Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-08-19
Hall-Mills Hearing
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New Brunswick, in checking the story
Of Mrs. Jane Gibson, woman pig rails
err, who pointed out Carpenter and
Stevens as men she had seen at the
supposed scene of the murder the night
of September IA. 1922, they found ev-
idence that a mule had been tied to
sapling.
The footprints Of an unshod mule
were photographed and evidence of an
animal having been tied to one Of the
saplings was discovered. They did
not make their examination until more
than a month after the crime was sup
posed to have been committed. The
photographer who took the pictures
said he no longer had the plates, but
was instructed to make further search.
The detectives were not called be-
fore the 1922 grand jury that rejected
Mrs. Gibson's story. nor were the pho
tographs called for.
State Senator Simpson, special
prosecutor, in announcing he will
close the states presentation Of evil
dence tomorrow after calling three
letter from a man in Philadelphia who
informed him he had the gun that fig
ured in the Hall-Mills murders.
II do not believe the man Is a
crank" Senator Simpson said. He
gave his name and address and I've
had police check him. They found the
house and learned that the man lives
there but Is at present on vacation.
We are trying to ascertain where
he is"
The testimony tending to show Mills
believed Hall was in southern New
Jersey doing institutional work was
given by Frank Deiner reporter for
the New Brunswick Daily Home News,
who was the second reported to view
the bodies of the rector and chorister.
After learning that DR.. Hall had been
murdered and before going to the crab
apple tree, Deiner said he went to the
Mills home. He met Mills near the
house and asked him If he knew where
DR.. Hall was. Mills then told him,
Deiner said, that Mrs. Hall had in
formed him the rector was doing in
stitutional work in south Jersey"
Deiner said he visited the Mills
home because it was town gossip
that DR.. Hall and Mrs. Mills were
friendly" and 1t was suspected the
then unidentified woman reported
found slain beside him was Mrs. Mills.
Mrs. Anna Hoag, who lived near the
Phillips farm, described shots she
heard about 10 o'clock the night of
September IA, 1922. Mrs. Hoag said
she was sitting on the front porch of
her home, about 500 feet from the
crabapple tree. From that direction
she heard first one shot and then, aft
er a short pause, three more shots.
Mrs. Hoag said she heard no screams,
but heard several automobiles pass
Che ~ dark she
could not see her hand before her"
Mrs. Gibson had testified she heard
one shot and then, after an interval,
three more and that it was moonlight
at the time.
Horrible screams were heard at
midnight September IA, 1922 by Harry
McCabe, tender of bridge over the
Delaware Canal half mile from the
crabapple tree. His home is nearby.
McCabe was awakened by his wife.
They heard no shots. Two women
We're screaming as If in fear, he said,
and then he heard only one woman.
The first screams came from the dl-
reotion of the Phillips farmhouse, but
the last, pitiful means that gradually
faded out, came from near the crab
apple tree, he believed. McCabe, par
TALLY deaf, could hear only questions
shouted at him. He fixed the time of
his deafness from a year after the
murders.
Mrs Leo Harkins and Mrs. Henry
Blust of New Brunswick testified they
saw Mrs. Mills on her way to keep the
fatal tryust with the rector. They
said they saw a small package, wrap
ped in yellow paper, under her arm.
Both admitted the letters found be-
side the bodies, and which We're shown
to them in court, might have been in
side the yellow paper as the size was
about the same If made into a package.
The state has contended that the let
tiers were brought from the Hall home.
Mills had previously testified he saw
similar letters in Mrs. Mills coat
pocket the afternoon of the day she
disappeared