Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-18
HALL MILLS TRIAL
Continued from Page one)

asserted he would obtain writ of
habeau corpus TO make certain his
star witness appeared in court.
A recess of the trial in Somerset
County court was taken today to
give additional strength to Mrs. Glib
son.
Prosecutor Simpson expects Mrs.
Gibson will be able to submit to
reasonable cross examination" If
she testifies tomorrow. There is no
indication that the state and defense
will agree as to the degree of rea-
sonableness of a cross examination.
The defense has suggested that its
questioning of the woman, offered by
the state as an eyewitness of the
Staying of Mrs. Eleanor r. Mills
and Rev. Edward w. Hall will be
thorough.
The state has virtually completed
its case with only 4he woman farm
err remaining to cap the climax.
Should she be unable to appear to-
morrow, or collapse before she gives
her testimony, legal technicalities
will probably be injected again into
the case.
Close observers of the progress Of
the trial freely voice opinions that
without Mrs. Gibson's recital of what
she saw before and after the fatal
shots were fired, the state cannot
hope to go to the jury with any
hope for conviction. II she Is not
able to complete her testimony, an
adjournment of the case may be
sought, or mistrial ordered, law
yers said today.
In eleven court days the prosecu-
ton has placed more than 70 wit
nesses on the stand, developing tes-
timony in which contradictions have
appeared several times. Pleading
surprise" at some of the testimony
of the state witnesses, the special
prosecutor has put up witnesses to
"neutralize" previous testimony.
In an effort to establish a motive
for the staying, the state has proved
beyond dispute that the minister and
the choir singer were desperately in
love with each other. Proof of
love affair, extending over period
of years, has been shown by witness
es, and documentary evidence read
into the records. Members of Mrs.
Mills family have testified that they
hlcW VI iCf tONS Iva thc
which they said was reciprocated.
Letters containing avowals of affec-
ton written by the man and woman,
and a diary written by Hall found in
Mrs. Mills home, have been read.
Mrs. Francis Stevens Hall, on trial
with her brothers, Henry and Willie
Stevens, It has been shown. has
claimed she knew nothing of such
an affair and would not believe that
her husband was in love with an
other woman. Two OF Mrs. Mills
sisters on the witness stand said that
the choir singers husband, James
Mills, was told by his wife of her
love for the rector OF the church,
where she sang in the choir, and of
her intention to go away with him.
Charges Of bribery and attempted
bribery were brought out by the
state in line Of testimony designed
to show that friends or agents of
Mrs. Hall have tried to suppress evil
dence. A woman witness told of an
offer of $500 to pay Ola mortgage
on her house, made by detective
to get her to shut up" A former
state trooper, who disappeared after
several months of investigation of
the case. said be was paid $500 by
q former county prosecutor. now
dead. to leave the state.
Finger print experts testified that
a., the print Of the left index finger OF