Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-01-12
DISBROW'S TRIAL COMMENCES
Charged With the Murder Of Clarence
Foster and "DimpIe" Lawrence.
SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS EXPECTED

brow, charged with the murder of
Clarence Forter and "Dimple" Law
renee, was put on trial for his life in
the supreme court at Riverhead. l.. l.
today. Disbrow is to be tried for the
murder o. Foster. Justice Samuel 7.
Maddox of Brooklyn. occupied the
bench District Attorney Livingston
Smith appeared for the prosecution
and the defense was represented by
Attorney Roland Miles. Little difficulty
is anticipated in obtaining a jury and
the trial Is expected to occupy not
more than a week. The case has at
tracted widespread attention and the
result of the trial is awaited with keen
interest
Clarence Foster and Sarah Law
renee, whose friends called her Dim
pie, met violent deaths on the night
of June last, or early next morning
in Tiana Bay, near Good Ground, l.. |.
Their bodies were found five days later
floating in the shallow waters of the
bay. They were both young, strong and
expert swimmers. The theory OF ac-
cidental drowning seemed untenable.
Louis A. Disbrow, who was known to
have spent the evening of June 8 with
Foster and Miss Lawrence was myster
iously missing. He remained missing
twenty days, while detectives searched
for him.
Sarah Lawrence was seventeen
years old, the daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. John T. Lawrence, of Hampstead
l.. /. She was a fair-haired, blue-eyed
girl. with an exquisitely clear pink
and white complexion. Her come
liness attracted a great deal of atten-
ton. She was spending the summer
with her mother at Tiana Bay. She
was fond of having good time, but
every one who knew her spoke well
of her
Foster was a stalwart fellow, twenty
two years old, sort of rustic Adonis.
He was married, but he was noted
among the young men about Good
Ground for his popularity among wo-
men. Disbrow came of a good family,
but was estranged from them on ac-
count of marriage he contracted five
years ago. He was known as a rather
wild young fellow, but was popular
with his set.
Disbrow had been attentive to dim.
pie" Lawrence for more than a year
She seemed to lose interest in him
somewhat after she met Foster last
summer. Nevertheless Disbrow con-
tinued to go out with her as often as
she would let him. On the night OF the
tragedy Disbrow, Foster and "Dimple"
Lawrence drove to the Hampton Pines
club and had supper. They were all
merry and seemingly on excellent
terms. Then they drove to Tunnels
hotel, where Disbrow stayed. which is
one mile across Tiana Bay from the
Ocean View house, where the Law
rence's were staying The theory of the
defense is that Foster undertook to
row the girl home, that they had some
sort of disagreement or accident in the
boat and so fell overheard and were
drowned. Against this are the facts
that both were expert swimmers and
that the water of the bay is not here
more than three or four feet deep.
Disbrow next morning left Good
Ground early and went to Eastport
There he met a friend to whom he
made mention of having had a fight
with Foster the night before. Then
Disbrow disappeared and was not ap-
pretended for near'y three weeks.
Subsequently il was learned that he
tried to get passage on a schooner to
Hayti, also that on the day after the
tragedy he called on his wife, whom he
had not seen for several years, bade
her good-by and said he was going
away for long time.
The grand jury indicted Disbrow on
September 25 for the murder of Foster
The indictment charges that Disbrow
while in a boat with Foster and Miss
Lawrence struck Foster with an oar,
knocking him overheard, where he
drowned He has spent the time since
his indictment in the jail at Riverhead,
where he has been visited regularly by
the members OF his family. He is in
excellent health and appears confident
of being acquitted.