Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-03-30
trial Of
MRS. eaton
IS STARTED
Sensational Development Ex'
pected ID Case Against
AdmiraIs Widow
I.
F w.

OOUu11I VI WUOVW
sEHia
BOSTON, Mass, March 20 The
preliminary hearing Of Mrs. May Har.
rison aaton, who is accused of the
murder Of her husband, Rear Admiral
Joseph G. Eaton, Y. 9. N, retired,
vas conducted today at bingham, but
it failed to develop anything new in
the celebrated case. The hearing, in
fact, was only a prefunctory proceed
ing, since the action of the grand jury
in finding an indictment sends the
case directly to the superior court.
The extraordinary secrecy that has
attended every step OF the official pro
ceedings since Admiral Eaton died has
only served to whet the public curios>
ity and arOuse speculation as to what
is at the bottom of the case. That
the trial of Mrs. Eaton is likely to
develop some big sensations is indi-
Gated blythe statements Of the officials
who gathered the evidence that re.
suited in her arrest. These state.
ments have all been to the same effect
that some Of the facts disclosed as
to4the family life of the cations were
sorpeculiar as to prevent the author
tiles from communicating them to the
public.
1t will7be four weeks tomorrow since
Admiral Eaton died suddenly at his
country home near the little town OF
NOrwell. During these four weeks
there has been a constant rafting Of
the family skeleton in an effort to
shed light on the cause and manner Of
his death. The coroner's jury report
ed that the Admiral had died from
arsenical poison. T%hereuron the wild
ow was arrested and lodged in Jail
at Plymouth to await trial on 4 charge
OF murder. These are the only real
facts of the case made public. No hint
has been dropped by the authorities
as to the possible motive for the alleg-
ed crime. So far as public knowledge
goes no murder-if the case proves to
DE a murder-ever vas committed
with less motive for the deed. At one
time Admiral Eaton was fairly we'll
TODD, but unfortunate investments Mad
cost him practically all of his fortune.
At the time of his death he possessed
practically nothing except his salary
as a retired naval officer. which salary
ceased at his death. Why his wife
or any member of his family should
take any step that must necessarily
cut off the. chief source of their in.
come seems incomprehensible.
Though the public has learned little
in regards to the so.called murder case
itself much has been brought to light
the past few days concerning the life
story Of the Oma who stands &C.
cusea of the killing of her husband.
The present Mrs. Eaton was the
Adml,al's second wife and was form.
erly the wife of D. H. Ainsworth, once
a clerk in the United States senate.
They had two children, June and Dor.
othy, but their MARI ed life was not
altogether happy, and Mrs. Ainsworth
finally divorced her husband on the
ground Of drunkenness. She men Ad-
miral Eaton, according to a story made
by the admiral, several years ago in
chicago. He thought she was a wild
oW. though as a matter of fact she
had not at that time secured a divorce.
Her father was George Harrison, and
the family home was at Alexandria,
Va.
Admiral Eaton and Mrs. Ainsworth
were married in 1907 and came to
Massachusetts to live. The, admiral
was c~0mmandant, of the EostOn navy
yard and after his retirement from
the service the family went to live
on a small farm at Assinippi. During
the last few wears of his life the ad.
miral had given up his clubs and for
saken society altogether, devoting his
attention to the raising of chickens.
As to the family life of the Eatons
the statements of neighbors and
friends seem widely at variance. All
seem to agree, however, that the ad.
miral appeared to be unhappy in mind
and at times exceedingly morose. A
story has been circulated to the effect
that Mrs. Eaton, after her second mar.
riage, continued to supply her first
husband with money and that this
was a cause for family discord. Mrs.
Eaton, however, vigorously denies the
truth Of this story. Much more tangi.
BILE is the story concerning the Eaton
baby, whose sudden death undoubted.
ly severed, for a, time at least, the
friendly relations of the admiral and
his wife.
Nearly four years ago the child died
under unusual circumstances. It de.
veloped then that this was an adopt.
ed child and that a quiet deception
had been practiced upon relatives and
friends concerning its birth and ante.
cedents. Mrs. Eaton openly charged
that the child had been poisoned and
that she suspected the admiral. An
analysis of the stomach showed that
te child had died from natural causes
and a reconciliation followed between
the admiral and Mrs. Eaton.
"A belief is gaining ground that Mrs.
Eaton may never be tired for murder.
The theory is that alienists will be
sent to examine here as to her mental
condition. Then she may be given
a5public hearing as to her sanity, and,
finally. if it should be determined that
she is of uns0und mind, she might be
confined in an institution.
A league for the furtherance of
strikes is heinz 0rpanizad nv MisSnaIri