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Show DOUBLE CRIME MYSTERY NOW NEAR SOLUTION Brother of Widow Says His Hands Are Not Stained NEW BRUNSWICK, . V I . m, t 21 I Supported by information in an affidavit af-fidavit by a witness to the murders of !the Rev Edwin Wheeler Hall, rector of the Episcopal church of St John ithe Evangelist, and his choir leader, I Mrs. Eleanor Relnhardt Mills, authorities author-ities today appeared confident that the mystery was soon td be solved. With guards keeping leading characters char-acters in the drama under constant surveillance, no fear is felt that the suspected persona might escape. Detectives De-tectives were engaged In running down details considered by the officials cs-Bentlal cs-Bentlal before making an arrest Reports of the discovery of a witness wit-ness to the double shooting, a woman of reputable character, wero confirmed confirm-ed officially. DENIES HIS GUILT In a statement gien out at his home in Lavalletle. N. J., Henry Stevens, Stev-ens, crack shot and brother of Mrs. Francis Stevens Hall, widow of i In-slain In-slain rector, discussed the killing. "There Is no blood on my hands," he declared. "If I had a guilty knowledge know-ledge of this awful thing my conscience con-science would accuse mo without ceasing ceas-ing " lb said he had no opln'on as to who killed lr Hall und Mrs. Mills, but had ! an Impression that blackmail was the motive. BLAMES BLACKMAILER "It Is m Impression.' he said "that Some of the evil characters who live j m certain sections of New Brunswick, no doubt, more than one person was Involved and one of them might Weill have been a criminally Inclined woman wo-man head of the town gossip that associated as-sociated the names of Dr. Hall and Mr? Mills These desperate characters charac-ters probably decided to take advantage advan-tage of the talk to blackmail Dr. J Hall". He pointed out that It is well known that Dr. Hall had money or could obtain ob-tain It from friends and that Mrs. Hall was wealthy. 1 rm n TT ATI He thought the telephone calls I might have been part of a plot to lure tho pair where they could be jointly accused and the demand for money made. Dr. Hall, an athletic-man, athletic-man, may havo attacked his accusers accus-ers and they shot him and Mrs Mills then may have been shot to silence her. he suggested "Why Mrs Mills' throat was cut is a question for speculation," he added, add-ed, pointing out that this applied also to questions as to why the love letters were scattered about and tin bodies laid out iq an orderly manner, CLAIMS ALIBI "At the moment these murders were committed" ho concludexl, "I was vi it hin 100 yards of, my home fishing In the ocean. Several friends Weri with me from about 7 until half past 10 on that night. Al 10:30 we went home, where Mrs. Stevens and some friends were awaiting. Half an hour later, rny family. including myself, went to bed " |
