Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-06-27
Discovery that They Were Pawned
Throws New Light on Woodill
Case.
VICTIMS CASH ALSO MISSING
Believed He Had Recently Borrowed
Money from Her.
WAS FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE
, Jumped His Bail on Fraud Charge in
New York.
BoNDSMAN CLAIMS THE BODY
Local authorities Refuse to Give IL
TIP, and There IL MOmentary
VICTIMS CASH ALSO MISSING
BoNDsMAN CLAIMS THE BODY
Local Authorities Refuse TO Give IL
Up, and There IL MOmentary
Promise of Legal Fight
over II.


ST. MICHAELs. Nd, June @.-Telltsle
shafts of light continued today to filter
in upon the tragedy of the lonely bungalow
on Broad creek. AS the tangled skeins
of the story are picked up one by one
they tend more and more to dissipate the
claim advanced by Robert Eastman that
Il was a woman and not he who killed
Edith May Woodll.
Today the Jewels worn by the woman at
the time of her disappearance were found
in a pawn shop in Baltimore placed there
last Tuesday by a man who answered fully
the description OF Eastman. The man
secured SEQ on the two diamond rings and
an oriental pearl brooch
Two hundred dollars which Mrs. Woodill
had in her possession when she left her
foster fathers home last week is missing.
Eastman repaid a loan last week of 500
and when he returned here from Baltimore
Tuesday night he seemed plentifuly sup
piled with money.
He Was a Fugitive.
There promised for time today to be
a fight for the legal custody of Eastman's
body. A. S. Rosenthal of New York, an
attorney who represented Eastman when
he was charged with grand larceny and
who secured for him the bail which he
forfeited by flight, arrived upon the scene
and acting for Mrs. Ida c. Ecstein of
New York, one of the sureties who lost
heavily by the forfeiture of the boIA, de-
manded the custody Of the body In order
that he might make delivery Of II to the
New York authorities, by whom reward
OF $500 had been offered. The local au-
thorltes declined to give up the body. 1t
will be held pending the arrival of Mrs.
Eastman.
The letter Of the suicide, IN which he
gave to his wife his version of the killing
Of Mrs. woodill by jealous woman, was
made public today and deeply impressed
many who read It's circumstsntal account
of the tragedy for which the writer claimed
he was in no way responsible. Foreman
Radcliffe of the coroner's jury declared
himself convinced Of the truth of the
strange missive and urged the authorities
to Investigate further into the matter. With
all his disclaimer Of responsibility, how
ever Eastman admitted in the letter that
he did not dare take the chance Of a trial
and had decided to draw the curtains
forever"
story Not suustanttated.
While many others were deeply Inn
pressed as the jury foreman, the searching
Investigations of the authorities fail to
substantiate any of EastTnan's claims. The
states attorney and the members OF the
coroners jury continue to withhold the
contents Of two letters found upon East
man after his spectacular suicide In the
little skiff In which he had hoped to elude
for a time at least the clutches of his pur-
suers. They declare they wish to exhaust
every clue and to leave no stone unturned
TO find II other persons really were In any
way connected with the crime.
The witness, William Sutton, who. II was
said last night, had heard a party of men
and women merry making in the bungalow
on Sunday night, declared today that II
was late Saturday night that he went to
visit Eastman's place, and that he heard
only the voices Of one man and one woman
In the bungalow; that the voice OF the
woman was that OF Mrs Woodll. sutton
did not make his presence outside the
house known and went away. When the
cabin was searched following the discov-
cry OF the body places at the table were
set for two. Plates, cups and saucers were
there and unused
Eastman when he returned on Sunday
morning the team he had borrowed &c
meet Mrs woodin with on Saturday
spoke to his neIghbor of the fact that h'
had had a girl visitor at his bungalow the
night before There was no mention OF &
party. Passersby saw lights through thu
shaded windows OF the bungalow as late
"a n O'Clock Saturday night.
There Is no serious throught here tina
Eastman killed Mrs. Woodill through mo
tives OF robbery. Neither is there an!
widespread idea of premeditation, The tw'
were heard to quarrel as they drove AVA
from Royal Oak station Saturday after
noon
Had known Her Before.
Attorney RosenthaI whose client East
man was. declared tonight that Eastman
had known the murdered girl prior to he
marriage with woodin. and said he be
lieved Eastman had visited her in Cali
fornia after her marriage.
The girl knew much OF Eastman's pas
life-knew him accused swindler an
embezzler and fugitive from iustiee-an
the theory Is advanced that in the cours
OF their quarrelng the girl threatened L
disclose the identity OF the man who hal
taken the name OF Roberts.
There is the theory, too, that while Mrf
Woodin had fingered longer In the cas-
than she or her husband had intended. be
cause of her association with Eastman
she had decided AT last 10 go away ana Sc
the man no more.
The disclosure OF this purpose may hav
led TO her death in the bungalow.
va, owed Her Money.
Eastman had been living more or less b
his wits OF late. and there are many VIII
believe that he borrowed considerabl
money from Mrs. W'oodnl Being badl
in need OF money, II is believed that N
idea of pawning the iewelry came TO hiT
when he felt that flight might be nece'
sary This Is the theory expressed by III
Baltimore police, who found the two dis
mond rings and the brooch In the paw
brokers' place. With the exception OF hs
wedding ring. which remains unaccounte
for these were the only articles of iewelT
L.---..--...a -. s.--...a n...A