Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-11-03
MRS. MEADOWS
WAS KILLED BY
CAFFEE WOMAN,
WITNESS AYERS
Clara Phillips, Defendant in
the Hammer Murder, "
Tries to Lay the Crime at
Another'S Door,
GIVES HER VERSION
OF THE FATAL FIGHT
Tale of Jealousy and Al
legged False Accusations
Caused Her to Go Into a
BrainStOrnn, She SAYS,


Los Angeles, Nov. Peggy
Caffee welded the hammer that
beat the life out of Mrs. Alberta
Meadows, according to testimony
given here today by Mrs. Clara
Phillips, on trial for Mrs. Mea-
dows' Staying.
Peggy Caffee was the states
star witness against Mrs. Phillips
and was accredited with being the
only eye witness to the alleged
Staying by Mrs. Phillips.
Mrs. Phillips told of the events
leading to the killing last July, Of
Mrs. Meadows alleged statement
that she was preparing to run
away with Armour Phillips, hus-
band of the accused slayer, and of
a fight that followed between her
and Mrs. Meadows, and said that
when Mrs. Meadows was getting
the better of the fight, that Peggy
Caffee rushed in with the hammer.
Peggy Struck Alberta.
peggy came with the hammer
aitd Dbl uSh CL <ilDtll I'd anu DtCll bNl
with it, and everything went black
before my eyes" was the dram
attic climax of her testimony.
Weeping and rubbing her eyes
with a handkerchief, Mrs. Phil
lips gave her version of events
surrounding the Staying.
1t was tale of Jealousy and
false accusations which, according
to the defense's contention, caused
her to go into a "brainstorm" the
day Mrs. Meadows was beaten to
death with a hammer.
The defendant first related hap
penings on the Friday preceding
the Staying. That night, she said,
her husband, Armour L. Phillips,
accused her of spending the night
with man at Camp Badly.
She said she denied this and
asked Phillips who told him that.
Phillips, she said, replied it was
Mrs. Julian McElroy."
The next day, Mrs. Phillips con-
tinued, she followed her husband
[ 70 Mrs. McElroy's house and there
heard him repeat the accusation,
but declaring Mrs. Meadows was
his informant. Mrs. McElroy, she
said, told Phillips the charge was
not true. that she herself was with
Mrs. Phillips at the camp.
Mrs. McElroy, who testified to
the same effect earlier in the day,
also asserted she had made accusa-
tions against Phillips concerning
his acquaintance with Mrs. Mea-
dows. She said members of both
Phillips and Mrs. Meadows fam
lilies had begged Armour Phil
lips to cease his attentions to AL
berta Meadows"
Corroborates Testimony.
Julian McElroy, son of the wit
ness, corroborated his mothers tes-
timony about the conversation the
Saturday before the Staying, also
that he heard Phillips say he had
planned trip with Mrs. Mea-
dows. McElroy also asserted that
Mrs. Meadows had told him she
tloved Armour Phillips"
Mrs. Phillips detailed the cir
cumstances leading to the arrival
of herself, Mrs, Caffee and Mrs.
Meadows at the hillside spot where
the Staying occurred and told Of
how the three talked over the re-
lations of Mrs. Meadows and Mr..
Phillips.
According to her, Mrs. Meadows
admitted that she loved Phillips
and was preparing to go away with
him.
"Then she slapped me and we
fought" said the witness, and went
on to tell the details Of the strug-
gle. Finally, she said, Mrs. Mea-
dows had the better of it and the
witness had called Mrs. Caffee.
When she had told of Mrs, Caf-
fees alleged response to this ap-
peal, her attorney halted the di-
rect examination.
After detailing the movements of
herself and Mrs. Caffee, Mrs. Phil
lips related the meeting with Mrs.
Meadows and events following the
trip to Montecito drive.
"ToId Alberta to Stop"
"On Peggy's signal told Alberta
to stop, that I wanted to talk with
her" she testified. IT asked AL
berta If she had been going with
Mr.. Phillips: if he had bought her
a wrist watch and the tires on her
car. She denied it all. so I said
we would go back, find Mr.. Phil
lips and face it out with him.
"As / started to get into the car
Peggy said. Clara, are you going
20 let her get away with thing like
that
peggy kept encouraging me not
to let her get away.
'Finally Alberta said, I might
Continued on Page Two.