The Washington herald., 1921-12-18
TRIAL OF NURSE
IN EASTLAKE CASE
SET FOR FEB. Il
Accused Man Calm as
Letters Read Tell of
Love Affair.
By ]. HAROLD KEEN.

MONTROSS. Va, Dec. ia jeal-
Gus. infuriated woman hendishly
slew Mrs Margaret L. Eastlake, is
the implication made by the defense
for Roger ID. Eastlake, alleged wife
slayer. during the reading today OF
a myriad of letters, postal cards
and kilograms sent to him by Miss
Sarah f. Knox. which the attorneys
claim explained the motive for the
crime.
Although the epistles contain
references to coming to Colonial
Beach and facing both of you
meaning Eastlake and his wife
regardless of the consequences"
they do not aSsoive the man
charged with his wife's murder, for
they clearly show that he had en-
couraged the clandestine love af-
fairs.
Trial Date Set.
against Miss Knox during the trial
of Eastlake and the general i'm
preston that her attorneys will en-
ter a plea of guilty and place her
fate in the hands Of the court. a
date for her trial was today set for
the fourth Monday in February, by
Judge Joseph w. Chinn.
The letters written by Miss Knox,
which were read to the jury today,
alternately indicate that Eastlake had
urged her to come and reside at a
place near the residence OF himself
and his family. later to offer apoIo-
gies and excuses for not having made
the arrangements as stipulated in his
request for her ito come on"
Owing to the length of these let
ters. it is generally believed their in
PRODUCTION by the defense. after re-
peated objections on the part of the
prosecution, was move to overcast
the evidence intended to link East
lake with the tragedy.
While these letters, some asking tho
accused man to make good loans
which he had from Miss Knox. some
OF a tickle nature. some depicting
tragedy, some referring sarca stically
! to Mr.. Eastlake's wife" and some
| intimating suicide and the hone for
death, were being read by William
w. Butzner. the jury sat apparently
uninterested
The letters, as whole, indicated
I that Ea astlake for some time had "a ST
MS wife and children into a discard
while he and Miss Knox conducted
clandestine love affair as "nephew''
and aunt" and it was made evt-
dent that a financial indebtedness aud
a threat OF exposure for past actions
on the part of his wife" wer. used
Dy the woman as a means Yer con-
| tinuing the affair.
Eastlake Unmoved,
Throughout the reading of the
/ placid
The letter reading was considered
to be strategic move to bury the
testimony of AIRS. w. V. Caruthers,
| of Colonial Beach, presented yester-
day. at which she stated that she
heard children scream in the East
\ lake home at $50 o'clock on the
morning of the murder, the time
that the accused man said he left
the house
Thls testimony is considered as
one OF the most damaging bits of
evidence yet placed against the
man. The letters told a story of
lnhdelity and deceit: of wife's
confidence misplaced. and of a man
VINO made no effort to protect his
nome against wreckage until the
storm had reached such a stage as
to become uncontrollable.
i expect to show by these letters
motive on the part of Miss Knox
to kill Mrs. Eastlake and to dis
pei on the part of Eastlake a mo-
tive to kill his wife" said Butzner,