The Cordova daily times., 1922-10-21
WOMAN CALM
 FACING TRIAL tE FOR MURDER

ently completely at ease and dec1ar- ing her nerves more collected than at any time since her arrest last July, Mrs. Clara Phillips, 23 and former chorus girl favorite, of Los Angeles, but known now as the alleged hammer murderess," yes terday began her battle of wits.
 Mrs. Phillips, dubbed the tiger woman" faces a charge of having lured to lonely Montecito Drive on July 12 Mrs. Alberta Meadows, come keeping company with her husband, and there beaten her to death with hammer.
 There was no delay when Mrs. i Phillips appeared in court yesterday. Her trial was to have started Sep tember IS last, but on that date she appeared in court and pleaded for a continuance, stating she was with out funds, and requested that Public Defender Aggeler be appointed to represent her. The court appointed Aggeler, who requested and won a delay until yesterday.
 Mrs. caffee Saw Deed i The State will hinge it's case pri- marily on the evidence of Mrs. Peggy Caffee, confessed witness to the staying, who is also a former chorus girl and confidante of Mrs. Phillips. Mrs. Caffee's story of the brutal staying, as told to the Grand Jury and on which Mrs. Phillips was indicted for murder, in substance is:
 That on the afternoon of July 12 she and Mrs. Phillips met Mrs. Meadows at a downtown automo- bile parking station, where Mrs. Meadows kept her small coupe. Mrs , Phillips and Mrs. Meadows were ac- quainted. Mrs. Caffee said, and when Mrs. Meadows arrived Mrs. Phillips asked her to drive her and Mrs. Cafe to see her sister, who was ill Mrs. Meadows agreed and Mrs. Phillips directed the unsuspecting vic tim to lonely Montecito Drive.
 Arriving at a secluded spot on the rarely travelled road, Mrs. Phillips asked Mrs. Meadows to stop the ma- chine, saying that she would like "to have a talk" with her Still unaware of her fate, Mrs Meadows did as asked.
 Relates Brutal Staying
 As soon as the two women were out of the machine, so Mrs. Caffee said, Mrs. Phillips accused the young widow of Keeping company" with her husband. This Mrs. Mead ows denied, but before she. had fin ished the denial Mrs. Phillips whipped out a hammer, which was concealed i behind her, and struck her victim on the head, which brought a splatter of blood.
 Unable to stand the horrible sight of blood streaming from Mrs. Mead ows and the continual hammering of Mrs. Phillips on her victim, Mrs. Caffee said her heart sickened and her stomach revolted, and she ran down the road for about 200 yards
 Later, she says, Mrs. Phillips, be- spattered with blood. came dashing down the hill at breakneck speed | in Mrs. Meadows machine and picked her up, On the return trip to Los Angeles, Mrs. Caffee claims, Mrs. Phillips threatened her with death if she told what she had seen.
 Arrested In Arizona
 l The arrest of Mrs. Phillips was effected the following night at Tuc- son. Arizona, after her husband, A. L. Phillips, oil stock broker, had gone tt. Sheriff William Treager, of Los Angeles County, and told him his wife; had confessed the crime to h'rH and that he had sent her to : Texas to escape arrest. When Mrs Phillips was returned to Los Angeles two days later she was positively identified by Mrs. Caffee.
 Although the defense has re- trained from making known what explanation they will offer it is be- | lieved they will plead insanity and that Mrs. Phillips was victim of brain storm"
 The State will endeavor to show that the crime was premeditated and, in this connection, will call the au- tomobile parking station owner, with whom Mrs. Meadows kept her auto- mobile. He will testify that Mrs. Phillips was at the parking station the day before the murder inquiring for Mrs Meadows