The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-07-15
S4W MRS. PHILIPS
KILL MRS. MEADOWS
Was Herself Frightened Away When
Mrs. Meadows Pleaded to Be Saved
from Infuriated Woman, So
Says the Story.

| Los Angeles, Cal, July l5.---Whcre
abouts Of Mrs Alberta Meadows OF
the night before she was the victim oi
what has become known locally as the
"stone-age murder" because 1t was
accomplished with a hammer and a
rock, and where A. L. Phillips, husband
of the woman accused of the crime,
spent the night were subjects of in
quiry to-day, deputy sheriifs said.
Mrs. Peggy Chaffee, upon whose ties
timony the Los Angeles county grand
I jury yesterday returned an indictment
charging murder against Mrs. Clara
Phillips, now held at Tucson, Ariz.,
declared that the night before she ac-
companied Mrs. Phillips and Mrs.
Meadows on ride in Mrs. Meadows
automobile to the lonely spot where
the young widows body was found
Wednesday evening, she and Mrs.
Phillips made secret visit TO Mrs.
Meadows apartment and that Mrs.
Meadows was not home.
Mrs. Phillips ii said BY her husband
to have told him before her hurried de-
parture on the trip to FL Paso, Tex,
that ended in her being taken from
the train at Tucson, that she killed
Mrs. Meadows because of jealousy,
which he asserted was unwarrantcd
And, according to the story Of Mrs.
Chaffee. who was present during the
alleged staying, Mrs. Phillips accused
Mrs. Meadows Of having been inti-
mate with her husband and of having
accepted presents from the oil pro-
moter.
Relatives and friends Of the dead
woman, who was only 20 years old
and had been a widow only a few
months, rallied to her defense and as
serted that any aspersions on her char
acter and reputation had basis only in
sidle gossip"
Phillips has been detained as ma
terial witness and viii be held as
such, according to the sheriff7s Office,
at least until his wife is brought back
to California.
Mrs. Phillips, who is 23 years old,
Is said to have had brief experience
with comedy motion picture com
pany as @bathing girl She also
has been employed as chorus girl. |
Mrs. Chaffee said she also was a
former chorus girl.
Mrs. Chaflee went to the scene OF
The staying yesterday and saowsd Off
rers the exact spots where she said
the argument and ensuing physical
struggle between the two women took
place.
after Mrs. Phillips began striking
Mrs Meadows with the hammer" said
Mrs Chaffee, "the girl was asking me
% help her and went coward Ter.
Mrs. Phillips came toward me and
allied ont to me, get out Of my way
AN this girl said was, lady save
ne. That was before she FELL down.
started down the hill. ! look a back
md I saw Mrs. Phillips lifting her.
md then the blood on the hammer ard
n her arm and I sort of cried cut,
ON, to myself, oh, Clara
"She didn't say much Thsn ! rot
'ack TO the girls car. ! saw she n'ood
N her arms and she said, swipe my
ace off, and ] took my handkerchief
nd did IL.
Mrs. Phillips said Nobody can
axe my husband away from me- and
he said. 4 can do that again
"And then she Gained down aud pre-
ended to me that she wasn't afraid
( anything but was pretty afraid
( her.
@She had the hammer in the car.
md her silk white gloves were all j
nll of blood and she took mine and
ut them on her arms. And there was
lood all over her face and arms and ,
ress and shoes and stockings. II
"She drove Mrs. Meadows car back. !
he went as fast as ever she could
own the hill and kept on until she
anne 20 her home"