The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-06-29
CORONER'S JURY coNcIIIrFc IN
CURRY INTO KILLING or
MRS. WooDlLLL.
DECIDE ON COMPROMISE
nooert +. Eastman Is Held to Be
Slayer of Woman or Accessory to
Crime - States Attorney Will Not
push Investigation Farther and St.
M'ehaePs Passes From Stage.

| st. Michael's Md June as--w;tb
the compromise verdict pf the cor
oner's jury that Robert e. Eastman
| either killed or was accessory to TIA
| murder of Edith May WendiIl ana H..
declaration of States ATTORNEY Tay-
iof that he was through with the case.
the strange dual tragedy which has
Tor nearly week focused tile ewes
OIL the entire country upon this little
| out t-of-the-Way hamlet Of Maryland,s
| famous eastern shore became 4 rlosad
incident today.
I -Four OF the l. Jurors refused to
sign the verdict and the words "ar
accessory to the crime" were added III
the draft which. approved by the ma
Joflty' bluntly accused Eastman Of the
murder The four dissenting iurymen
merely wished to protest. thev said.
against the manner iii which tha in-
curry was conducted. declaring much
available evidence was not adduced.
S'N'SS ~ VERDICT.
1he letter left by Eastman for his
wife in which he said that Mrs
Woodill had been killed by a woman
IN jealous frenzy was not read
There was just a bit Of petty politics
mixed up In the verdict, for some nf
the members of the jury have heen
bitter political enemies in Talbot
county affairs.
The jury sat for a time today III tha
bungalow itself, with Eastman's nm
marked grave not so feet aWav. Mrs
Eastman had visited the place earlier
IN the day and had stood dry eyed for
a time beside the new made mound
someone with iH-judged hunor had
plahted tomato vine on the grave
Mrs. Eastman, thinking the vine a.
native flower asked what it was No
ore had the temerity to tell her. She
stood by the grave until at last a con-
Nulsive shudder shook her shoulders.
Then she was led away
The Final Theory.
From the testimony the authorities
have formed this final theory:
That Eastman was in need Of
money; that he probably had been
getting money from Mrs Woodill for
some time; that he undoubtedly knew
about her past life ana that
ne mad been blackmailing her; that
he attempted to continue this prac-
tice and that the woman rebelled, in
tlmating that She too had found out
certain things about Eastman and that
II driven to it would expose him. East
mans dread Of serving a term In the
is we'll known His wife
said that he had told her he would
rather commit suicide than be locked
up
Veroict's Text.
The compromise verdict declared
that on Sunday. June 20, in his bum
salow on Broad creek, Robert Il.
Eastman feloniously killed, or was ac-
cessory to the crime of numbering
Edith May Thompson Woodill, wife
If Gilbert Woodill of Los Angeles
Cal" The four dissenting iurymen
we're deeply impressed when they read
Gastman's letter giving his story of
he crime and while they morally be-
ieved him alone guilty. they desired
hat every other possible factor in the
sase should be eliminated. They COM
planned that no testimony showing
hat Mrs. Woodill and Eastman met
1t Oak station last Sunday and We're
asst seen together in a motor boat was
presented.
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