Hall-Mills Murders 1922 New Jersey

[Dr. John Watson]

Re: Photos of the bodies

Just came across this interesting post and want to clear up a possible misconception concerning the photo of the bodies. No photographs were ever taken of the bodies of Rev. Hall and Mrs. Mills, at the crime scene or anywhere else. The photo shown was created in 1999 by author Gerald Tomlinson for use on the cover of his excellent book, Fatal Tryst. It's a clever reconstruction in which Mr. Tomlinson photographed two models, dressed like the victims and lying in the same position as the bodies, which he then superimposed on an actual photo of the scene taken around the time of the murders. Mr. Tomlinson told me he photographed the models in his backyard. By the way, Tomlinson's is the best of the two books on this double-murder, although I disagree with his conclusions.

Dr. John

[Mayerling]

One of the great "hyphen trials" of the 1920s

Hello everyone,

By "hyphen trials" I am referring to four major homicide cases from the U.S. and England in the 1920s called by double names:

1) Sacco - Vanzetti
2) Thompson - Byswater
3) Hall - Mills
4) Snyder - Gray.

Except for the last one, wherein the guilty parties were punished, there are doubts and questions about the other three.

I read the Kunstler book, and found it interesting. I am surprised he apparently thought it a pointless pot-boiler. My problem with his K.K.K. soltion is that it just does not bare up when given the times and the power of the Klan in the Eastern states. They were powerful in the south and midwest (possibly more than ever before). However, although they did establish groups in southern Jersey (near New Brunswick) and even New York City (Staten Island still has one, I believe), they really were no very effective.

The Klan was anti-Black and anti-Immigrant (especially Catholic and Jewish immigrants) but they made little headway in areas with large non-Protestant populations or where the local criminal groups (mostly Italian and Jewish) could really strike back violently. That's why they never got a foothold in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, and Philadelphia (or on the west coast). Powerful definitely but not invicible. In fact, on several occasions they requested police protections from really big threats. It that was the case they'd be taking a real chance even in a backwater like New Brunswick. Kunstler makes an attempt to say they had more support against Protestant Clergy (like Reverend Hall) who were straying. I can't quite buy that.

I have read the Thurber essay, A KIND OF GENIUS (referring to Willie Stevens, Mrs. Hall's brother and co-defendant). It really just reviews the facts (pretty well). Thurber only wrote one other essay on true crime. I forget the name (I think it is Action at the Metropole) but it is about the 1912 Becker - Rosenthal Case.

Jeff

[Beowulf]

Beowulf - that is one magnificent house! How I'd love to have a look around inside.

However, the Reverend didn't give it up for Mrs. Mills. He was still living there wasn't he? It was never his anyway.

The plan was to elope with her, which is why they...didn't.

I stood outside that house for a little bit, wishing I could see the interior. Yes, that would be fun.

[louisa]

Beowulf - that is one magnificent house! How I'd love to have a look around inside.

However, the Reverend didn't give it up for Mrs. Mills. He was still living there wasn't he? It was never his anyway.

[jason_c]

Hi guys.

The Crime Library has a pretty good article on this murder, complete with the tale told by 'the Pig Lady': http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/n...y/mills/1.html

Best regards,
Archaic

Archaic, thanks for the link. Im reading up on the case now.

[Beowulf]

I read William Kunstler's book ages ago. He thought maybe the KKK was somehow invovled in the murders. However, reading the except from the book you posted, I wonder if Mrs.Hall was invovled in their deaths after all.
Why would she ask if there was sickness in Mr.Mill's family that night,why even make the statement that she thought they were dead somewhere. How would she even know that they were dead. I would have thought maybe my husband might have been with a sick parishioner,and Mrs. Mills was helping take care of the person,because my husband asked her for help. I wouldn't automatically assume either one was dead. Now, if he didn't come home after two or three days,then I would of course call police and report him as missing.
But to say right off the bat they're dead, sounds suspecious to me.

Yes. Also during the trial it was brought out that she had phoned the police that evening of her husband's disappearance and inquired 'if they had found any casualties?'.

Of course one could understand she was fearful for her husbands welfare, but in lieu of this statement it does sound...strange.

[HollyDolly]

Hall_Mills Murders 1922 New Jersey

I read William Kunstler's book ages ago. He thought maybe the KKK was somehow invovled in the murders. However, reading the except from the book you posted, I wonder if Mrs.Hall was invovled in their deaths after all.
Why would she ask if there was sickness in Mr.Mill's family that night,why even make the statement that she thought they were dead somewhere. How would she even know that they were dead. I would have thought maybe my husband might have been with a sick parishioner,and Mrs. Mills was helping take care of the person,because my husband asked her for help. I wouldn't automatically assume either one was dead. Now, if he didn't come home after two or three days,then I would of course call police and report him as missing.
But to say right off the bat they're dead, sounds suspecious to me.

[Beowulf]

Has anybody else read Bill James' book Popular Crime? He thought that Mrs. Mills husband was the likely killer and that his alibi was weak. I don't remember now what kind of alibi he had, but it does seem odd that he wasn't the focus of the investigation.

By the way, I remember that Whodunit program. That's the first time I heard of this case. I remember it as being very creepy. I slept with the lights on for a while after seeing it.

From the Kunstler book, The Hall-Mills Murder Case:

Mills, who was quickly classified by reporters as a mild mannered simpleton, did not share the general consensus that his wife and Hall had been having a love affair since late 1919. "I can't explain," he said naively, "why he and my wife were together there or wherever else they must have been, unless it was to talk over some church matters."

At five forty-five on the afternoon of the murders, Thursday, September 14, he had dropped in at St. John's, he told Prosecutor Beekman, to sweep up wood shavings left by the carpenters who had been repaneling the vestibule of the Sunday school room. Because the sweeping had taken a little longer than he expected, Mills had not returned home until six fifteen. "You are later for your supper," Eleanor had complained.

...... Admin note: Several paragraphs have been cut in order to comply with Copyright policy. Please refer to the link below to read the missing text:

http://books.google.com/books?id=TVJP4o5bGiYC&pg=PA17&dq=At+Five+forty+five+on+the+afternoon+of+the+murders&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TPTYT8GAB5OE8ASJ6JjuAw&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=At%20Five%20forty%20five%20on%20the%20afternoon%20of%20the%20murders&f=false

At eight thrity that morning Mills had gone to the church. As he was opening the windows in the rector's study, Mrs. Hall had entered the room. "She says to me, 'Good morning, Mr. Mills.' I said, 'Good morning, Mrs. Hall.' She said, 'Did you have any sickness in your home last night?' I said, 'My wife did not come home all night.' And as something cropped up, I said, 'Do you think that they eloped?' And she said, 'God knows, I think they are dead and can't come home.'"

Bottom left to right, Mr. Mills, Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Hall, Mr. Hall

[sdreid]

That is certainly a major classic case. The first I heard of it was in the old HBO Whodunit? program like maybe 30 or so years ago.

It was also the only case on that program that I hadn't heard of previously.

I then read James Thurber's account (A Sort of Genius) selected by Richard Glyn Jones in Unsolved! classic true murder cases 1987.

[kidtwist]

Has anybody else read Bill James' book Popular Crime? He thought that Mrs. Mills husband was the likely killer and that his alibi was weak. I don't remember now what kind of alibi he had, but it does seem odd that he wasn't the focus of the investigation.

By the way, I remember that Whodunit program. That's the first time I heard of this case. I remember it as being very creepy. I slept with the lights on for a while after seeing it.

[Beowulf]

The Hall home as it was then and as it is now. This is where the Reverend lived, and what he gave up for Mrs. Mills.

The home is considered a mansion.

[Beowulf]

I just looked on Amazon and was reminded why I don't yet own a copy of 'Fatal Tryst' ($155 new!). The only upcoming book on the case is just another of those tiresome comic book treatments by Rick Geary. Are you aware of another scholarly book on the case coming down the pike?

Don,

I thought Kuntsler did a good job with his book. I wonder why he'd disavow it? He sure didn't mind cashing those checks from the multiple editions published!

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

It is possible to get Fatal Tryst for 35.00 on occasion, which is pretty darned expensive for a paperback.

The reason I think that is expensive is because after all, you are no longer paying the publisher, and I'm sure the author is getting nothing out of it. I did recommend it for Kindle, (if that goes anywhere).

[Tom_Wescott]

Unsolved as yet, I think the best book written about it, (of which there are only two, and one pending, is Fatal Tryst by Gerald Tomlinson.

I just looked on Amazon and was reminded why I don't yet own a copy of 'Fatal Tryst' ($155 new!). The only upcoming book on the case is just another of those tiresome comic book treatments by Rick Geary. Are you aware of another scholarly book on the case coming down the pike?

Don,

I thought Kuntsler did a good job with his book. I wonder why he'd disavow it? He sure didn't mind cashing those checks from the multiple editions published!

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Beowulf]

I'm about 80% that the police had the right people. They just couldn't close the deal in court.

I'm with you. However, I didn't mention it because I thought if people read the book they'd find it interesting and come up with their own theories.

I have read "The Hall-Mills murders" by Kuntzler. He's a lawyer all right, it's a fascinating case but he manages to make it tedious and boring.

Last year we went to NJ (my husbands parents are from there) and went to the murder site, now a neighborhood. Mrs. Hall's house is part of the NJ campus of Rutgers. The house the Halls lived in is now the Deans Residence on Rutgers. Mrs. Hall was a wealthy socialite BEFORE she met the Reverend, I photographed the heck out of it for a possible future painting.

It has been kept up oh so nicely because of being the Deans residence. Kind of a nice thing, I think If I find anyone would like to see it I will put the pic up. It is in the books in black and white from 1922.

[Archaic]

Hi guys.

The Crime Library has a pretty good article on this murder, complete with the tale told by 'the Pig Lady': http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/n...y/mills/1.html

Best regards,
Archaic