Imperial Valley press., 1922-07-17
Coroner Jury Holds
Sn1ilingMrs. Phillips
For Terrible Crime
United Press Leased Wire

Phillips was accused of the premeditated
murder of Mrs. Alberta Meadows by
the verdict of the coroner's jury,
reached today after brief testimony by
Mrs. Peggy Caffee, alleged eyewitness
to the murder.
The verdict delivered by n jury Of
men after deliberaton of a few min
utes read as follows:
"We, the jury, find that Mrs. Al
berta Meadows met her death from
fracture of the skull inflicted with q
hammer by one Mrs. Clara Phillips with
premedtated intent to kill. y
Sobbing hvstericaly between her
sentences, Mrs. Peggy Caffee, before
the coroner s jury, told again of seeing
Mrs. Clara Phillips rain blows of a
hammer on the head of Mrs. Albert
Meadows over whose body the inquest
was held,
Faints in Describing Crime
"Mrs. Meadows screamed and ran
toward me, stretching out her arms,
said Mrs. Caffee, trembling, choking
as she faced the packed room of the
undertaking establishment.
"But Mrs. Phillips beat her down
with the hammer She used the round
end and the small end of the hammer
both. Blood covered both of them.
saw Mrs. Meadows sink to the earth
and then l ran. | was sickened. >
Mrs. Caffee could not go further, and
completely losing control OF herself, she
collapsed in the witness chair. lee
water was brought and she was able
to continue after several minutes.
Mrs. Phillips was not present at the
inquest upon the advice of her attor-
news. and neither was her husband, A.
l.. Phillips.
Accused Woman Calm and Smiling
Mrs. Phillips one request to officers
that she might see her husband few
moments alone before being taken to
iail, was denied, rs investigators plan
to be present at the meeting when, 1T
is believed, her calm pose will break,
if ever.
Her attitude is characterized by Of
ficers and matrons who have talked
with her since the crime as ''utterly
incomprehensible. -
She came home yesterday smiling.
Identified by Mrs. Caffee as the
woman she claims to have seen commit
the murder, she did not change her
good humored expression, but greeted
her accuser with the words, "Hello,
Peggy Theygot me. -
When Mrs Caffee broke down and
began to weep, Mrs. Phillips said to
her ''What's the matter with you?
You didn t expect to see me wilt at
the sight of you, did you9'
Then, smiling still, she was taken to
the sheriff S office and the county
jail.
Meets Husband Calmly
Shortly before Mrs. Philips was to
be taken before Judge Hauser to plead
to the charge of murder, she was al
lowed to see her husband.
Their meeting, in the sheriff's office,
the first time since he had put her on
the train which was to take her to Ell
Paso and escape over the Mexican
border, was not sensational.
Officers said that Phillips wept as
they embraced but that Mrs. Phillips
was calm and gave no visible sign of
emotion. What they said was not re,
peated by the officers who alone were
present
Genera Tremaine, sister of the dead
girl, who had sat through the inquest,
collapsed as the crowd started leaving,
She was carried out by her father and
several who came to his assistance.
Arraignment of Mrs. Phillips on the
charge of murder scheduled for .
o clock this afternoon, was post poned
by Judge Houser until 10 a. m to-
morrow.