Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-28

st. Michaels, Md, June 27.-The the
ory that Edith May Woodill was lured
to Lame Bob Eastman's lonely bun
galOw without knowledge of where she
was going and that she was drugged
and detained there against her will
was advanced today when a further
search of the shack which the super
sttious folk of the negihborhood will
always shun as haunted, revealed a
small bottle which a hasty examination
showed contained a mixture of narcot-
iC drugs. There were strong traces OF
morphine in the nearly empty phial.
This discovery tends to bear out the
theory which the people of the commu
nifty who knew and loved the girl long
have wanted to believe. They never
have listened to the idea that she was
involved in a drunken orgy at the bun
galoW and have contcnded that she lost
her life in repulsing the advances of
the man who acknowledged his guilt
by shutting out his life when it seemed
that the hands of the law were about
to be laid upon him.
Today's Investigations led the author
tiles still further away from the idea
that anyone other than Eastman had a
hand in the murder. 1t is inconceivablc
they hold. that Eastman could have
invited friends from New York or from
any other place to visit his bungalow
in the condition it was. The place, only
half completed, offered no accommoda-
tions for visitors whatever. A single
led, poorly fitted up; a table and a
wasIstand completed the equipment of
e.,
self slept i'll the place but infrequently.
In d now made grave, not so feet
from the crime which led him to his
death, I1aStman's body was laid away
in the early hours of today. The I'M
dertakers ana their assistants, little
band of newspaper men and a few idle
persons morbdly attracted to the
strange funeral procession, were the
only persons at the grave. With barred
heads they repeated the familiar words
OF the Lords Prayer. Mrs. Eastman,
stopping II miles away at Iraston, ex-
pressed no desire to attend the funeral
No church or churchyard in the VI
cinity would open it's doors or gates to
the dead man.
A more lonely spot could not well be
imagined than where the bungalow
stands. Scrub pines form a background.
while in front a green marsh leads
away through the shore grasses to the
open waters of Broad creek
When the hearsc had drawn up
alongside the grave. four men lifted the
casket from the vehicle and placed it
temporarily on two plank supports
stretched across the grave, into which
l,,I
Marsh water had seeped into the grave
over night.
One of the undertakers looked
around with certain uneasiness of
manner.
"Gentlemen." he said. 't seems to
nc that some one should say little
word of prayer Won't one of you?'
His glance fell upon James Sutton, a
merchant of Boseman,
'YDu are a church member, Mr.. SUIT
ten" said the undertaken, won't you
say it?'
sutton hesitated for moment. then
asking all the others to join with him,
began to repeat the Lords Prayer with
solemn earnestness.
When the last words of prayer were
uttered. sutton stepped forward, and
filling his hand with newly turned soil
from beside the grave, thrice tossed the
sandy loan upon the casket as he NUT
tered: earth to earth; ashes to ashes;
dust to dust"
After the funeral there was another
search of the bungalow and conceale
hcneath the floor was found the small
drug bottle.
The sheriff late yesterday seized all
of Iiastman's mcaSre household effects
to satisfy an action for debt brought
ly q local creditor and the bungalow
was left empty
The search of the cabin revealed
further evidence that the murder was
committed there. At the place where
the head Of the bed had rested. part
OF the older flooring had been ripped up
and new planks had been laid loosely
down. Beneath the plankS the floor
beam had been newly scraped with a
chisci or some other sharp instrument.
But the efforts to remove all blood
stains and failed.
Particular search was made today
for any fragments of a champagne bot
tie which might bear out Eastman's
statement that Mrs. WOodill was muir
dered by another man in a jealous
frenzy. The whisky and three wine
glasses were discovered. but there were
no evidences of champagne bottles ever
having been in or around the shack.
1t is becoming more and more appar-
ert that Eastman was a prolific letter
writer. 1t is said that whenever he
left st. Michaels to go to Baltimore or
Washington. he always mailed letters
back addressed to himself as Roberts.
1t is said that he also wrote to Post
master Taylor the letter signed "E. B.
Wellington" telling the postmaster
what a fine fellow Roberts was, and
how much he, (Wellington) an uncle