The San Francisco call., 1909-06-28
Urged Mrs. WoOdill to Rnn
Away With Him and Killed
Her When She Refused
-
BIT OF PAPER SHOWS
REASON FOR TRAGEDY
Fugitive Stock Broker, Warned
Police Knew Hiding Place
Planned to Flee
SLEW WOMAN RATHER
THAN Go WITHOUT HER
[SpeeiaI Dispatch to The coIll


@ T. MICHAELS, Nd, June IL
\ Lame Bob" Eastman feared
that he was to be arrested and
taken back to New York to stand
trial for grand larceny. He begged
Mrs Edith Thompson Woodi1l to run
away with him. The girl refused,
and Eastman, pressed by anger, fright
and his necessities, murdered her
while she lay on the bed in his bun
galow.
That is the story of the tragedy
which has come to be believed by the
Maryland authorities. Eastman's own
account of Mrs. WoodilFs death,
written into the letters that were
taken from. his body. has been Sc
jected utterly as the stratagem of a
cunning rascal who schemed to save
his own neck by duplicating men who
were his friends in the days when he
was supposed to be Square"
Lame Bob" Warned
Lame Bob" was warned that he
was in danger of arrest several days
before he persuaded Lyman J. Cages
attractive young friend to accompany
him to the bungalow on the shore of
Broad creek. The state police are
convinced that the man was in a des-
perate panic.
In heap of rubbish back of the
bungalow there were found this morn
ing parts of torn letter. 1t had been
ripped into three or four pieces. A
dirty scrap, on which the ink had run,
bore this writing:
you were seen In Baltimore Tues
day. | think the police know
The rest of the message was gone,
torn away and scattered by the winds.
Little as it was though. it threw more
light on the tragedy than any single de-
velopmenI. Every bit of information in
the hands OF the authorities ats square,
ly into a whole-that Lame Bob in
fatuated with Mrs. Woodill. murdered
her because she would not fee with
him. He mad to take up again the old
life OF lodging around the world. OF
doubling and twisting and turning. to
go free of the police.
Wanted Her to Elope
His passion for Mrs. Woodill had
reached such a stage that the man
could not bring himself to take to his
heels without her. He was badly scared
by the warnings that had reached him.
but he delayed his fight trying to in
duce Mrs. woodin to elcpe. When she
refused it is believed that Lame Bob
lost his head completely. went into
rage and beat her to death with the
first weapon that came to his hs.nd-an
empty champagne bottle
1t was discovered today that he killed
her as she lay in bed. The pillow. the
sheets and the mattress had been
burned. but two pieces of flooring that
Eastman had removed and hidden in
the cellar were found. They were
stained red, and thu wooden post which
supported the nOOT u Tie
was red IN places, although an erort
had been made to saave it clean with a
plane.
Today's Investigations led the author
tiles further away from the idea that
any one other than Eastman could
have invited friends from New York
or from any other place to visit his
bungalow in the condition it was IN.
The place. only half completed. offered
no accommodations for visitors what
soever. A single bed. poorly fitted up.
table and a wash stand completed
its equipment of furniture Eastman
himself slept in the place infrequently.
Buried Near Bungalow
In grave not so feet from the
scene of the crime which led him to
his death Eastman's body was laid
away today The undertakers and
their assistants. a little band OF news
lpapermen and few idle persons NOR