Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-28
THINK WOMAN
WAS DRUGGED

CONTINUED from First Page)
relies OF an atTocious murder cannot be
conjectured.
The search Of the cabin revealed further
evidence of the fact that the murder was
committed there. At the place where the
head Of the bed rested. a part OF the older
flooring had been ripped up and new
planks laid loosely down. Beneath these
planks the floor beam had been newly
scraped with a chisel or some other sharp
instrument. But the efforts to remove all
blood stains had failed. They still were
there. The wood had absorbed a quantity
Of the girls blood.
Search was made today for any possible
fragments Of a champagne bottle which
might tend to bear out Eastman's claim
that Mrs. Woodill was murdered by an
other woman In a Jealous frenzy. two
whisky and three wine glasses were dis
covered, but there was no evidence of
champagne bottles ever having been around
the shack.
Wrote Letters to Himself.
1t Is becoming more and more evident
that Eastman was q prolific letter writer.
II is said that whenever he left st,
Michaels to so TO Baltimore or Washington
he always mailed letters back here ad-
dressed to himself as Roberts. 1t is claimed
that he also wrote to Postmaster Taylor
the letter signed IF. B. wellington" tell
ing the postmaster what q fine fellow ABB
erts was and how much he (Wellington);
an uncle living in Denver, was interested
In him. The writer asked that Roberts be
considerably treated. 1t is further claimed
by the authorities that they have dis
covered that Eastman was an expert pen-
man.
This leads them to believe the How
arth' letter, telling of a proposed visit OF
men named Ryan and ShotwelI' on June
l6, was a fake which might help divert
attention from himself. A New York news
paper man named Shotwell appeared as a
witness against Eastman in criminal pro-
ceedings, and the authorities here nave an
Idea that in trying to lay the blame on
others Eastman hit upon the plan OF JOS
sibly drawing his enemies into the affair.
The Howarth he knew in New York. how
ever, died about a year 60. No one
named Howarth lives at Easton, from
which place the letter was dated. No per-
sons named Ryan or Shotweil arrived at
Oxford on a boat as the letter said they
would, so far as the records OF the steam
ship companies show.
Attorney A. S. Rosenthal OF New York,
who was a former lawyer for Eastman, and
was the representative Of persons who lost
heavily as sureties on Eastman's bond
when he took flight from New York, de-
clared today that he would endeavor to
have the state OF New York discharge the
bonds upon proof OF Eastman's death,
and thus relieve the sureties. Mr.. Rosen-
thai denied that he had thought It possible
to make delivery OF the body in New York.
The local authorities have endeavored to
communicate with District Attorney Jerome
as to the status OF the reward offered
there for Eastman. An attorney, said TO
represent Mrs. Eastman, endeavored last
night to have the undertakers carry out
their plan to bury the body at once.
wOOdiu Inquest Today.
Final inquest into the cause and respon-
sibillty for Mrs. Woodtl's death will be
held tomorrow. States Attorney Turner,
after a conference with the foreman Of the
coroner's jury, has determined to summon
certain witnesses who ave not been heard
before.
II do not want to give the nane OF
these witnesses" said Mr.. Turner. 'as some
Of them may get away II the fact that
they are wanted becomes known.
''what we want to do" he continued, 'is
to establish the facts, and for this reason
shall have a rigid end most searching
investigation. Among the witnesses sum-
moned, we wish to question closely the per-
sons who most intimately knew Roberts
as they assert that Roberts could not
have killed the girl.
$50 far / have been unable to get any
tangible evidence whatever to show that
anyone other than Roberts committed The
murder. All we nave is his letter saying
the deed was committed by a woman. There
lie nothing to back this up. unless we can
draw something from witnesses that has
not yet been told"
wife Knew His PaSt.
Mrs. Eastman, widow OF the suicide and
accused murderer, has not changed her
opinion since coming to Easton that Ter
husband did not kill Mrs. woodill. She
declared today that Eastman had told her
he was a fugitive from Justice and that
he would rather commit suicide than serve
twenty years in the penitentiary on the
charge OF grand larceny. Mrs. Eastman
says she will return to the stage to earn
a living for herself and little boy and that
in the meantime her mother will care for
the infant.
Everyone would be OeHs7tec by taking