The Washington times., 1922-07-18
INQUEST HOLDS
MRS. PHILLIPS
IN k|LL|NCCASE
Chorus Girl Breaks Down as
She Describes Brutal Siay-
ing Of Woman.
BY international New. Service.


. LOS ANGELES, July 1S.-Six men,
summoned as a coroner's jury to Sit
In inquest over the body Of pretty
twenty.year old Alberta Meadows,
yesterday heard Mrs. Caffee. former
chorus girl. publicly accuse her
friend. twenty-three-year-old Clara
Phillips. also a former chorus girl.
of brutally beating the young widow
TO death with a hammer last Wednes.
day afternoon at q lonely spot on
Monticello drive.
When Mrs. Caffee reached the
point In her story where she told of
Mrs. Phillips furiously 8. showerinB
blows on the defenseless head Of the
stricken girl who was begging for
mercy she completely broke down.
She asked for a glass of water, and
1t was several minutes before she
could continue her testimony.
Verdict Charges Murder.
The coroner's jury at the conclu-
sion of the inquest returned yer.
dict that Mrs. Meadows came to her
death from a fractured skull by blows
from a hammer in the hands Of Mrs
Clara Phillips, with premeditated in.
tent to kill and murder"
Contrary to the hopes Of the NOR.
bid throng that fought for admission
to the little undertaker's chapel
where the inquest was held, Mrs.
Phillips was not present. She re-
nainded at the county Jail, making
preparations for. the first meeting
with her husband since she took the
train east the night Alberta Meadows
was slain. =.
In her absence the curious crowd
centered its attention on F. A. Tre'
maine, father OF the murdered girl,
rs. with face drawn and gray with
sorrow, he answered In a low tone
the questions put to him by Coroner
J. A. Nance.
Mrs. Caffee Star Witness.
But with even more eagerness they
gazed at Peggy Caffee, star witness
at the inquest, as she will be at the
murder trial, seeking for traces Of
the cosmetic-covered black eye"
that was receiving the earnest at.
tention of the sheriff and district at
torney's office.
For 1t had been hinted that the
authorities were far from satisfied
with Mrs. Caffee's story that the
discoloration was caused by an in.
jury received in an automobile acci.
dent with her husband, and that they
were making efforts to learn whether
or not Peggy Caffee was merely the
Mortified spectator at the murder she
testified she was.
Tremaine's eyes wandered sadly
to the motionless body Of his
daughter as he was excused and
Police Officer William G. Corcoran
took the stand. The officer testi.
fled to finding the body of Mrs.
Meadows, still warm where 1t had
fallen on Monticello Drive unuer
the savage impact Of the slayer's
hammer.
Then Peggy Caffee was called
Mrs. Caffee answered in an agitated
voice the usual perfunctory ques-
tons and then launched into her
killing and Of the events leading
up to IL.
Killing In Road Described.
She told Of accompanying Mrs
Phillips on q shopping trip Tues
fatal hammer. She told how they
met Mrs. Meadows at parking
station the following afternoon and
how Mrs. Phillips induced the
doomed girl TO drive them out to
call on Mrs. Phillips sister. Then
she told OF the arrival at the Sc.
cluded spot on Monticello Drive, of
Mrs. Phillips asking Mrs. Meadows
to get out as she wanted to talk
TO her, Of Mrs. Phillips accusing
Mrs Meadows Of running around
with her husband and his buying
her a wrist watch-charges she
said Mrs. Meadows Indignantly de-
nied-and Of Mrs. Phillips snatch
ing a hammer from behind her back
and striking Mrs. Meadows in the
face with It,.
. AS the blood poured Mrs.
Meadows. she said, ran, and Mrs.
Caffee ran in the opposite direction.
AnVERrTSrNrNJr