The Washington herald., 1919-10-01
Woman Deliberately Sought
To Prove She Would
Be Insulted; Experiment
Leads to Tragedy.
BY DUDLEY BURROWS.

San Francisco, Set. so.-Is deliber-
ate man-stalking permissible under
the intangible statute known as "the
unwritten law"
A San Francisco murder Jury will
soon be called upon to decide this
and other momentous questions
growing out OF the recent and SEEM
ingly ruthless killing of one Ed
ward c. Kelly. a well-known news
paper man. by one Edgar Woodcock.
whilom manager of a museum and
laboratory maintained in this city
by the State mining bureau.
The case, which appears to be with
out precedent in the criminal an
nails of the nation. promises to be-
come as famous as the Harry Thaw-
Stanford White embroguo, to which
it bears. principally by reason of
its cold commission. a slight SIM
ilarity.
1t seems that Mrs. woodcock, a
former school teacher and post-stu-
dent Of an extension course offered
by the University of California. had
been complaining to her husband
that she was frequently accosted, on
her way to and from the Public
Library in the evenings. by mash
ers. The husband at first dismissed
tho complaints lightly. until they be-
came insistent.
On the evening of September Is,
however. it appears that Mrs. Wood
cock invited her husband and one
Warren Cooper. a mining engineer
or some prominence, to follow her
from their home to the library and
see for themselves how unaccom-
panied women were treated on San
Franclsco's main thoroughfare
after dark.
The two men accepted the invita-
tion. Woodcock, first arming him
self with a pistol-with deliberation.
apparently, preparing to take the
law into his own hands.
A few blocks up Market street,
the evidence says. Mrs. woodcock
was 'insulted" by a man in an
automobile standing at the curb.
Woodcock and Cooper, following
close behind. gave this imprudent
person a ''beating-up." but permit
ted him to escape without serious
injury.
A little further along Mrs. Wood
cock is said to have passed near
another man who was waiting for a
street car. woodeock. stepped up to
this man and demanded to know IL
he had spoken to that woman" {"
The man said NO" and the ,hus-
band and his friend passed on
Kelly, according to his ante
mortem statement, was crossing
Market street at Van Ness avenue
when Mrs. woodcoek arrived at
tnat intersection. The time was
approximately $3.50 and the corner
IN semi-darkness. Thinking the
woman an acquaintance Kelly
raised his hat. Then he walked down
Market street, in the opposite di-
rectlon to that which the woman
was taking.
He had gone but a short distance
when he heard steps behind him
and turned to confront woodcock;
brandishing his pistol. Kelly. on
his deathbed. said he thought, his
assailant a hold-up man and threw
his hands above his head.
without saying a word" the
victim testified. he fired the re-
volver at mel"
The bullet lodged in Relly's right
breast and he died the following
afternoon.
Two other men. besides the one
above, have since testi-
fied that Mrs. Woodcock favored
them with encouraging glances" on
the evening in question. -
From the accounts collected to
date IL appears that Mrs. woodcock
"bafted' some four or
Ave men in order that they might
receive q beating-or worse-at the