The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-06-26
After Vain Endeavor to Elude Posse Suppos.
ed Murderer Fires Shot Into His Breast.
MYSTERY OF MRS. WO0D|LL'S DEATH GROWS DEEPER
Emmett E. Roberts, Who Proves to Be "Lame Bob" East
man, Former Stock Broker, and Who Is Believed
to Have Murdered the Woman, Attemp
Escape but Is Run to Bay.

st. Michael's, Nd June 25.-No
pursuit of an accused assassin was
ever attended by more thrillingly pic
turesque surroundings than that which
ended in the death early today of
Lame Bob, Eastman, supposed
slayer of Mrs. Edith May Woodill of
Los Angeles Eastman was known
during his short residence here as
Emmet II. Roberts, having simply
transposed his name from Robert En-
met Eastman. He committed suicide
rather than surrender.
The man disappeared late Wednes-
day evening, following the discovery
and identification of Mrs. Woodills
body Suspicion had pointed to him
from the first, for he was the person
with whom the girl had last been
seem Eastman tried to leave Nc
Daniel Wednesday,, but was warned
that he had better remain to refute
the charges against him. Saying he
could be found at his bungalow when
wanted, Eastman disappeared. A mis-
sing skiff from the home of a neigh
Dor told the story Of his flight
All day Thursday sheriff's posses
vainy searched for him. Late last
night, however, John w. McQuay, who
lives four miles from Mcdaniel. on
Harris creek one of the estuaries Of
Chesapeake bay. heard in the still
ness Of the night the soft splash Of
oars, far out on the black waters.
Receiving no answer to his halls, Me-
Quay frantically summoned help by
telephone. A posse answered and then
1,ocr %1,o etnn ,f r,f
man, suffering for want Of food and
water during the night and day Of
his hiding in the marshes of the
many shallow tidal streams, which put
in from the bay, tried to shake off
his pursuers.
Shoots Himself.
AS he became exhausted his pro,
gress was SO slow that the pursuers
passed him in the darkness. Not sure
that the men in the other boat We're
really on his trail, Eastman continued
up stream until he had reached a
point just off the home of Colonel
Thompson, foster-father of the girl
for whose death he Was sought. AS
he passed the posse hidden in the
tall grasses of the shore, twice called
upon EISLllldIl LO SURRENDER. linen
came the report of a revolver. 1t
had been aimed by Eastman at his
own heart, but officers, thinking the
shot had been directed at them, re-
turned the fire and claimed at first
that it was their fusiadc which had
caused the mans death.
The question of whether Eastman
died by his own hand or as a result
of the fire of the pursuing party was
not settled until late in the day, when
coroner's jury, after hearing all the
evidence and the reports of examining
physicians. decided that Eastman had
taken his own life.
Eastman had watched the develop
ment of the murder charges with a
smile on his face. All the morning
of the Monday after the crime, he sat
in the telegraph office at Mcdaniel.
In the afternoon he went to Balt-
more to mail the letter which Miss
Carrie Thompson received on Wednes-
day morning and which would have
delayed the search for some days if
the body had not been discovered. He
returned Tuesday night
Hears the News.
Sitting in the office on Wednesday
afternoon, he heard George b. Taylor
receive a telephone message announc-
ing the finding of the body.
My Cod he exclaimed, you don't
mean to say a woman has been sl1'ar-
dered here? Who is she?'
In few minutes he said: "Get me
a team. Mr.. Taylor, will go over to
st. Michael's to get a story about this
murder and then take it to Balti
more
Eastman had claimed to he a news
paperman. Reaching ST. Michael's he
watched the proceedings and did not
leave until the body had been identi-
fled. Returning to Mcdaniel he or
dercd n ticket for Baltimore. In the
meantime Constable Mortimer called
up over the telephone to inquire about
him. stating he was a stranger and
might know something. Eastman
then said:
ooh, if there is any suspicion about
me, I will remain. never saw this
woman
Connecting Link.
The letter mailed by Eastman at
Baltimore and received here by Miss
Thompson, a foster-sister of the mur-
dered girl is one of the incidents
which seem to connect Eastman most
closely with the crime. This letter
was written by Mrs. Woodill and was
mailed several days after her death.
Whether or not it was written by Mrs.
Woodill to shield her visit to East
mans bungalow or whether the man
had some evil intent in mind and
caused her to write the letter to cause
delay in the search for her body,
may never be known The letter was