Smyrna times., 1909-06-30
BURIED NEAR
SCENE OF CRIME
Churches and Cemeteries Closed
OMrS. WOOdilI'S Murderer.
LURED VICTIM TO BUNGALOW

Weighted and Thrown Into River.
Murderer Killed Himself When Cor
nered by Posse, and Was Buried
Near Scene of Crime.
st. Michaels, Md, June 2S. - The
last tragic chapter in a story of crime |
unparalleled in this section of the |
country was written when the man ac-
cused of the heartless murder of pretty /
little May Edith Thompson WOOdill-a !
spectre-like form fleeing in a skiff |
from a posse OF determined, relentless |
pursuers-stoOd for a moment facing |
the men who had cOrnered him on the |
waters of a narrow creek, then fired a !
bullet crashing into his heart and fell |
a lifeless lump into the bottom of the
boat which he hoped would carry him
to a landing place where flight might
be possible.
Taking his fate into his own hands
and blotting out untold the story of
the death of a girl who had moved in
the highest social circles-who had
been a prOtege of Lyman J. Gage and
of former Governor Frank Brown, of
this state-the man known here as
Emmett E. Roberts, but who in reality
was Robert Emmett Eastman. a failed
broker of the Consolidated Stock Ex-
change of New York, passed beyond
the reach of the law, and with his go
ing there vanished the hope of clearing
up the motive and the battling details
of this strange tragedy.
Letter Tells of Alleged Orgy.
A letter found upon Eastman's body,
addressed to Miss Winnie Bradcome in
New York, gave Eastman's ill-sustain-
| ed excuse for the crime. 1t was a
rambling account of how he had been
out in a launch with a party of men
and women, all of whom had been
drinking to excess with the exception
| of himself and Mrs Woodill; of how
| one of the women in a fit of jealous
| frenzy had attacked Mrs. Woodill with
a wine bottle and killed her; how the
remainder of the party had taken TO
flight, leaving him to dispose of the
body, and how as a means of escape
from all of his troubles the writer had
/ QCNldCu " Gnu HIS lAlCs Sll1clii
asked Miss BradcOme to hurry to
| Maryland to take charge Of his body
and his property. Miss Bradcome is
Eastman's wife. They were married
in 1908. and lived together only a
week
AS for motives. many have been ad-
vanced. That Eastman was infatuated
with the girl was we'll known. She in
turn, it would seem, was fascinated
by him at times and possibly fright
ened by his attentions. In a note ad-
dressed to Dear Wobby," declining to
see him at the particular time, but not
wishing to anger him. she said:
1T is only an intermittent delirium,
anyhow, and you had better go and
wash your dishes"
After this Eastman evidently pre-
vailed upon the girl to visit his farm,
which was near that of her foster
fathers to see the new bungalow
which he had built. The girl met
Eastman Saturday, was seen to leave
the Mcdaniel wharf in a launch with
him, and Wednesday her nude body
was found floating on the surface of
Rose creek, crudely tied to a rope and
weighted with iron and bricks There
were evidences of a struggle in the
bungalow "a bloody sheet. some
blood stained boards. some halfburned
clothing-but the real story of the
bungalow can never now be known.
A further search of the shack re
weasel a small bottle which a hasty
examination shows contained a mix
ture of narcotic drugs. There were
strong traces of morphine in the al
most empty phial.
This discovery tends to bear Ou
the theory which the people of thu
community who knew and loved tn,
girl long have wanted to believe. The!
never have listened to the idea tha
she was involved in a drunken org,
at the bungalow and have contendet
that she lost her life in repulsing thu
advances of the man who acknowI
edged his guilt by snufIing out his lif
when it seemed that the hands of tn
law were about to be laid upon him
Particular search was made for an.
possible fragments of a champaign
bottle which might tend to bear ou
Eastmans claims that Mrs. WOodil
was murdered by another woman in
jealous frenzy. Two whisky and thre
wine glasses were discovered, bu
there were no evidences of champaign
bottles ever having been in or aroun
the shack.
Pawned Her Jewelry.
The day after Mrs. Woodill was xii
ed Eastman went to Baltimore an
pawned her jewelry-two damon
rings and a pearl pin. The next da
he was back again, smiling, among hi
acquaintances at ST. Michaels and M,
Daniel paying debts and jesting abou
the gay time his guests had.
In a new made grave, not fifty fec
from the scene of the crime which le
TO his death. Eastman's body was lai