Hall-Mills Murder - Citizendia

Re-creation of the bodies at the murder scene as they appeared on September 16, 1922

The Hall-Mills Murder involved the death of an Episcopal priest and a member of his choir on September 14, 1922, while they were having an affair. The Episcopal Church is the official name of the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The suspected murderers were the priest's wife and her brothers, but they were never convicted. ^[1]

Reverend Edward Wheeler Hall's calling card found at the Hall-Mills murders crime scene.

Eleanor Reinhardt (1888-1922); James E. Mills (1878-1965); and Charlotte E. Mills (1906-1952) tombstone in Van Liew Cemetery

Discovery of bodies

On September 16, 1922, 15-year-old Pearl Bahmer (1907-?) was walking with 23-year-old Raymond Schneider (1899-1972) along a secluded lovers' lane called De Russey's Lane (now Franklin Boulevard) in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey when they came across the dead bodies of a man and a woman. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. for other New Jersey townships with the same name see Franklin Township, New Jersey Franklin Township is a Township in They went to the home of Edward Stryker and telephoned the police.

Police arrive

Officer James Curran and Patrolman Edward Garrigan were dispatched. The two bodies were on their backs and both were shot in the head with a .32-calibre pistol, the man once and the woman three times. The bullet entered the man's head over his right ear and exited through the back of his neck. The woman was shot under the right eye, over the right temple and over the right ear. Garrigan noticed that the woman's throat had been severed and maggots were already in the wound, indicating the death occurred at least 24 hours earlier. The bodies appeared to have been positioned after death, both of the bodies had their feet pointing toward a crab apple tree and the man had a hat covering his face. Malus, the apples, is a genus of about 30–35 species of small Deciduous Trees or Shrubs in the family Rosaceae. Various items including the priest's calling card and love letters were placed near the bodies. Calling Card is the sixth studio release by Irish singer/guitarist Rory Gallagher. Love Letter is a 1995 Japanese film directed by Shunji Iwai, and starring Miho Nakayama. Initial confusion was created because the crime scene was near the Middlesex County and Somerset County border. Middlesex County is a County located in the US state of New Jersey. Somerset County is a County located in the US state of New Jersey. New Brunswick, New Jersey (Middlesex County) police arrived first, but the crime scene was in Somerset County. New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City" is a city and the County seat of Middlesex County Curiosity-seekers trampled the scene and took souvenirs as the jurisdictional issue was being settled. Evidence was severely compromised, including Hall's calling card being passed among the crowd.

The woman's body

The woman was identified as Eleanor Reinhardt (born 1888), the wife of James E Mills (1878-1965). She was wearing a blue dress with red polka dots, black silk stockings, and brown shoes. She had worn a blue velvet hat that was on the ground near her body, and her brown silk scarf was wrapped around her throat. Her arm had a bruise and there was a tiny cut on her lip. Her left hand had been positioned, after death, to touch the man's right thigh. An autopsy four years later showed that her tongue had been cut out.

Eleanor Reinhardt (1888-1922) wife of James Mills, and murder victim

The man's body

The man was identified as Edward Wheeler Hall (born 1881), a New Brunswick Episcopal priest. He was found with his right arm positioned, after death, to touch the woman's neck. His hat covered his face, which concealed the gun wound to his head. He wore a pair of glasses. There was a small bruise on the tip of his ear and abrasions were found on his left little-finger and right index-finger. A wound was found five inches below his kneecap on the calf of his right leg. His watch was missing and there were coins in his pocket.

Investigation

The suspects were Hall's wife Frances Noel Stevens (1874-1942) and her two brothers, Henry Hewgill Stevens (1869-1939); and William "Willie" Carpender Stevens (1872-1942). The original 1922 investigation by Joseph E. Stricker (?-1926) led to no indictments. ^[2] Continued speculation in the New York Daily Mirror, fuelled by comments made by a man associated with one of Mrs Hall's housekeepers, led the then New Jersey governor A. Harry Moore to order a second investigation and a trial in 1926. The New York Daily Mirror was an American morning Tabloid newspaper first published in 1922 in New York City by the William Randolph New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Arthur Harry Moore ( Jersey City New Jersey in July 3, 1879 Branchburg Township New Jersey in November 18, 1952) was a This time, Henry de la Bruyere Carpender, a cousin of the brothers, was also named as a suspect but was cleared before the main trial of the original suspects.

New York Times; December 4, 1926

Trial

The trial began on November 3, 1926 in the Somerset County Courthouse in Somerville, New Jersey with Charles W Parker presiding as judge, and it lasted about 30 days. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Somerset County Courthouse is located in Somerville, New Jersey, United States. Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. It garnered huge national attention in the newspapers and on radio, largely because of the social status of the wealthy Stevens and Carpender families. The prosecuting attorney was Alexander Simpson, and the attorney for the defense was Robert H McCarter, a former New Jersey attorney-general. In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition Raymond C Stryker (1883-1955) was the foreman of the jury, and Joseph A Faurot (1874-1942) was the testifying fingerprint expert. A fingerprint is an impression of the friction ridges of all or any part of the finger

The prosecution's key witness, Jane Gibson, was unreliable and changed details of the story each time she told it. Her account varied when told to the police, the newspapers, and at her trial testimony which came from a hospital bed rolled into the court room. Frances Stevens Hall and her two brothers had the motive and the means for the murder, but there was not enough evidence to convict them.

Victims

Eleanor Reinhardt Mills

Eleanor Reinhardt was married to James E. Mills. They lived at 49 Carman Street in New Brunswick, New Jersey. New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City" is a city and the County seat of Middlesex County James was acting sexton at St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in New Brunswick and full-time janitor at the Lord Stirling Elementary School in New Brunswick. Eleanor and James had the following children: Charlotte E Mills (1906-1952) who would marry Harry Joseph O'Neill in Philadelphia in December of 1932; and Daniel Mills (1910-1992). Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Eleanor; James; and daughter, Charlotte; were buried in Van Liew Cemetery, New Brunswick. The Van Liew Cemetery is a cemetery located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States.

Edward Wheeler Hall

Edward Wheeler Hall married Frances Noel Stevens on July 20, 1911. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year He was raised in Brooklyn, receiving his theological degree in Manhattan. After graduation he moved from New York to Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and then to St John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Basking Ridge is an unincorporated area located within Bernards Township in the Somerset Hills region of Somerset County, New Jersey New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City" is a city and the County seat of Middlesex County Edward was living at 23 Nichols Avenue in New Brunswick at the time of the murder. He was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City.

Suspects

Henry de la Bruyere Carpender

Henry de la Bruyere Carpender (1882-1934) was a suspect, but was never brought to trial

Henry de la Bruyere Carpender (1882-1934) was born on May 15, 1882 to John Neilson Carpender and Anna Neilson Kemp. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He lived with his wife Mary Nielson at the corner of Suydam Street and Nichol Avenue in New Brunswick. Henry was a cousin of Frances Noel Stevens Hall, whose mother was a Carpender. He worked as a Wall Street stockbroker. Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. Although he was an initial suspect, he was never brought into the main trial. He died on May 26, 1934, and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, New Brunswick. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Elmwood Cemetery is located at 425 Georges Road in New Brunswick New Jersey on the border of North Brunswick New Jersey.

Frances Noel Stevens Hall

Frances Noel Stevens (1874-1942) wife of Edward Wheeler Hall (1881-1922) and murder suspect

Frances Noel Stevens was born on June 13, 1874 to Francis Kerby Stevens (1840-1874) and Mary Noel Carpender (1840-1919). Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for Year 1874 ( MDCCCLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Frances and Edward married on July 20, 1911. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year She was buried on December 21, 1942 in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York with her husband. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. In the prosecution's scenario she instigated the murder of her cheating husband. Her home was later bought by Rutgers University and used as the residence for the Dean of Douglass College. Rutgers The State University of New Jersey (also known as Rutgers University) is the largest institution for higher education in the state of New Jersey Douglass Residential College is a part of Rutgers University. She was related to many of the wealthy families of New Brunswick including the Carpenters, Nielsons, and possibly the Johnsons of Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson ( is a global American Pharmaceutical, Medical devices and consumer packaged goods Manufacturer founded in 1886

Henry Hewgill Stevens

Henry Hewgill Stevens (1869-1939) was born on November 10, 1869 and married Ethel Griffin on June 27, 1901. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting He was a retired exhibition marksman and lived in Lavallette, New Jersey. Lavallette is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. In the prosecution's scenario he fired the shots. Henry testified that he was fishing miles away from the murder on the night of the killing, and three witnesses corroborated his testimony. He died of a heart attack on December 3, 1939 in Lavallette, New Jersey. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

William Carpender Stevens

William ("Willie") Carpender Stevens (1872-1942) was born on March 13, 1872. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year He owned a .32-calibre pistol like the one used in the murder — although the firing mechanism was supposed to have been filed down so that he could not hurt himself with it. In the prosecution's scenario he provided the weapon, and his fingerprint was found on a calling card left at the scene of the crime. Willie came over a colourful character on the witness stand. He was incapable of holding a job and spent most of the time hanging out at a local firehouse. Willie may have suffered from a form of autism known as Asperger's Syndrome, although no conclusive diagnosis can be made after his death. Language development. The terminology Asperger syndrome (also called Asperger's syndrome, Asperger's disorder, Asperger's or AS) is the Autism spectrum disorder (ASD He died on December 30, 1942. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Henry Hewgill Stevens (1869-1939) murder suspect

Witnesses

Jane Gibson

Jane Gibson (c1870-1930) and her son William Gibson lived in an old barn converted into living space off of De Russey’s Lane. She raised hogs, which earned her the name "pig lady" and the "pig woman" in the newspaper accounts. Jane told investigators that her dog was barking loudly about 9pm on the night of the murder. She investigated and saw a man standing in her cornfield. She rode her mule toward Easton Avenue to approach the man in the cornfield. As she neared him she realised there were not one, but four people standing near a crab apple tree. She heard gunshots and one of the figures fell to the ground. She testified that she heard a woman scream: "Don’t" repeated three times. She said she turned her mule in the opposite direction, heard more gunshots and when she looked back, saw a second person fall down. She also heard a woman shout out the name "Henry". Her version differed from what the coroner had concluded, and her story changed with each retelling. ^[3]

The case and trial in fact and fiction

After the trial Mrs Hall brought a defamation suit against the New York Daily Mirror. The New York Times accounts were actually more voluminous but less slanted; they reported on all aspects of the trial and dedicated more space to the Hall-Mills case than any previous trial in American history. (That record would shortly be eclipsed by another New Jersey trial, The Lindbergh case. ) The Hall-Mills murders have been written about significantly in both fact and fiction. During the trial Damon Runyon was among one of the reporters of the trial. Damon Runyon ( 4 October 1884 – 10 December 1946) was a newspaperman and writer Willie Stevens was later the subject of an essay by James Thurber. James Grover Thurber ( December 8, 1894 &ndash November 2, 1961) was an American Humorist and Cartoonist. The trial inspired the novel, The Crime by Stephen Longstreet as well as Frances Noyes Hart's novel, The Bellamy Trial which was a pioneering work which defined the genre of the court-room mystery drama. Even before the trial, the silent film The Goose Woman (1925), starring Louise Dresser and Jack Pickford capitalized on Jane "The Pig Woman" Gibson's story and statements. Jack Pickford ( August 18, 1896 - January 3, 1933) was a Canadian -born American actor The Bellamy Trial was also turned into a film in 1929. Famed attorney William M. Kunstler published a 1964 book entitled The Minister and the Choir Singer and re-released that book with an added editorial in 1980 as The Hall-Mills Murders. Gerald Tomlinson's Fatal Tryst: Who Killed the Minister and the Choir Singer? is the most detailed exploration of the case written to date. Interestingly, these books suggest vastly different solutions. See books by William Brahms for additional images and a more detailed account on the local perspective and effect on the once rural community of Franklin Township.

References

^ "Under The Crabapple Tree.", Time (magazine), November 15, 1926. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-08-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. "Three hundred newspaper men and women sat in a curving, triple arc of chairs facing the judge's bench, the witness stand, the jury box, of a tiny courtroom in Somerville, New Jersey. Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The air was stuffy. An angular court crier (John Bunn by name) intoned in a creaky voice, "Hear ye. . . . " The reporters' pencils moved rapidly, their eyes searched the faces of the witnesses, the defendants, the lawyers. Occasionally a truck rumbled through the street outside. In here, a certain Mrs. Frances Stevens Hall and her brothers, the Messrs. Henry and "Willie" Stevens, were on trial for the murder of a clergyman and a choir singer. "
^ "J. E. Stricker Dies After Operation. Former Middlesex Prosecutor Began the Investigation of Hall-Mills Mystery. Sixth death during inquiry. Rumor of Suicide Unfounded. Death in Hospital Due to Peritonitis. ", New York Times, October 3, 1926, Sunday. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-08-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. "Long Branch, New Jersey, October 2, 1926; The sixth death to occur among persons intimately concerned in the investigation of the Hall-Mills murder case came this morning when Joseph E. Long Branch is a City in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Events 1187 - Siege of Jerusalem: Saladin captures Jerusalem after 88 years of Crusader rule Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Stricker, former prosecutor of Middlesex County, who was the first man to direct the investigation four years ago, succumbed to peritonitis following an operation for acute appendicitis a week ago. "
^ "Woman's Story Unshaken. Saw "Glistening Thing" in Broker's Hand, Then Heard the Shots. Missing Records Restored. Brother of Former Prosecutor Beekman Gives Them Up. Attempted Sale Reported. Another Witness Jailed. Detective Admits Police Work at Start Was Inadequate. Charlotte Mills On Stand. ", New York Times, August 14, 1926. Events 1183 - Taira no Munemori and the Taira clan take the young Emperor Antoku and the three sacred treasures Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Retrieved on 2007-08-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. "Dramatic Day in Court as State's Chief Witnesses Testify in Hall-Mills Case Long Missing. Mrs. Jane Gibson, the "pig woman," who is the State's principal witness in the revived investigation of the Hall-Mills murder case, took the stand at Somerville, New Jersey, yesterday and named the persons she swears were at the scene of the slaying of the Rev. Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Edward W. Hall and Mrs. Eleanor R. Mills four years ago, near New Brunswick, New Jersey. New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City" is a city and the County seat of Middlesex County "

External links

New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City" is a city and the County seat of Middlesex County New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City" is a city and the County seat of Middlesex County William B Brahms (born October 1, 1966) is an American Librarian and Author best known for his work on historical "lasts"

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