Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-13

night out" and did not return home
until 10 o'clock.
Mrs. Riehl told of answering the
telephone in the late afternoon of
September II, 1922, and recognized
the voice Of Mrs. Mills inquiring for
Mr.. Hall. Mrs. Hall, said the wit
ness, also started to answer the call.
at another telephone on the floor be-
low the maid. She said today that
Mrs. Hall, on being informed that
the call was for Mr.. Hall and that
he had called from a bathroom that
he would answer it. replaced the
receiver and walked away. The state
submitted that at a grand jury in
vestigation, in 1922. the witness had
said that she did not know whether
Mrs. Hall heard the conversation.
The one-sided dialogue, as repeat
ed today, quoted Mr.. Hall: Eyes, yes,
yes. That's too bad. l was going
to the church a little later. Can't
we make an arrangement for about
quarter to eight?"
Mrs. Riehl said that the minister
later went out with the explanation
to Mrs. Hall that he was going 70
'see about Mrs. Mills hospital bilr'
Will tllC Udocu dSSuTd1C0 LUdE lie
would net be late. returning.
During the examination as to pos
sible conflict between her testimony
OF 1922 and that of today, Mrs. Riehl
lost the calm assurance she had had
during her stay on the stand.
She continued her testimony aft
ter telling of the telephone CONVEX
sation and subsequent departure of
Mr.. Hall by saying that when she
retired, between $50 and 10 o'clock.
she left Mrs. Hall playing solitaire
in the library. Early the next morn
ing she said she saw Willie Stevens
in the dining room and he said to
her in reply to a question, as to his
presence before his usual hour of
arising: II would rather not tell
you. ! would rather Mrs. Hall told
YOU. Something terrible has hap
pened. Mr.. Hall has not come home
all night"
She quoted Mrs. Hall as saying
that night, in bidding her brother,
Willie. goodnight, that II thought
he would come last night, but ne
won't come tonight. I know he
must be dead or he would have COM
municated with me-
The witness quoted her employer
by the maids question as to whether
she should keep Mr.. Halls breakfast
warm. the morning after the killing.
She said that Mrs. Hall with her
eyes red with weeping, replied, mo,
Mr.. Hall hasn't been home all night.
/ don't know where he is and I
can't imagine what has happened
to him"
An effort at one telephone CONVEX
sation which failed to materialize
was described by Miss Millie Opie, a
dressmaker and neighbor of Mrs.
Mills, at the time of the singers
death. She said that on the day of
the Staying she was asked by per-
son who said he was "Mr Hall" and
whose voice She recognized at that
OF the minister, to summon Mrs.
Mills, who had no telephone. Miss
reaching Mrs. Mills then, but saw
her about 1870 o'clock and told her
of the attempt TO communicate with
her. Miss Opie also said that Mr..
Hall visited Mrs. Mills often. "too
frequently" in the opinion of the
neighborhood.
A New Brunswick undertaken,
John v. Hubbard, who prepared the
bodies of both Mr.. Hall and Mrs.
Mills for burial testified that, so far
as he knew. no autopsy was perform
ed before burial. On cross eXamina-
ton. 1t was revealed that he had sug-
gested that the bodies be buried soon,
as they were in no condition to be
held. The defense also drew from
this witness that by Mrs. Halls in
structions, the body Of the slain
minister was placed in the Stevens
x.o nj in, proolylx.vx Of lx~
sition to permit her body to rest be-
side his.
The calling card, exhibit "S-17"
was again to the front. Philip
Payne, managing editor of the New
York Daily Mirror. was called to tell
of getting the card from Edward
Schwartze, of the Newark police de-
partment, having it photographed in
his New York office and sending 8
reported when it was taken to Joseph
A. Faurot, fingerprint expert, on va
cation at the time at Middletown, n.
Y. Later Herbert B. Mayer, report
er for the Mirror, told of going with
Lieutenant Frederick Drewen, OF the
Jersey City police department, to
submit the card to Faurot. The state
contends that this calling card Of the
Rev. Mr.. Hall, and found near his
boOss pCaA . ShC ilA6Ci pil I'LL VI w ililC
Stevens.
During Paynes stay on the stand.
the defense unsuccessfully attempted
to bring out the amount spent by the
Mirror in this investigation" OBJ
lection by the state was sustained by
Justice Charles w. Parker. presiding,
after the defense had explained that
it had a theory that the matter
now being presented in solemn
trial" was promoted and inspired
by the Mirror for financial, reasons
and to promote circulation"
The defense also had marked for
identification an edition Of the Mir
ror, containing a composite picture
showing Willie Stevens, a calling card
and body. The witness was asked
II any retraction, apology or state
ment regarding the picture had been
made in the paper. The answer was
in the negative. A question as to
whether copies of the tabloid had
been sent to the names on the dis
trict jury list was disallowel by the
court.
On redirect examination the spe-
cial prosecutor asked the witness If
Willie Stevens demanded q retraction
or threatened the witness with arrest
for criminal libel. EThe answer was
again in the negative.