New Britain herald., 1926-11-12
Seeks to Show That Daily Mirror lnstigat- ed Second Investiga- ton Solely to Bolster Up Circulation.
1ntimates Paper Paid Lawyers Fees for RiehJ Against His Wife, Whose Disclosures Started Ac- tion.

Courthouse, Somerville, N. J.. Nov 12 lF9-Defense counsel tn tbe Hall-Mills case today said in areu. ment to the court that 1t has the~ ory that the present trial was pro. noted and inspired" by the Daily Mirror, a New York tabloid news paper.
 The statement was made durine cross-examination of one of the two witnesses of the forenoon session. Phl Payne. managing editor of the Mlrror. Payne, who had testsifled as to photographing in his office of calling card the state claims bears Willie Stevens tlngerprint, was ask ed on ross-examination how much the Mirror has spent "on this inves- tigation"
 Objection was promptly raised by the state and Robert H. McCarter, senior defense counsel, said in his argument as to the competence of the question that it is a theory of the defense that This matter now being prosecuted as solemn trial III thls court was promoted and in- spired by the Mirror for financial reasons and to promote circulation " The question was excluded by the court.
 In approaching the problem from another angle, defense counsel at- tempted to question the witness as to the newspaper connection with attorneys fees in a case of Arthur Riehl against his wife, who was Louise Geist, was a maid in the Hall nome. This. too, was overruled.
 Barbara Tough. maid in the Hall home at the time of the crime, was the only other witness of the morn. i ing.
 Maid Resumes Testimony. | Recalled to the witness stand on resumption of the trial today. Bar bara Tough, former maid in the nome of Mrs. Frances Stevens Hall. continued her story of what occur red in the home the night Mrs. Halls husband was slain. Mss Tough, under direct examin- alton, said that she had been in the habit of taking a thermos bottle of water to the bedroom of Mrs. Hall every night, but said she did not take any to her room on Thursday night. September IA, 1922, the night Of the murders. She also said she did not pass the room of Willie Stevens in taking the water to Mrs Halls bedroom.
 r On Wednesday. Miss Tough had testified that she had seen neither Mrs. Hall nor Willie Stevens in their house on the night of the murders although she did hear Mrs. Hall en- ter the bathroom about 2 o'clock in l the morning.
 Willie Rarely Out.
 Today Miss Tough testified that, in her almost seven years of service in the Hall home. she rarely saw Willie Stevens out of the house after six o'clock in the evening.
 For the first time, Daniel Mills sixteen year old son of the slain woman. attended the trial today. He sat beside his sister. Charlotte, who i has been daily spectator and has twice appeared on the witness stand. The girl has been separated from 1 her father, by three seats. Mills also has testified as witness for the state. Mrs. Hall Very Calm. Mrs. Hall. dressed in black, as on every day since the trial began, en- tered the court room early as usual, still wearing the calm expression that even the most pointed thrusts of the state prosecutors have been unable to shatter. Occasionally she speaks word to her two brothers, who sit on either side of her, but by her outward mannerisms it would be difficult to tell that she is being tried for her life. Senator Case took up the eros. examination of Miss Tough. adding I another pronunciation to the increas ing list which have been employed in calling her Scotch name. Vary ing from "Tuh" to Two" he finally asked the correct way. and heard another shading between those two. Nothing Unusual,
 Was there anything unusual in the house when you came in on the night of the l6illinss?" asked Case. Nothing at all," she replied You didn't pass the bedroom of Mrs. Hall in going to the third | floor?"
 | No"
 You couldn't see it?" | "No.' .....
 | Did MT. and Mrs Hall occupy the same room ?''
 "Yes."
 And the same bed?"
 "Yes."
 l On cross examination of James Nils, Senator Case had brought out that Mills and she occupied separate rooms
 During the night, about o'clock you heard Mrs. Hall going to the bathroom ?"