Evening star., 1909-06-25
Roberts TraiIed for Hours
Over Water in Darkness

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ST. M1CHAELS, Nd. June 25.-Emmett
f. Roberts, also known as Robert E
Eastman and as Finney, supposed slayer
of pretty little Mrs. Edith May Thompson
Woodill. wife of Gilbert Woodill of Los
Angeles, was killed, either by his own
hand or by posse, near the wharf a,
Mcdaniel at 4 o'clock this morning.
For more than three hours officers OF
the law, headed by Magistrate Willy OF
Talbot county, trailed the murderer as he
rowed up the river. Finally, where the
waters were narrow and the man well in
range, the battle opened.
The first shot was fired by Roberts after
he was commanded to surrender. Rising
in his skiff, he jerked from his pocket
a .44-caliber pistol and fired. possibly into
his own brain. Then followed fusillade
by the members of the posse. Roberts
toppled over in heap.
Although not knowing whether it was q
ruse on the part Of the fugitive, the men,
bers Of the posse waded out into the creek
after the boat. AS the men grasped the
gunwale Roberts was found stretched out
at full length. Life was extinct.
Farmer Sounds Alarm.
The first intimation that Roberts was in
the neighborhood was given by John Nc
Quay, farmer near BoZman. He saw q
skin on the river shortly after midnight
this morning. 1t being unusual for per-
sons to be out on the river at that hour,
Mr. McQuay hurried to st. Michaels and
notified Magistrate Willy.
The magistrate. suspecting that the man
in the skiff was Roberts, gathered a
posse. comprised Of Sheriff Mortimer and
Deputies Hooper, Harper and Crone.
Charles B. Weiss of Baltimore was also
made deputy for the occasion.
The little party set out on the trail. By
o'clock the party, every one armed,
reached the river bank.
There they saw in the faint light man
who bore a close resemblance to Roberts
leisurely rowing up the stream. At first
1t was q question whether the man was
Roberts. SO the posse determined upon
stalking.
Deputies Hooper and Harper obtained a
skiff and took to the water course, glid-
ing along under the cover of the banks.
The other members of the posse made
their way along the shore, wading the
small creeks as they came to them. and
fighting their way through the under
brush.
Chase Continues Through Night.
Hour after hour slipped by mile after
mile was covered. The man in the boat
seemed in no special hurry. 1t was not
until the chase had been in progress fully
two hours that the pursuers were sure
that the rover was Roberts.
Then, as the waters Of the river mar
rowed, the keen eyes of Magistrate Willy
got a good look at the oarsman as he
pulled in close to the bank. Identification
was certain.
There was brief consultation. Would
1t be better to attack the man then or
wait until a little later when the chances
Of an arrest might be better?
Mile after mile the pursuit went on. The
men in the boat and those on the bank
followed with dogged persistency, and yet
with such caution that the fugitive did
not even know he was trailed.
Toward 4 O'Clock, when night was the
darkest. Roberts neared the headwaters.
The stream was narrow and the wharf at
Mcdaniel was but short distance away.
When Roberts was less than 100 feet from
the shore Magistrate Willy stepped from
the underbrush and advanced to the
waters edge.
Roberts Gun Answers Summons.
Hello. Roberts. Throw up your hands, y
shouted the magistrate.
Roberts did not utter a word. He rose
in his boat, with a big revolver in his
right hand. He fired.
Meyer Crone, a special deputy, fired a
shot from revolver at the white-shirted
figure standing defiantly in the boat.
Then Magistrate Willy discharged a shot
gun at Roberts. Deputy Crone fired a
second shot.
During the fusillade Roberts dropped
in q heap in the boat. His revolver
fell at his side.
The deputies waded out to the small
boat. Roberts had been shot through the
mouth by a bullet and was dead.
The boat was drawn to the shore and
the body examined. Roberts had a bot
tie of poison in his possession anu a
number of letters. The body was taken
to st. Michae!s.
More mystery, then more mystery,
weaves about the Talbot county tragedy,
which began with the finding of the
mutilated body Of Mrs. Woodill Tuesday
and has so far resulted in the killing OF
Roberts. Subsequent evidence begins
to make the authorities believe that there
ere others interested in the killing.
Letters Complicate Tragedy.
Much additional evidence. at this time
withheld from the public. came to light
with the finding of papers in the cloth
ing of the man who lost his life after re-
fusing to surrender to the authorities.
The coroner's jury which met to in
quire into the manner in which the
death adjourned to await the coming of
States Attorney ]. Frank Turner.
II is known on good authority that
one of the letters states that a woman
and not Roberts killed Edith, and that
she was struck three times In the face
with a champagne bottle. The letter.