Moonlight Murder on Lovers' Lane Read Online Free PDF Page B

protect herself. If she had covered for murder, she was an accomplice.
    The newspapers raced to outdo one another in tabloid sensationalism. Several reporters wrote about this new tidbit, but it wasn’t the only item of interest.
    Trooper Henry Dickman, who had been independently investigating the murders, had mysteriously disappeared in June 1923. Some said he had been killed or paid to leave the state. But he turned up in Alcatraz, imprisoned for desertion.
    Middlesex County prosecutor John Toolan had now replaced Stricker, and he stated that he had no intention of re-opening the case. He lobbed the ball over to Somerset County, where it belonged. Francis Bergen had succeeded Beekman, now deceased. He decided to look at the case for himself.

    Somerset County Courthouse
    Soon thereafter, Bergen issued a warrant for Frances Hall’s arrest. She posted bail and hired Robert McCarter to represent her. He invited Clarence E. Case to be assistant chief defense counsel. Together, they were the equivalent of today’s dream team.
    The state replaced Bergen with the more experienced Alexander Simpson, a savvy lawyer, from Hudson County. At just 5 feet tall, he was an amusing figure, but he knew how to make his slight stature work for him.
    Simpson soon discovered that a considerable amount of evidence had been lost or destroyed, including the autopsy reports and Willie Stevens’ gun, which had been returned to him. Reverend Hall’s eyeglasses had been wiped clean and witnesses had been badgered to change their stories. Simpson still had a staunch eyewitness. He interviewed Jane Gibson and announced his intention to proceed with a trial. She would be his star.
    Shortly thereafter, James Mills admitted that he had indeed known about the affair his wife was having and that he’d threatened divorce, but had not had the time or money for it.
    Suddenly, the stage was set. All of the usual suspects were still in play. Some new ones were about to be added.

Chapter 16: Another Grand Jury
    Arrest warrants were issued for Willie Stevens and Henry Carpender. The hearing took four days. After 50 witnesses testified, bail was denied for both men. Simpson believed that Frances had gotten caught up in a murder, but that she herself had not killed anyone, so he would treat her with a lighter hand. Not everyone shared Simpson’s opinion.
    Officials launched another investigation to try to break Henry Stevens’ alibi. Detectives dug up a brief interview with a man who’d been only peripherally associated with the case in 1922. St. John’s vestryman Ralph Gorsline was rumored to have once had an affair with Eleanor, but neither Beekman nor Stricker had given this much thought.
    Described as tall and thin, with tight skin that emphasized his gauntness, Gorsline was an industrial engineer by trade. He also had owned a dark green Apperson touring car, which he used to impress women.
    Mott had formed his own opinion about Gorsline’s involvement. He’d surmised that Gorsline had found the reverend’s stash of letters from Eleanor, had gotten angry or jealous, and had shown them to Frances Hall and Henry Carpender. He’d then driven Frances and Henry himself to De Russey’s Lane, urging them to confront the lovers. When the murders occurred, he’d helped to cover them up. Thus, he’d been an instigator and an accomplice. Yet there had been no proof of Mott’s notion and Gorsline had denied being in the area.
    Now the case was in new hands. Simpson wanted to hear from Gorsline for himself. His instincts were right. He learned that a young stenographer and choir member named Catherine Rastall had been with Ralph Gorsline on the night of the murders. Prior investigators had learned this from witnesses but had done little to follow up.
    Simpson thought there was more to the story, so he’d applied some pressure to Catherine Rastall. The story she had stuck to for the past four years quickly crumbled. She admitted being near the scene of the