Evening star., 1909-06-26
LONG CLOSE FRIENDS
Eastman Probably Met Mrs.
WoodiII In New York.
WOMAN KNEW THEM BOTH
Tells Her Story to Baltimore's Chief
Of Detectives.
HIS LIFE IN BOARDING HOUSES
Said He Was Newspaper Man and
Always Burned His Letters
in His Room.
WOMAN KNEW THEM BOTH
HIS LIFE IN BOARDING HOUSES

BALTIMORE. June 26.-It Is evident
that Robert e. Eastman, alias z. e.
Roberts, and Mrs. Edith May Thompson
Woodill had been associates for some
time
The appearance In the office OF Capt.
Humphrey of a woman who says she was
well acquainted with both Eastman and
Mrs. Woodill materially strengthens the
story that Eastman and Mrs Woodill
had spent much time in each other 5
company in New York city before her
marriage to Gilbert Woodill. In fact,
the wedding of Miss Thompson and
Woodill took place in New York city.
Capt. Pumphrey refuses to give the
name of the woman who came to his Of
flee yesterday afternoon and supplied him
with several interesting facts Of the now
famous crime.
OF the woman's visit. Capt. Pumphrey
says:
"She came here and told me that she
could easily Identify the body OF the man
to be that OF R. E. Eastman OF New YORK.
She said that she was acquainted with
both principals of the tragedy, and that
she had known both in New York city. l
will not divulge her name unless she gives
me the permission. She requested me
not to let her name be known at pres
ent."
Her Picture Taken With Gage.
Another person to pay visit to the
office of Capt. Pumphrey in connection
with the case was G. Gerard Aiken, q
clerk In the superior court. Mr.. Aiken
told Capt. Pumphrey that he knew the
murdered woman very we'll. He said he
met her several years ago and that he
had received several letters from her.
Aiken had in his possession a photo
groph of Lyman ]. Gage and Mrs.
Woodill seated together under a parasol
on an ocean beach. 1t is said that this
photograph was taken at Atlantic City
spending his time between New York and
California.
Capt Pumphrey believes that East
man had known Mrs. Woodill for several
years, and that they enjoyed each others
company. The detective chief also says
that he Is convinced that Eastman could
not bear to see the girl return to her
husband. and that while in rage Of
jealousy he killed the girl and threw her
body into the river near his bungalow.
From the time that Eastman disap-
peared from New York until he bought a
piece of ground near the home of Col.
William c. Thompson. foster rather OF
the murdered woman, at MCDANIEL, Md,
the fact has been definitely established
that the former broker spent nearly all
of his time in Baltimore. He lived In
this city until he decided to put through
the deal for the piece Of land near Nc
Daniel, and the last place at which he
roomed was at the home or w. s. Far
mer. 2419 Madison avenue
Baltimore detectives traced the move
ments of Eastman In this city. They
visited the home Of Daniel z. McQuay.
$40 Madison avenue. where they were
informed that Eastman boarded with the
McQuay family a part of last winter.
when they were living at COZ North Carey
street.
What He Told Mrs. Farmer.
1t is now known by the police that be-
fore Eastman left the McQuay home he
placed advertisements in the Baltimore
newspapers for another boarding place,
and one Of these advertisements was an
swered by Mrs. Farmer OF 2419 Madison
avenue.
About January Eastman appeared at
the Farmer home and asked to see the
room. He was taken to the second floor
and shown two rooms-one a front and
the other a back room. He decided to
take the back room.
He told me-, said Mrs. Farmer, that
he was engaged in newspaper work and
that his business carried him to Philadel-
phia and Washington. He said that he
had selected Baltimore for his home so
that he could be between the two cities.
He was a quiet man and had little
to say. He was exceedingly pol1fe. ana
while his dress was quiet he wore the
best materials. and every day he shaved
before coming downstairs.
He retired about 10 O'Clock every night,
but never came downstairs before IL
o'clock in the morning. He took his
me that he was a very small eater.
while here he bought a. small gas
stove and had it placed in his room. He
prepared his morning coffee over this
stove He left the stove here when he
left in April.
He told me then that he was going to
MCDANIEL. where he had bought little
place and had erected bungalow. He
spend part OF the summer with him.
Il can hardly believe that he is re-
sponsible for such crime. He frequent
ly left the house for three days at
time, but he never remained away longer
than a week.
lone day a telephone message came
from Washington for him. I received the
message, as Mr.. Roberts. as we knew him.
the sleeper and I will join you in Wash
ington.
Several times a lady called up and
asked il Mr.. Roberts was at home. He
never had much to say about his family.
He did say. however. that his home was
in Denver, Col, where his mother and
sister lived. He also told me that he had
a brother out west engaged as q tea
tester.
1.-The day before the Inauguration Mr..
Roberts left here and told me that he
was going to Washington to write the in
auguration for a number of papers
throughout the country. He returned
about three days later and told us that
he had succeeded in getting the one wire
out of Washington, following the blizzard.
and had made a lot Of money by getting