The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-07-01
WOODILL SLAYER
STILL IN DOUBT
Coroner's Jury Fails to Fix Full
Blame.
FOUR FORCE A COMPROMISE
Verdict Says Eastman Was the Muir
derer or an Aceessory--Wonnan
Was Offspring Of illegal
Union. e.. "

st. Michaels, Md, June 29.--Witt
the compromise verdict of the cor
oner's jury that Robert E. Eastman
either killed or was accessory to the
murder of Edith May Woodill and the
declaration of States Attorney Tay
lor that he was through witt the case
the strange dual tragedy Is closed
but unexplained incident so far as
the authorities are concerned.
Four of the IL jurors who listened
to the testimony at the reopened in
quest refused to sign the verdict and
the words "or accessory to the crime
were added to the draft, ap'
proved by the majority, which blunt
ly accused Eastman of the murder,
None of the four dissenting jurymen
would say that any other person
than Eastman was responsible for the
womans death. SID"
HI Letter Not In Evidence. g..
The letter left by Eastman for his
wife in which he declared that Mrs.
Woodill had been killed by a woman
in jealous frenzy was not read to
the jury The officials seemed to take
It for granted that all of the evidence
unearthed since the finding of the
body was we'll known to tie residents
of the community and that It was
unnecessary that It should again be
reheaFsed.
The jury sat for time in a lonely
bungalow itself. within sight of East.
mans unmarked grave not 80 feet
away. Mrs Eastman had visited the
place earlier in the day and had stood
dry-eyed for a time beside the new.
made mound. .-.
q. Theory Of the Authorities.
The final theory of the authorities
Is this: ..' ." .".
That Eastman was in need Of
money; that he probably had been
getting money from Mrs. Woodill for,
some time; that he undoubtedly
knew something of her past life and
that he had been Matchmaking her;
that he attempted to continue this
practice and that the woman rebelled
intimating that she, too had found
out certain things about Eastman and
that II driven to It would expose him.
Eastmans dread Of serving q term
in the penitentiary is we'll known
His wife has said that he told her he
would rather commit suicide than be
confined In prison. The pawning Of
Mrs. Woodill's jewelry the author
tiles set down to the desire of East.
man to get away. When cornered the
man decided that his race had been
run and that he had better make an
end to 1t all.
Mrs. WoodiII's Percentage.
Robbing Mrs. Woodill's life of the
poor glamor of romance which had
been attributed to 1t and upsetting the
theories and beliefs of many of the
neighbors as to her pareptage, Col
Charles II. Thompson, the man who
adopted her, admitted that she was
an illegitimate child. The offspring
of an unlawful union, she came into
the world gifted with glittering abil.
ity to fascinate and use men and ex.
ercised this gift to the limit in the
language Of some Of the neighbors
she was a swift one" q
w. Scharb. who for years kept a
store near here and conducted the
post office, saw the girl frequently.
He said: ..-. ...s.l H.
Edith was good girl. It is true
that Mrs. Thompson desired to shine
as social leader and used her as
a means of gaining entrance to circles
to which she would never have been
alone. II is true Mrs.
Thompson taught her to make herself
attractive to men, and especially old
men, and wheedled large sums out Of
tssm under one pretext or another
with which they both travelled and
had a good time. 1,s - FI So l.s
There was one peculiar thing about
never had any girl friends.
Never have I known her to have a
girl chum. 1t was always men-chief.
ly old men" nsa H ... e<s .. .