Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-26
MRS. WOODILL'S
HISTORY TOLD
MANY LINKS OF LIFE ARE
SLOWLY FORGED
CHAIN OF DETAILS APPEARS TO
LACK LITTLE
SLAYER of Los Angeles Woman ldentl=
fled as lnsoVent 5roker--Viotim
Sang in Santa Barbara
Years Ago
l1on,,nnen from Paae onel

UCoptinued from Page OneI
evidence and the reports OF exanlillns ,lns
nhvsicians, decided that Eastman hau
taken his own lie. so,,o,or-
Eastrnan had watched the develop
ment of the murder charges win
smile on his face. .,. ofter
All The morning of the Monday aIter
tha crine he sat in the telegraph ONCE
81 McDaniel In the afternoon he went
10 baltimore to mail the letter Wnlcn
Miss Carrie Thompson received on
Wednesday morning, and when "oulu
have DELAYED the search for some Gays
If the body had not been dlscoVereq;
He returned Tuesday night from 6ai-
timore. "Wednesday
sstarnoon. he heard George B. Taylor
receive a telephone message annouic-
ing the finding of the BODY.
Tried to Work Ruse
INV Godt' he exclaimed. you don
mean to say a woman has been muir
dered here? Who is sheT
In a few minutes he SAID; I'll,
"Cet me a team, Mr.. Taylor. VIII
On over to St. Michaels to get story
about this murder and then take II ~
Eastman had claimed to be news
Reaching st. Michaels, he watched the
proceedings. and did not leave until the
body had been identified.
Returning to Mcdaniel, he oraereu d
ticket for Baltimore. In the lheanlllile iile
Constable Mortimer called up over the
telenhone TO inquire about him, stating
he was a stranger and might know
Eastman then said: "Oh. If there is
anv suspicion about me, Will remain
/ never saw this woman. -
The letter mailed by Eastman at
baltimore and received here by MISS
carrie Thompson, a foster sister Of the
murdered girl, is one of the incidents
which seem to connect Eastman most
closely with the crime.
Letter to Sister
This letter was written by Mrs.
Woodill and was mailed several uaSs
after her death.
Whether or not it was written pY
Mrs. Woodill to shield her VISIT 70
Fastman's bungalow, or whether the
man had some evil intent in mind and
caused her to write the letter 10
cause a delay in the search for her
body, may never be known.
The letter was intended to give the
inonression that Mrs. Woodill was IN
Baltimore. 1t follows:
'Dear Girl-A line only to say l am
well and safely landed. DIR. Smithers
fixed me up temporarily. 1 have an
cpqapement with him for next week
I'll get all fixed up in Baltimore, and
then II there is any travelling to be done
we will decamp together. BY the way,
would you like to come up nowY just
say the word If you want to- My face
"a pood In Baltimore.
"FxpeetlnE a check from Gilbert any
dav to make good. Don't know how
many days I'll stay in town, but you
know where to find me.
.sWrIte and tell me all the news. l
NAV stay until telegraphed to go with
Edith H., to see the factory girls; am
not sure. Better forward mail which
you have for me.
LET me know IL there are any little
commissions to be attended to in town.
"As always, your baby sister,
EDITH"
Colonel Thompson and Miss Carrie
THOMPSON both declared today the
letter was in the handwriting of Mrs
Woodill, but could give no explanation
of why she had written 1t IN advance
Is Pitiable Figure
One OF the most pitiable figures in
the lamentable tragedy is old Col
Charles H. Thompson of McDame!,
foster father of the murdered girl.
The broken old man told the story
of the girls life, so far as he could
recall the details.
He had followed her body to its last
resting place yesterday, beside the
graves of his wife and son.
To fha hFOt her living IN tue
grave next to hers the girl had been
the ideal of all that was good and
sweet and pure. He had grown up
with her and learned to love her, and,
it is said, wished her to become his
wife. When she refused, he killed
himself.
This is the crowning sorrow of my
life" said Col Thompson as the tears
streamed down his cheeks Il have eX-
perienced many sorrows. have had
many heart wrecking blows, but this Is
I the hardest of all to bear"
The aged man went on to tell much
of the story of his own life and that
of the girl.
Story of His Life
Born seventy years ago in Connec-
| ticut. he came to the eastern shore or
Maryland sixteen years ago, buying the
farm where he still resides.
l. The little girl VINO became MS IosleI
daughter was but years old when she
was found by Mrs. Thompson, who was
at the time charity worker of Min
neapolis. MINI.
The child was then in the custody of
| a street car driver or conductor, who
was willing to surrender her to anyone
who could offer a better home.
"She did not belong to the man" said
Col Thompson. Il do not know who
her parents were and l do not know
how the street car man got her.
1--WE decided to take the child, and
soon became as deeply attached to her
as IL she had been our own flesh and
blood
the most admirable traits of character
She was great favorite, and all who
came within her influence were at
tracted to her."
Her First Marriage
Col. Thompson told of the girls first
marriage to a DIR. Caswell or Crosswell,
whom she met in New York, and which
union was soon annulled.
He told Of her engagement to Harry
Adams of Mount Vernon, n. X, and
her subsequent marriage to Gilbert
Woodill of Los Angeles, to whom she
| seemed devoted.
4 Their married life had been marred
\ by no unhappiness.
j He then told of her meeting with
Lyman J. Gage, former secretary of the
| treasury, and his deep interest in her