Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-06-29
DUAL TRAGEDY
TO REMAIN
UNSOLVED
BUC0LIC JURYMEN BRING
IN COMPROMISE VERDICT


IBy Morning journal Special Leased wirel
St Michacls. Md, June 2S.-With
the compromise verdict of the coron-
J ers jury that Robert +. Eastman.
either killed or was accessory to the
murder Of Edith May Woodll and
the declaration of state Attorney
Taylor, that he was through with tho
case the stranga dual tragedy which
has for nearly a week focused the
eyes of the entire country upon this
little out-of-the-way hamlet Of
Maryland's famous eastern shore. be-
came a closed incident today. Four
Of the twelve jurors refused to sign
the verdict and the words cor acces-
sorry to the crime were added to the
draft, which, approved by the major
ity. bluntly accused Eastman of the
murder The four dissenting Jurors
merely wished to protest. they sald,
against the manner i'm which the in
duiry was conducted, declaring much
available evidence was not adduced.
The letter left BY Eastman for his
wife, in which he said that Mrs
Woodil had been killed by woman
in jealous frenzy was not read
There was just bit Of petty politics
mixed up in the verdict for some of
the members of the jury have been
bitter political enemies in Talbot
county affairs
al rAp fa1pN In
the bungalow itself with Eastman
unmarked grave, not fifty feet away.
Mrs. Eastman had visited the place
earlier in the and had stood dry
eyed for a time scside the new made
mound. Someone with ill-iudged hu-
NOR had planted tomato vine on The
grave Mrs Eastman, thinking the
vine native flower. asked what =
was No one had the temerity to
tell her She stood by the grave un-
til at last convusive shudder SHOOK
her shoulders. then she was led away
From the testimony the authorities
have formed this final theory.
That Eastman was in need of
money: that he probably had been
getting money from Mrs Woodill for
sometime; that he undoubtedly know
something Of her past life, ana thai
he had been blackmaiilng her, that
he attempted to continue this pfac-
tee and that the woman rcbelled'
that She too had found out
certain things about Eastman ana
that if driven to il would expose him
Fastman's dread of serving term
I'm the penitentiary is well known
His wife had said that he told hef
he would rather commit suicide than
be locked up.
As to why Mrs Woodill went To
the bungalow there was no evidence
An interesting development was the
finding of the scraps of a torn letter
in the cracks Of the bungalow floof |
Little sense could be made from the |
The letter evidently was about the |
visit Of someone to some place. to be |
or not as she saw fit
The compromise verdict declared tht'
on Sunday. June 20. in his bungalow
ON Broad creek, Robert u. Eastman
reloniousN killed, or was accessory
70 the crime Of numbering Edith May
THOMPSON Woodill, wife Of Gilber'
.oodill. of Los Angeles, CAL
The four dissenting jurymen were
deeply impressed when they first READ
F3astman's letter giving his story OF
the crime and while they morally
believed him alone. guilty they de-
sired that every other possible factor
in the case should be eliminated.
They complained that no testimony
that Mrs Woodil and East
man met at Royal oak station Satur-
lay and were last seen together ~
, motor boat. was officially presented
Coroner Sparks. who conducted
he inauest and ATr Radelilfe. the
foreman of the jury. both undertak-
,rs are business rivals and the ma
ives commented tonight upon the
.act that they usually disagreed
,bout everything
There was tanS today of having an
,nalvsis made of the contents OF the
DottIe found in the shack yesterday
md which is believed To have CON
aimed narcotic drugs which may
,ave been used upon Mrs Woodul
,rior 10 her murder. But the anaN-
,is was regarded as unnecessary IN
,iew of the finding of the jury ana
he coroner remarked that the eoun-
A already had spent enough money
ipon the lamentable case II
Mrs. Eastman was granted letters I
IF administration and all of her hus-
,and's real and personal property |
viii be turned over 10 her. she VIII 1
20 back to New york soon and re- 1
urn 20 the stage