Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-29
NONE OF THE DENOMINATIONS
I'M MARYLAND VILLAGE WILL
OPEN GATES TO BODY OF EAST.
MAN; lNTERMENT ON HIS FARM
LETTER TO WIFE
MAY CLEAR EASTMAN
HE INSISTS THAT THERE WERE
OTHERS IN PARTY AND THAT
ONE OF THEM KILLED WOMAN
WHILE INTOXICATED.

ST. MiehaeIs. Md, June rs.
Following is the text of letter
found on Eastman, addressed to
Winnie Rradcome, his wife:
"vinnie-take this money and
40 at once to Mcdaniel, Talbot
county, Maryland, and claim my
body and all my property, The
property consists of 22 acres of
land and bungalow. There is
also motor boat. Have a sale
and convert the whole thing into
cash. don't owe cent expect
ing for paint and pump, ETC.,
which sanahan and Wrghtson Of
Easton will be glad to get back,
as it is not broken, iust<as 1t was
when shipped.
Little girl, ! had no hand in
the tragedy. was there and re-
moved all the evidence after the
other two couples had fled. did
this for self preservation and am
ticuIsr friend. We. were we'll
mated. have only known her
three weeks. We all, that is two
men and two other women from
annapolis, went to the bungalow.
for time and every one got full
excepting Edith and myself.
edith tried to win one Of the
girls fellows, and while lyInq on
the bed with hin, was hit three
times on the side Of the head
with full bottle of champagne
and the fellow was hit once. She
fell over on the floor and died,
The man did not come to for an
hour and was left with the
corpse. cannot take chance
for a trial. Life to me Is very Bit
ter. will pull down the shades
and say good bye. You can claim
my property and say as little as
possible, but get 1t. am aWfuIy
sorry for you and our boy. have
been hustling madly to make your
path clear, but fate is against me.
"Signed, Bob"
st. Michaels, Md, June 26.-Withou
ceremony, and in the quietest an
most transformations manner possible
the body of Robert F. Eastman, til
Lame Bob of the New York stoc
broker and the man who supposed
pretty May Edith Thoml
son Woodill and then committed su
eide, will be buried this afternoon a
the expense of Talbot county in
grave on the Eastman farm. No churc
here will permit the body of a suicid
to be buried within its grave yards.
The line on which the officials ar
now working in the murder inauir
points. to woman as the possibl
slayer of the young woman who's
career has been shrouded in myster
and attended by tragedies almost b'
fore she had reached the age Of rel
son. Lame Bob Eastman, the ma
whose suicide was believed to hav
prevented the story of the death {
Mrs. Woodill from ever being full
known, stands forth in the light of tn
theory upon which the authorities ar
now working, not as her slayer, but 4
possible sacrifice to save the III
known woman who may have bee
Mrs. Woodill's slayer
Hears Merrymakers' Voices.
The discovery of a witness who ha
heard the voices Of persons merryma,
ing in Eastman's bungalow Sunds
night is responsible for the change
the views taken by the authorities
the case. This witness told the cor
ner he had heard the voices of wome
in the party and that among them /
recognized that of Mrs Woodill
The story gave color TO a tale L
lated in a rambling, incoherent lett'
found in the pocket of Eastman, as
ing a woman to take care of his boo
as he was about to commit suicide b
cause woman who was In his cor
pany had slain Mrs. Woodill with
wine bottle while a party of merr
makers were having a, time
When the letter was first found
was believed to be an attempt
Eastman to clear himself. In view
the story of the witness, however, ii
officials are now inclined to believe
is possibly true, and have postpone
the further inquest until they ha7
made further inquiries and found Il
persons who are now thought to ha-
been with Eastman and Mrs. Wood
either at the time of the murder
Immediately before it.
Foster Father Feels Blow.
One of the most ptiable figures
sll of the lanentable tragedy is 0
Colonel Charles H. Thompson of NJ
Daniel. the foster father of the nlu
dered girl. Sitting on the porch of h
home. overlooking the waters of Ha
ris creek, where Eastman had end
his life in the early hours of the daw
the broken old man told toda Il
story of the girls life so far as
could recall the details. He had folloy
ed the girls BODY to its last restil
place yesterday besides the graves
his wife and son. The girl he'd be'
da1.nted to her fnstar nathan and