Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-07-09
Supposed Murderer Dies ir Fight
with Posse o" BY His Own
Hand.
WOMAN IS BLAMED FOR CRIME
Roberts, or Eastman, Declares Cages
Protege Was Struck over Head
with Wine Bottle.

oped in the mysterious murder Oh
Mrs. Edith May Thompson Woodil,
protege of Lyman !. Gage, at St.
Michaels, Md The first was the death
Of Emmett E. Roberts or Robert T.
Eastman, the supposed slayer, who
was followed by a sherid's posse on
the Back creek at l o'clock Friday
morning, and killed in a fusillade OF
bullets. Roberts died either by his
own hand or the shots of the posse.
In his pockets was found a letter
addressed to Miss Winnie BraXcome,
care klaw & Erlangcr, New York, in
which the writer aoh5 tn" girl to
come to Maryland to tahc charge of
his body and property. as he intended
to commit suicide. Roberts added thai
he had been out in 4 boat with four
other people, two men and two Wonl-
en-, that all had hcen drunk except
himself and one girl; that one of the
women struck another over the head
with a wine bottle and had killed her
Mrs. Wondili'~ E.euifnl Career.
Some facts OF the meteorIc career of
Mrs WOOdill. in hose brief life, love
, and romance played such 4 great part,
have been related by an intimate
friend OF tine slain woman who said
they were told by Mrs. Wcodill her
self. Mrs. WoOdlll said she was born
in Minneapolis about twenty years
ago. Her mother, who called herself
Mrs. Ames. died when she was about
3 years old. leaving her in utter iS-
norance of her ~parcntage or forbears.
| Mrs. charles II. Thompson, OF McDan-
iel, Md, then took her and brought
her up, telling her that She (MrS.
Thompson) was her mothers intimate
| friend, but never disclosing to her the
name of her father.
When she was about y years o. age,
they went to Washington, where they
lived for some time in tho house OF
Lyman J. Gage, who took a great IN
terest in her. When she was about
IS he sent her, with Mrs. Thompson.
20 Paris, where she studied music,
MI. Gage paying all expenses. On her
| return from Paris she went to Boston
to complete her studies, and while in
Boston she was married to a Mr.. Cas-
we'll, who was an OsteOpath. When
she was about II, she went to Balti-
more to continue her studies at the
Peabody conservatory, leaving her
husband. She was known as Miss
Edith Thompson, c~oncealing her mar
riage from all but a few intimate
friends.
In a very short time thereafter she
entered suit against DR.. CaSwen for a
divorce. She left Baltimore Easter
time a year ago, being engaged at the
time to Harry Adams Of Noun Yer
non, N. Y. After a brief stay in New
York she went to California, where in
less than thirty days after her divorce
from DR.. Caswell she married Gilbert
| Woodill, of Los Angeles.
During her residence in Baltimore
| Mr.. Gage sent her checks continually,
some of them amounting to 81, 500, and
when she was married to Mr.. Woodil1
he gave her $1,000. At the time of her
death Mr.. Gage was also building her
a house in Los Angeles, with the un-
Nv tileS III "15 W SolAS aAsSA
live with her and her husband.
Story Of the Murder
A few weeks ago Mrs. Woodill left
ler home in California to visit at
the home of Capt. Thompson. She
was often seen in company with Rob-
erts, who tool her for launch rides ON
the river. On Saturday, June 10, Rob
erts told Capt. Thompson that Mrs.
Woodill had gone to Baltimore and
would be back in a few days. Suspect
ing that something was wrong, Capt.
Thompson gave voice to his belief that
the woman had met with foul play.
Roberts heard Of this and disappeared.
A search was made for Mrs. WoodilTs
body and it was found in Back river,
the skull crushed n the corpse
weighted with an iron post. A search
of Roberts bungalow revealed a bloody
bedroom, but everything indicated that
the young woman had been killed out
side and the body dragged into the.
room.
The alleged slayer of NJ. WoodiN
was Lame Bob" Eastman, a Wall
street broker, who failed in New York
last July with liabilities of from $780,
600 to 5000, 600. He was a broker on.
the Consolidated Exchange. Eastman
left the city and was arrested in Chi
cago on complaints made by persons
who had lost money through his opera
lions. At that time he said: There
was never a more complete failure
than myself. Wall street never wit
messed a more complete ruin"
Where and under what circum-
stances Eastman and Mrs. Woodill met
Is not known. but both are said to
have been Immediately attracted to
each other.