Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-28
MRS. W00DI[[ LURED To
DEATH BY BOB EASTMAN.
That Theory Generally Accepted at St. Mchaeb
bottle Of Narcotics Found in Bungalow
Dead murdererS Remains Are Buried.

| living in Denver, was interested in him.
| The writer asked that Roberts be con-
siderately treated. 1t is further said by
the authorities that they have discov-
cred that Eastman was an expert pen
man.
This leads to the belief that the now
famous "Howarth" letter, telling of a
proposed visit of men named Ryan
and Shortwell on June 16 was a fake to
| help divert attention from himself. A
New York newspaper man named
Shortwell appeared as witness
against Eastman in criminal proceed
inSs, and the authorities here have an
idea that in trying to lay the blame
on others. Eastman hit upon the plan
of possibly drawing his enemies into
the affair. A Howarth whom he pos
Silly knew in New York died about a
year ago No one named HoWarth lives
at Easton from which place the letter
was dated. No persons named Ryan or
Shortwell arrived at oxford on boat
as the letter said they would, SO far
as the records of the steamship com
panicS show.
The final inquest into the case of Mrs.
WoodiIrs death will be held tomorrow.
St MichaclS, Md, June 27.-Tell-talc
shafts of light continued Saturday to
filter in upon the tragedy of the lonely
bungalow on Broad creek. AS the tan
Slcd Skcins of the story are picked up
one by one, they tend more and more
to disSipatc the claim advanced by
Robert Eastman that it was a woman
and not he who killed Edith May
Woodil.
The jewels worn by the woman at
he time of her disappearance were
found Saturday in pawn shop in Bal
timore. placed there last Tuesday by a
man who answered fully the desCrip
ton of Eastman The man secured
5000 on the two diamond rings and an
Oriental pearl brook. Two hundred
dollars which Mrs. Woodll had in her
possession when she left her foster
fathers home, is missing. Eastman
repaid a loan last week of 5000, and
When he returned here from Baltimore
on Tuesday night he seemed plentiful
~ supplied with money.
IN all of the strange phases of this
most extraordinary case there has
hcen no more weird feature than the
burial late Saturday night of the body
Of Eastman in a grave beneath the
rcrubby pines of his own farm and
near the unfinished bungalow where
Mrs. Woodill was done to death No
church Of the eastern shore would open
its gates to Eastman. Superstitious
negroes of the community refused to
dig his grave. Two white labOrers were
finally induced to undertake the task.
There promised for a time Saturday
to be a fight for the possession of
Eastman's body
A. E. RosenthaI of New York. an at
torney, who represented Eastman when
he was arrested for grand larceny and
who secured for him the bail which he
forfeited by flight and acting for Mrs.
Ida Eckstein of New York. one of the
suretics who lost heavily by the for
fixture Of the bond, demanded the Gus
tody of the body in order that he might
make delivery of it to the New York
authorities. by whom a reward of $500
had been offered. The local authorities
declined to give up the body.
The letter Of the suicide in which nc
gave to his wife the version of the kill
ing of Mrs. Woodill by a jealous wo-
man, was made public Saturday and
deeply impressed many who read it's
circumstantial account of the tragedy
for which the writer claimed he was
in no way responsible. Foreman Rad
cliHc of the coroner's jury, declared
| himself convinced of the truth of the
strange missive and urged the author
itics to investigate further.
with all his disclaimer OF RESPONSE
biity. Eastman admitted in the letter
that he did not dare to take the chance
Of trial and had decided to "draw the
curtains forever"
While many others were as deeply
impre ssed as the jury foreman, the
searching Investigations of the author
tiles fail to substantiate any of East
mans claims. The states attorney and
the members Of the coroners jury con-
tinue to withhold the contents of two
letters found upon Eastman after his
spectacular suicide in the little skiff in
which he had hoped to elude for a time
at least the clutches of his pursuers.
They declare they wish to exhaust
every clue and to leave no stone I'M
turned t. find if other persons really
were in any way connected with the
crime.
The witness, William Sutton, who
was said last night, had heard a party
of men and women merrymaking in
the bungalow on Sunday night, de-
clared today that it was late Satur-
day night that he went to visit East
mans 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 Woodill SUIT
ton did not make his presence outsid,
the house known and went away. The
cabin was searched following the dis
covery Of the body, places at the table
were set for two. Plates, cups and
saucers were there, and unused.