in spite of the fact they were con-
stantly assured by members of the
police force that there were positively
no seats available.
All AisIes Clogged.
No matter how positively the state
ment was made, it remained an under
statement. The narrow aisles were
clogged with temporary seats; the
space at the back Of the court, hith-
erto kept vigorously clear, was
wedged so close that at moments
panic cleaned in the eyes of those
who were engaged in actively demon.
strating the hitherto disputed theory
that two bodies cannot occupy one
space. 1t would have been an unfor-
tunate day for fire in the Somerset
Courthouse.
here was HOL d pcISOIl All IIhtt
courtroom whose breathing was en-
tirely normal. Even II the breath
was not being squeezed out Of their
bodies, it came a little faster than
usual. Something just beyond the
railing that separates the press from
the we'll tenanted by judges, jury,
counsel, stenographers and defend
ants quickened it. Surely. no such
incongruous object ever adorned a
court.
A narrow, black iron bed, with two
snowy pillows boldly stamped Jersey
City Hospital, general USE" with the
sheets and blankets turned back with
truly professional accuracy. Squarely
at its head-so close that If she moved
a few inches forward and stretched out
her hand she could touch it's occupant
sits an old woman, an old, enigmatic
woman in a rusty black coat and curl
Gus fiat straw hat trimmed with black
velvet. This is Salome Cerrender.
more popularity known as "the pig
woman's mother"
She is occupying one of those tenn
porary seats in. a section reserved for
the press. Whose hand guided her
there is not at present recorded, but
It is undoubtedly a highly dramatic
gesture, if not a particularly edifying
one.
Mother to Oppose Her.
For Jane Easton's mother makes no
secret that she is coming in this court
room in order sooner or later to tell
all the world and the small portion
of It contained in the room that Jane
was a had girl and is bad woman
that she is charlatan to her bone and
that there is no truth in her. Strange
words for daughter to hear and Tor
a mother to speak, even the most bit
ter of mothers, to the most prodlgal
of daughters. a daughter, who. she
saws, owes her money, a daugnteI
who owes her life-a life more haro
and painful. filled with defeat and
charged with disaster. than fails 10
the lot of most Of us-a life that,
sav the learned doctors and surgeons,
is drawing rapidly to a painful close.
Not such a very valuable gift. per-
hans. Old Salome huddled in her seat
ewes sunk deep in her Redeemed rims
her old toothless gums the only things
about her that move, her hands IN
their black cotton gloves with white
stitching folded protectively over hef
handsome black gold frame handbag
with it's satin and velvet stripes
Under the broad-brimmed hat the de-
tails of her face stand out clearly as
a Duren etching--the mole OR her
cheek, the withered throat, the large
pale ears, the chin and nose thirstins
to reach each other. Jane Easton
mother. who is going to disown her
Some of us do not envy her task.
Gayety Among Defense.
Forthe first time since the trial began,
gayety reigns in the section where the
accused are seated. Henry Stevens
looks positively jovial. Mrs. Hall,
smiling easily. lifts her hand In a
pretty gesture of greeting to some in.
visible friend. Willie, the genial
Willie. who is apparently the only