Evening star., 1926-11-16
BY FRANCES MOVES HART.
lnAnial Disnafch To ThA Star

| AL1LIL, An. 4NoNCiioCi AS'
Twelve witnesses crowded their way
into the box in the Somerset County
courtroom yesterday and left behind
| them confusion worse cOnfOunded in
the minds OF the prelators of this In
| credible trial. as well as a strong dis
position to agree with the biblical gen.
| tleman who said in his haste that all
| men were liars.
| A generous proportion of the fifty
| odd witnesses who have already ap-
peared have walked calmly down the
aisles, lifted hand and voice in solemn
oath. settled themselves comfortably
| in the box and proceeded impartlally
| to contradict themselves, their previ-
Gus testimony, their sworn statements,
| the counsel for the prosecution, the
counsel for the defense, the last fellow
| in the witness box and the next one to
step into 1t.
Having taken anywhere from five
minutes to two hours in order to ac-
complish these simple tasks, they step
| lightly down and go about their busi-
ness, leaving the bewildered listeners
| to cope with these discrepancies as
best they may. Some of us are becom-
! ing as adept as Alice in Wonderland
at believing seven impossible things
| before breakfast, Or at any rate. be-
fore lunch.
Nothing But Contradictions.
Twelve witnesses-a court stenog.
rapher, a taxi driver, an ex-hearse
driver, two street car conductors, the
murdered WOmanS sister, an autOmo-
bile man. an oil statesmen, schoolgirl,
guarded old Irish woman, slim
spinster, friend Of Henry Stevens; a
doctor, an undertaken. A varied col
lection, surely but they seem to have
curious solidarity of purpose. Each
one. consciously or unconsciously is
perfectly willing to do his or her bit
toward making the mystery a trifing
more mystifying.
The baff1ed Searchers for the truth
among the spectators are confronted
by series Of displeasing alternatives.
To take the more fragrant examples:
If we are to; believe James A. Nc
Keever, court stenographer, who
claims that he took down Sheriff
Bogart T. Conkling's sworn state
ment, Sheriff Conkling is. to put it
conservatively, not truthful.
If we are to believe Elsie Barn
hardt, Eleanor Mills sister James
| Mills is stretching a. point we'll past
breaking when he claims that he
knew nothing Of his wife's infatua-
| tiOn for her rector.
IF we are to believe Elijah Soper,
Ira Nixon. who claims that Soper told
him he recognized Mrs. Hall and her
two brothers in De Russey lane that
| unforgettable night. is an unmitigated
liar; and if we are to believe Nixon,
Soper Is worse than that. 1t Is pain
full and diSilluSioning to believe that
one called either Elijah or Ira would
stray so far from the straight paths
caVprpIV
truthful names.
If we are to believe Samuel p. SUIT
phen, as pleasant looking an under
taker as ever breathed, his colleague.
or possibly rival, Mr.. Hubbard, Is
something less than accurate in many
Of his statements.
Physician Shakes Story.
If we are to believe DIR. Loeblin-
oh, well, If we are to believe DR.. Loeb
lin, there was no card propped against
the rectors heel, and we might all
Just as we'll pack up our bags and go
home.
These are all State witnesses. When
the defense begins to parade it's way
we will hear contradictions and ac-
cusat tions and counter-accusations and
affirmations that will make all this
seem a magnificently harmonious
chorus If any ones theory as to
how. when, where and why this MUIR
der was committed has not been rude
ly shaken by this plethora of conflict
, ing statements. that person and that
| theory are to be congratulated.
1t looks as though the most master
ly composed of all mysteries were to
remain unsolved to the last page, and
no one can cheat by looking ahead.
ho
thies are with the writer in F. p. A. $
column in the World--"It must be
Simpson, because he's the last person
that any one would suspect
The most interesting witness of the
dav was Eleanor Miiis' sister, inter
esting because her testimony. given
in soft, fiat voice, prudently and
prudishly evoked for us vividly the
dead girl Elsie Barnhardt Is a COM
paratively young woman, blue-eyed,
flcrid, trifle pudgy. There were
pearls at her throat, obviously im1ta-
ton. She wore a dingy white fur col
lar, obviously imitation; a green SILK
rose pinned to it. obviously imitation;
a mother, Of pearl ornament banded
with diamonds. most patiently imita-
ton Of all. clasped through the crown
Of her black velvet hat.
Pleasant and Appealing.
In spite of all this shoddiness there
is something rather pleasant and ap-
pealing and wholesome about her, a
! simplicity in the face Of attacks from
| both sides that may we'll be honestly.
She is afraid of the word love" even
| when she is telling us that Eleanor
| and the rector were planning to run
| away to Japan as soon as Charlotte
! finished school.
She tells us that Eleanor liked DR..
! Hall. she liked him very well; final
| ly, after repeated prodding and prob