Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-06-26
Tcday's Geographic News
The st. MichaeIs Murder,

double mystery having TO do with the
origin of Edith May Thompson Wood
III, whose nude and mutilated body was
fisbed from the creek near McDaniels
Wednesday afternoon, and with the real
history Of Robert Emmett Eastman, her
slayer, the mysterious stock broker ana
man of the world, known only to the
two principals whose lips are sealed IN
death, was the real Cause of the shock
ing tragedy that has stirred Talbot cjun-
/ ty and has sprfad over two continents,
where Mrs. Wooiill was known a. a
singer and woman OF attachments. a
search of the bungalow where the NUT
der WAS committed, is being made today,
and bit by bit letters and scraps OF evil
dence that lead to Los Angeles, San
Francisco and San Diego 10 California;
New York city, Boston, Washington,
Baltimore, Minneapolis and even to Ber-
lin and Paris, are being gathered TO-
gether by the inquisitors who are trying
to find the real motive behind the crime.
The mute testimony Of letters, which
the murderer Jailed to destroy in his In
sane aud bunglesome effort to hide the
body, and stories told the jury by per-
soDs who knew Mrs. WOodill point to-
day to the conclusion that Eastman
knew who Mrs. WOodill WAS and that
Mrs. Woodill knew who Eastman was.
Detectives learned today that East
man was acquainted with the murdered
woman even before she went TO New
York where she met WOodill and before
Eastman became known In Wall street
as a stock broker. Eastman knew
something about Mrs. Woodill, declsre
the officers who have been gathering to-
gether the scraps Of evidence today, and
Mrs. Woodili knew something about
Eastman. This something that East
man knew was the pArentage OF the fas-
cinating beauty, who captured the atten-
ton of men prominent in public life
and gained her entire to the White
House, and the best homes 10 Baltimore
and Washington. That Mrs. WOOdill
knew that Eastman wss fugitive from
Justice In New York WAS also evident.
Every bit OF new light shed on the mys-
terious case today tends to the c0nclu-
sion that the lives Of the two, which
we're blOtled ont 10 such a violent man
ner, had been linkel for years, perhaps
from infancy. Eaetmsn's mysterious
statements to Winnie Bradcome, his
wife, ia New York, that he was going
away TO make q fortune, are interpreted
to mean that be WAS going away to see
! il he could make capital OF that he knew
OF Mrs. Woelill's mysterious life, think
log that her wealth and social position
would make it easy for him to secure
money from her, SIS The price OF his
silence.
From what can be learned, today,
Eastman bad followed Mrs, Woodill
from Boston to New York and across
the Atlantic and back, again, and then
to California, after she met and married
Woodill, q year and half agO.
Eastmsn's efforts TO either force Mrs.
WOodill to give up money as the price
Of his silence, or to induce her to run
away with him we're responsible for the
meetings st the lonesome bungalow near
McDauiels, say the detectives. East
man worked his plan quietly, and with
evident cunning.
Esstmsn's proposition to Mrs. Woodill
whatever II may have been, is supposed
to have been met with statement from
the young women that she would turn
him over to the New York authorities
as fugitive and the murder followed
Baltimore, Md, June &c The
exact text of the unsent letter Ia
Winnie Brsdcomb, written by Eastman
and discovered On bis body, WAS made
= public at noon today by the Baltimore
, police. The letter tells Eastman'f
story of The tragedy. According to Ess,
man, the murder occurred 10 The bungs'
= low. There we're six present, two meu
and two women from Annapolis, be.
sides Eastman and Mrs. WoOdiIl.
Mrs. Woodil had hirted with the es
/ cort of one OF the Annapolis women,
says Eastman, and was lying on bee
with him, when the jealous woman hi
them both on the head with champagt
bottle.
Baltimore, June 26.-Lale ltoday the
: police discovered number of pieces Of
, ewelry which had belonged to Eiilt
May Thompson Woodill in local paWr
shop. The shop keeper says that East
man left it with him Monday afternoon
and seemed to be a much sgitattd mar
when he brought it in.
Late this afternoon, detectives say
thst they have secured evidence thai
the lwn men Ryan add Shortwell, are
New York newspaper men and are
known to have been carousing In the ten
! derlOin precinct the night before thu
murder.
Lewiston, Idaho, June 26.-Mrs
Albert Knight, claiming to be the
mother o, MrF. Edith May WoOdill, has
= been found in Ashska, in the noun
tsins, forty miles from this city.
Mrs. knight related the story of hel
= daughters adoption by Charles N.
Thompson, in Minneapolis, in 1890
The separation of The mother and the in
FAINT daughter wss the result OF the mur.
der of the husband and father when
little Anna Pearl Wirlz vas less than .
| year old.