The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-26

1 one of the estuaries of Chesapeake bay,
 heard in the stiffness of the night the | soft splash of oars far out on the black
 waters. He called, but there was no
 answer. Rowing wearily up the stream l the man at the oars paid no heed. Me 1 Quay frantically summoned help by tele 1 phone A posse answered and then be- 1 gan the stealthy trailing of Eastman
 through the waters to his doom.
 Fleeing Murderer.
 For hour after hour Eastman. suffering
 the tortures of the damned for want of
 food and water during the night and day l of his hiding in the marshes of the many
 shallow tidal streams which put in from
 the bay, tried to shake off his pursuers
 Clad in blue flannel shirt and dark trousers, he was a far less conspicuous
 figure than were the members of the l sheriff's crew, who all wore white shirts 1 In and out of the winding stream East man led the way. He evidently was mak- ] ing for McDanel, near the headwaters of the creek where he hoped to steal team and escape.
 His rowing became more and more pain full, and his passage was so slow at last l that the pursuers passed him in the dark ness. Not sure that the men in the other 1 boat were really on his trail, Eastman l continued up stream until at last he had reached a point off the home of Colonel Thompson and of the girl who had met | death while with him. Here the stream narrows sharply, and the spot was select ed by the posse to make a stand. From the tall grasses of the shore they called l to Eastman to surrender. Twice the call
 was repeated without answer. Then came the flash and report of a revolver.
 Death by Suicide. 1 T+ bod baa, oi,,a5 t,- bta own heart and the bullet had done its
 work. Thinking the shot had been fired at them in an attempt to resist arrest, the posse returned the fire and claimed at 1 first that 1t was their fusillade which had caused the man to crumple up in heap in the bottom of the little craft.
 negro who had been among the pur- suers waded out in the shallow waters and brought the boat ashore. The ghastly l flare of match revealed the work of the pistol
 A hole had been torn in his chest and 1 life was extinct.
 1 The question of whether Eastman died by his own hand or as result of the fire of the pursuing party was not settled until late in the day when a eoroners l jury, after hearing the evidence and the l reports of examining physicians, decided 1 that Eastman had taken his own life. Eastman's Behavior. | Eastman had watched the development of the murder charges with a smile. Al morning of tho Monday after the crime he sat in the telegraph office at McDaniel. | In the afternoon he went to Baltimore to mail the letter which Miss Carrie Thomp- son received on Wednesday. and which would have delayed the search If the body had not been discovered. He returned on Tuesday night. Sitting in the office on 1 Wednesday afternoon he heard c. B. Tay- Tor receive telephone message announc- ing the finding of the body.
 My God" he exclaimed, you don't mean to say woman has been murdered 1 here. Who is she?"
 He dropped back to his chair when told she was unknown.
 After few minutes he said: Get a team, MT. Taylor. I will go over to St. Mchaes to get a story about this murder and then take 1t to Balt- more"
 Eastman had claimed to be newspaper man.
 Reaching St. Michaels he watched the proceedings and did not leave until the body had been identified.
 Returning to McDanie1 he ordered Q | ticket for Baltimore
 In the meantime Constable Mortimer 1 called up over the telephone to inquire l aboutAh Ahim, stating he was a stranger and might know something. Eastman then said: "Oh. if there is any suspicion about me, will remain. I never saw this woman"
 Mrs. Woodill's Letter.
 The letter mailed by Eastman at Bal timore and received here by Miss Carrie Thompson, foster sister of the murdered girl, is one of the incidents which seem to connect Eastman closely with the crime This letter was written by Mrs. Woodill and was mailed several days after her death Whether or not it was written by Mrs. woodill to shield her visit to Eastmans bungalaw or whether l the man had some intent in mind and caused her to write the letter to delay a search for her body may never be known. | The letter was intended to give the im- pression that Mrs. woodil was in Balti- more. The etter-follows:
 Dear Girl: A line only to say I am well and safely landed. Stayed with little May Bartlett in Boston. You remember her and her aunt, Mrs. Emory. We had a fine time talking over old days. pr. Smithers fixed me up temporarily. have an engagement with him for next week. l I'll get all fixed up in Baltimore and then If there is any travelling to be done we will decamp together. By the way, would you like to come up now? Just say the word if you want to, my face Is good In Baltimore
 Expecting a check from Gilbert any | day to make good. Don't know how many days I'll stay in town, but you know where to find me Write and tell me all the news George (Mr George B. Taylor, the stationmaster at McDanieD, MT. Roberts, etc I may stay until Thurs day to go with Edith H. to see factory girls. am not sure. You know how it is in Baltimore; I don't know where to go , first what to do to keep step with the rush. Better forward mail which you have for me. Let me know if there are any little commissions to be attended to In town. As always, your baby sister, EDITH" No Explanation.
 Colonel Thompson and Miss Carrie | Thompson both declare today that the letter was in the handwriting of Mrs. Woodill. They can offer no explana ton as to why she should have written let ter in advance of trip to Baltimore. One of the most pitiable figures in the tragedy Is Charles P. Thompson of Me- Do niel. the foster fathsr of the murdered | Cirl. Sitting on the torch of his home, overlooking the waters of Harris creek, where Eastman had ended his life in the early hours of the day, the broken old man today told the story of the girls life so far as he could recall the details He had followed the girls body to its last resting place beside the grave of his wife's son. The girl had been devoted to her foster mother.
 To the foster brother lying in the grave next to her, the girl had been the ideal