The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-14
FORGING FETTERS
AROUND EASTLAKE
FOR WIFE MURDER
Trail of Chief Petty Officer Be-
gins in Westmoreland County
Court House.
STATE OUTLINES PLAN
OF THE PROSECUTION
Expects to Show that Dead
Woman Was Killed by Nurse
Companion of Eastlake.
(By The Associated Pressl

MONTROSs, Va, Dec. 13.-The trial
OF Roger d. Eastlake, chief petty
officer, u. S. navy, charged jointly with
Miss Sarah e. Knox, Baltimore nurse,
with killing his wife, Margaret, Sep
tember 80, last, at their home at Colo
nial Beach, Va, began today in the
Westmoreland county circuit court,
when Eastlake was arraigned, pleaded
not guilty, and after jury had been
selected, opening arguments were made
for the state and defense.
Miss Knox viii DE tried later
Commonwealth Attorney Watt p.
Mayo outlined the states case to the
jury, declaring that IT would be shown
that Mrs. EasriaKe was murdered at
sos o'clock on the morning Of Sep
tennber 80. and that Eastlafe was in
the house at the time with Miss Knox.
w w. Butzner, of counsel for the de-
fense, in his opening statement, said
he would undertake to prove that the
Baltimore nurse was the actual slayer
of Mrs. Eastfake.
The jury was selected from a panel
of 20 veniremen and was completed at
4 o'clock Several pleas to quash the
Indictment against the defendant were
made by Mr.. Butzner and his associate
counsel, S. NJ Chichester, OF Freder-
1closburg. for alleged irregularities in
calling the venire, but they were over
ruled by Jpage Joseph e. Chinn. In
pleading nor guilty, EastlaIe spoke in
Il sclear yoiUe ana vas csfin throf out
the day.
In outlining the states case today,
Mr.. Mayo said he would show that the
dead woman not only was struck at
least twenty-five times by a sharp
edged instrument, but that blunt in
strument had penetrated the skull, and
that he would show further that Miss
Knox had brought a hatchet to Colonial
Beach
Mr.. Butzner described Miss Knox as
infatuated with the petty officer He
gave in detail alleged movements of
Eastlalxe on the day in question and
said he would show that the Eastlakes
were living together happily. On the
fatal morning, he added, he would
show that Eastlake not only breakfast
ed with his wife, but kissed her good
bye and had planned to tatke her to
Fredericksburg to witness the marine
maneuvers at which President Harding
and others were present.
Continuing the defense counsel said
he would produce bundles of letters
written by Miss Knox, to Eastlake in
which it would be shown that the
woman had bounded him against his
will. A motion to have a number of
letters which passed between the two
presented during the trial was finally
allowed after the court had inspected
their contents. The prosecution also
agreed to furnish "a certain collar and
raincoat, at the request OF the, defense.
THE jury, nine Of whom are farm
ers and three merchants, all Of this
county are: L. w. English, foreman,
Acorn; F. b. Anthony, Hague; L. A
washington, Oak Grove; w. L. Healy,
Mont Ross; James Z. Dameron, Kin
sale; w. G. Sanford, OIdhams; C W.
Beddoo, Lerty; r. E. Wilson, Oldhams;
Ira G. Muse. Oak Grove: P. B Mayo,
Kinsale; C. E. Stuart, Mont Ross and
w. J. wilkins. Oak Grove.
Miss Knox is still at the Richmond
jail Assisting Commonwealth Attor-
ney Mayo in the prosecution aie Thos.
L. Jujter of the Virginia house Of dele
gates and Charles A. Moss Of Rich
mond.
1t was the belief here tonight that
the case will likely go to the jury the
latter part of the week.
The trial of Miss Knox will not be
called until the first week in January.
it was said today.
The court room was crowded with
spectators from Fredericksburg. CO.
1onial Beach. Baltimore, washington
and surrounding counties. Mrs. S. E.
NJ. Eastlake, mother, Donald Z. East
lake, brother; Reginald Eastlake
cousin, and Mrs. Mabel Chambers, sis
ter Of the defendant, sat in the outer
room during the trial.