The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-06-25
MURDERER SHOT
WHILE RESISTING
THE SHERIFF
Atte4. pt to Escape Saved the
ouble of a Trial and
Execution
ROMANTIC ANQ PATHETIC :
STORY Of The WOMAN KILLED

Protege of Lyman ]. Gage, She Was
Accomplished and Brilliant and Had
Every Opportunity to Cultivate So.
cial Qualities.
st. Michaels, Nd. June 25.-Dead,
either by the shots of the sheriff's
posse or by his own hand, Emmett E.
Roberts, the accused slayer of the
beautiful Mrs. Edith May Thompson
Woodill, protege of Lyman ]. Gage,
passed beyond the reach of the law
today, and with his death vanished
all hope of clearing up all the details
OF one of the most shocking crimes
the state of Maryland ever has known.
Early last night information reach
ed the authorities to the effect that
Roberts was on the river in a small
boat, presumably the one in which
he escaped from his boarding house.
He was followed up river by deputy
sheriff and several men who gradu-
ally drove him to the neighborhood
of McDaniel's wharf, not far from
which the murder was committed.
When Roberts was within q hundred
yards of the shore the deputy ordered
him to throw up his hands. The re-
ply of fsthe fugitive was a shot At
once number of the posse fired, and
Roberts dropped back into his boat
nn0H Tho h0IV,
about o'clock this morning.
With the lips of both the victim and
the slayer sealed by death, the story
of the night struggle in the lonely
bungalow on the shores of the tidal
inlet of Chesapeake bay, the story of
the mad efforts Of the slayer to con-
ceal the identity and dispose of the
body of the woman, who though twice
married. was still mere girl in years,
the story of the scenes preceding the
fatal attack and above all the motive
for the atrocious deed, may now
never be told.
The mystery of Mrs. Woodill's an
tecedents. her brilliant prospects and
accomplishments, her beauty and the
prominence of her foster parents and
relatives and the brutal manner of
her death had created an intense SEN
sation. which was heightened today
by the death of the man in whose
company she was last seen.
Roberts, who was little known here,
is believed now to have assumed that
name. Robert E. Eastman is believed
to have been his real name, accord
ing to papers discovered today.
The coroner has in his possession
letter found on Roberts or East
man, as he is now supposed to be,
addressed to Miss Winnie Bradcome,
care Claw & Erlander, New York, in
which the writer asks the girl to come
down to Maryland to take charge of
his body and property as he intended
to commit suicide. Eastman added
that he had been out in boat with
four other people, two men and two
women. That all had been drunk ex-
cept himself and one girl, and that
one of the women struck another on
the head with a wine bottle and had
killed her.
Ends Tragedy.
Baltimore, Md, June 25.-The death
of Roberts at st. Michaels marks the
elimination of the most sensational
tragedy ever occurring in Maryland.
with ramif1cations that have become
countrywide in their extent. Some
facts in the meteoric career of Mrs.
Woodill, in whose brief life love and
romance played such great part,
were related today by an intimate
friend of the slain woman, who said
they were told by Mrs. Woodill her.
self. Mrs. WoodAl said she was born
in Minneapolis about twenty years
ago. Her mother, who called herself
Mrs. Ames, died when she was about
three years of age, leaving her in
utter ignorance of her parentage or
forbears. Mrs. Charles H. Thompson
of Mcdaniel, Md, then took her and
brought her up, telling her that she
(Mrs. Thompson). was her mothers
intimate friend. but never disclosing
to her the name of her father.
When she was about twelve years
cid they went to Washington, where
they lived for some time in the house
of Lyman j. Cage, who took great in
terest in her. When she was about
fifteen he sent her, with Mrs. Thomp-
son to Paris, where she studied mu-
sic, Secretary Gage paying all the ex
penses. On her return from Paris
she went to Boston to complete her
studies, and while in Boston she was
married to Mr.. Caswell who was an
osteopath. When sho was about
seventeen she came to Baltimore ia
continue her studies at the Peabody
conservatory. leaving her husband.
She was known here as Miss Edith
Thompson. concealing her marriage
from all but few intimate friends.
In @ very short time thereafter sho
entered suit against DIR. Caswel for
divorce. She left Baltimore last
Easter, year ago, being engaged at
the time to Harry Adams OF Mount
Vernon. N. Y. After a brief stay in
New York she went to California.
where in less than thirty days afte,
her divorce from DR.. Caswell, sho
married Gilbert Woodill OF Los
Angeles, It has been rumOred that in