Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-24

it"u Dcch cIdrBed With this crime?"
Il have"
Now. Mr.. Stevens" said the pro-
secutor, You're a man of experience
ana you've read a great deal. l ask
II you don't think it sounds fishy for
you TO say that you went to the Mills
home in search Of your brother in law
ana then failed to rap on the door Of
the house where you thought it was,
to ask If he was there"
Il don't think 1t is at all fishy,"
said Willie, in a dignified emphatic
tone.
Now, If were looking for you and
! acted in the same manner, wouldn't
you consider that fishy?" asked
Simpson, driving on in the same di-
rection.
mo"
Il believe that you said you only
knew Mrs. Mills casually"
mot casually, but very. very
slightly; / just knew who she was"
replied Willie. emphasizing the very,
very.
Didn't, you know she had been on
a picnic to Lake Hopatcong with Mr..
and Mrs. Hall on the day before the
MURDER"
I knew her very, very slightly
said Willie.
Then DIR. Halls church was not
your church? ''
Not DIR. Hail." said Willie, The
Rev. Mr.. Hail."
You went occasionally to his
church,"
Yes, sir"
what church did you go TOP
"Christ Church.
Then, if anything was going on
at Mr.. Halls church you would not
see it?' continued Simpson.
No, sir" said Willie.
Simpson then had Willie once more
go all through the detailed account
of his movements at the time when
he and his sister. according to his
! direct testimony, had gone out in
search OF Mr. Hall.
1t seemed that there was no dis
crepancy.
Did you ever go to the doctor for
money!
You didn't say that Frances won't
give me any money and he would
give you a quarter|
NO, MI. Hall had nothing to do
with my money"
You're right" said Simpson; It's
not doctor, but mister. / mean the
Reverend Hail."
THE Reverend Mister Hail." cor
rected the witness, as he again said
that the slain minister was not cone
cerned with his money.
Didn't you ever wear a derby?"
Never"
Did you ever know If anyone
called you Brunswick Billie"
Never" answered the witness,
loudly and emphatically.
Simpson was jumping suddenly
to questions Of different matters in
an effort to entangle the witness.
Because of the mentality of this
witness, meaning no reflection on
MIR. Stevens, we want to see whether
he has been told this story and has
learned it by rote," said Simpson.
The prosecutor added that the wit
ness should tell the same story over
and over it might be assumed he had
learned it.by rote.
"All | have to say it | was never
taught by anyone" the witness said.
but / told. as | recall, how l went
with my sister,
He leaned over the stand before
the witness chair and looked Simp-
son squarely in the face as he made
| this remark.
Asked by Simpson why he had
! never before told his story OF his
actions the night of the murder,
, Willie replied:
Because l was never asked"
Reverting again to the witness
story of going to his room the night
of the double Staying, Simpson asked
| him:
"You didn't come out from $50 till
2.s0?"
mo. sir"
Simpson then asked him how it
! could be known whether he was in his
room since the door was locked
IF no one saw me come downstairs
after I'd gone up. wouldn't you con-
clude that l was in my room?" asked
Willie.
Yes agreed Simpson.
The witness told of the occa sion
when detectives took two OF his suits
and his hat from the Hall home after
| the double staying. Then Simpson
questioned him about sending two
suits to a tailor, about which the
tailor's errand boy had testified for
! the state. saying Willie made him
take the clothes from the house by a
back route and that when he reached
the tailor shop he noticed dark spots
on one of WilIies vests.
Il don't remember any conversation
! with an errand boy" said the witness.
You didn't tell him he had to go
out by back door?' asked Simpson.
I mo, sir"
you didn't have to go to any Greek
candy store to wash blood off your
/ hands?"
Hardly" said the witness in bit
ing tone.
What do you mean by hardly"
II did not was the witness an
swer.
On further questioning Willie said
he went nowhere on Friday, the day
of the double Staying. to try to locate
the Rev Mr.. Hall.
what was the relation of your
room to that of DR.. Hall?"
AT the opposite end of the hail"
Did You hear the telephone ring?'
"Yes"
did you hear MI Halls CONVERSE
tton?"
NO"
Did you hear the bell ring
Yes. and called Telephone.
frequently did that when | heard the
telephone ring"
Did you listen to the conversation"
No; it was none OF my business
The telephone conversation was once
referred to in the testimony of Louise
GelSt Rlehl, maid IN the Hall home,
who said she called Mr.. Hall to the
telephone to answer a call from Mrs.
Mills in the early evening of Septem-
Der IA, 1922.
The court session was adjourned a
few minutes after O'Clock with the
defendant still on the stand.
Nearing Showdown
CONTINUED from Pace Onel