New Britain herald., 1926-08-18
Crabapple Tree and Not Phillips
 Farmhouse Fired as Murder Scene
Chemist Establishes Fact That Hall and Mrs. Mills Were Slain Where Their Bodies Were Found and Where Other Witnesses Said They Saw Three Accused Persons.

Somerville, N. J., Aug. IS P)- Testimony that Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall and Mrs. Eleanor Mills were murdered at the crab apple tree where their bodies were found was given at the hearing for Henry Carpenter and Willie Stevens today.
 Soil Was Analyzed
 Dr. John F. Anderson, of the Squibb laborities of New Brunswick, said he analysed the soil beneath the tree and ascertained by the blood evidence found, that the rec tor and chorister were within foot or two of where the bodies were dis covered.
 The defense counsel did not press the cross examination of pr. Ander- son.
 State Senator Simpson. special prosecutor, had expected that de- fense counsel would combat testi- mony that would establish the crab apple tree as the murder spot, as a witness who said she saw Carpenter, Stevens and Mrs. Frances Stevens Hall there on the night of Septem- Der II, 1922 had been called previ- ously by the state.
 Belief that the murders occurred in the Phillips farmhouse and other places had been advanced by other investigators.
 County Judge Cleary, sitting as committee magistrate to decide whether the states evidence is suf- flcient to hold Carpenter and Stevens, permitted the crowd to en- ter the cour room today. He had elected the crowd yesterday for laughing.
 Saw Couple On Way
 Miss Ameda Harkins 8 member of Dr. Halls choir at the time of the murders, testified she saw Dr. Hall and Mrs. Mills going to keep their tryst.
 Mrs. Mills, Miss Harkins said, was walking rapidly toward De Russey's Ian, carrying small package. She was shown the package of letters found between the badies. She said this might have been the package Mrs. Mills carried. About IS min utes after Mrs. Mills passed, Miss Harkins saw the rector hurrying to- ward the lane. Miss Harllins fixed the time of this at o'clock Il
 The states attempt to prove that a pair of pruning shears was used to slash Mrs. Mills throat ended when Peter Tumuty, former gar dcner-chauffeur for pr. Hall, testi- fled he had broken a pair for which the state had been searching. |
 Counsel for defense produced two ! pairs of shears belonging to Mrs. ! Hall and these were offered as. evi- . dence. I
 Senator Simpson informed the court a note had been found in the late Prosecutor Aziriah Beekmans effects which said:
 Look for a pair of rpuning shears"
 Tells of Hearing Screams
 McCabe, tender at a canal bridge about four -tenths of mile from the tree, told of hearing screams about midnight Sept. IA, 1922. At first 1t was the woman he heard screaming Then he heard only one. Finally, he said, the screams of this one woman changed nto "pitiful moans." The first screams, he said. came from near he Phillips farmhouse. The last noans came from the crabapple rec.
 A Real Lovers Lane.
 So many lovers frequented the 'icinity of the crabapple tree where he bodies of the Rev. Edward Hall and Mrs. Eleanor Mills were found four years ago that n the view of one witness, there wasn't room for me to go in" William J. O'Rourke, New contractor, so testified at the hearing of Willie ( stevens and Henry Carpenter, i harged as is Mrs. Hall, with mur- { CT of the trysting pair.
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