Moonlight Murder on Lovers' Lane Read Online Free PDF

murders had occurred, but the excitable woman had said nothing. It seemed highly unlikely that she’d keep such shocking information to herself.
    Gibson vehemently defended her story. “I’m willing to confront Mrs. Hall face to face,” she declared. In fact, she added, she was sympathetic to a woman who wanted to kill another woman for grabbing her husband. She had nothing against Frances, but she had seen her at the murder scene.
    However, reporters soon dug up some information that eroded the Pig Woman’s credibility. She’d said that her deceased husband had been a minister, when in fact he was not dead and he was not a minister. William Easton worked as a toolmaker. But when asked about Jane, he would say only that she had a “brilliant mind.”
    It turned out that Gibson had married several different men over the years, although she denied it.
    To make matters worse, Gibson claimed that she had told reporters one story, the authorities another, and she would offer a third one on the witness stand. No one knew quite what to believe from this supposed eyewitness, but everyone wanted to know what she might yet add.
    By this time, a local carpenter had become an industrious entrepreneur by converting the empty Phillips farmhouse into a murder museum. People waited in line to pay the 25-cent admission. There wasn’t much to see inside, but some of the furnishings went to a New York City museum for a tidy sum.
    Two women looking around the stripped crabapple tree for leftover souvenirs discovered two unexploded cartridges, about 100 feet away. Mason ordered state troopers to close off the area and perform a more thorough search.

    Crabapple tree
    In November, Gibson identified “Henry,” but it was not Henry Stevens whom she named. Instead, it was Henry Carpender, a cousin of the Stevens’ who lived two doors from the Hall mansion. His brother had officially identified Edward’s body. Carpender offered an alibi: An early dinner with his wife at the home of some friends, leaving around 10:30 to go home.
    Someone else came forward as well: George Kuhn, who owned a cigar store, reported that Willie Stevens had come in on Sept 19, five days after the murders—long before Gibson had identified Henry Carpender—and asked him to deny rumors that any member of the Hall-Stevens-Carpender family was involved with the murders. This piece of information restored Gibson’s credibility.
    There was more. The pastor of Hungarian Reformed Church said that Edward had told him two things: He intended to run off with Eleanor, and also that a relative of Frances had threatened to kill him.
    Another odd piece of information that came out was that several hymnals at St. John’s had been desecrated. A page had been removed. The page contained a hymn that Edward and Eleanor had both favored: “Peace, Perfect Peace.” This clue pointed at other suspects—possible rivals of either victim—but no one followed through.
    On November 20, another grand jury convened. After five days and 67 witnesses, the matter was laid over. Although the authorities assured the public that they would continue to investigate, the case of the minister and the choir singer quickly went cold.
    It would be nearly four years before new information surfaced that once again fueled the fire.

Chapter 15: Further Intrigue
    Louise Geist had worked as a maid for the Halls during the time of the murders. She had then married Arthur Riehl, but in July 1926, Riehl filed for an annulment. Having split from her, he felt free—even compelled—to reveal what he knew. He claimed that Louise had told Frances Hall on September 14, 1922, that her husband was planning to run off with Eleanor Mills. Louise had accompanied Frances and Willie that night, driven by their chauffeur, and had received $5,000 to keep quiet about what she knew.
    When Louise heard what her estranged husband had said, she denied it all.
    “He’s lying!” she insisted.
    Of course, she had reason to