The Washington herald., 1922-05-05
Jurors in Eastlake Muir
der Case Out Hour
And IS Minutes.
JUDGE CHINN SAYS
VERDICT LENIENT
Nurse Convicted on First.
Degree Count Takes
1t Calmly.

MONTROSS. Va, May Miss
Sara Euphemia Knox was tonight
convicted of the murder OF Mrs.
Margaret l. EastIake. at Colonial
Eeach. during the early morning
hours of September 80. 1921.
The case was placed at the dis
posal of the iurv at 6:10 o'clock to-
night, and one hour and thirty-five
minutes later a verdict of guilty
on the charge Of first-degree muir
der was returned, a. the sem
tence at twenty years Imprisonment
in the Virginia penitentiary, at
Richmond.
Judge Joseph w Chinn approved
the jury's finding. stating that "in
view of the testimony and under the
circumstances, the verdict was le-
nieint."
Woman Remains silent. go.
As the clerk of the court slowly
read the jury's decision, Miss Knox
sat calmly bv the side of her at
torney. Harry NJ. Smith jr. She
did not speak to anvonA even after
Judge Chinn stated that the YER
dict was ''lenient."
Apparently she had expected the
sentence or probably she had pic
tured a more severe punishment.
for earlier in the dav she, made
brief account on the proceedings to
her sister. Mrs. Meta Salter. saying,
1T looks black for me-"
Although the nonrlv-ventilated
courtroom was sitting. the atmos-
phere being polluted by the gases
given off by oil lamps-the only
crowd which filled the small room
to the doors remained to hear the
fate OF the woman charged with
the fiendish murder.
Body Savagely Hacked.
Just before Christmas last year
Roger ID. Eastlake, husband of the
murdered woman and alleged para
mour of Miss Knox who was jointly
accused of the crime. was freed
OF any connection with the death
of his wife The trial of Eastlake
took place in the same courtroom
where tonight Miss Knox was ap-
prised of her punishment.
The verdict brought to a close a
crime which has few precedents for
brutality, one which former Gov.
Davis. of Virginia, characterized as
the most heinous crime in the his
tory of the State" Owing to the
fiendishness displayed. the case be-
came of nationwide interest.
The body of Mrs. Eastlake. a
woman of slight build. was found
lying in a pool of blood. savagely
hacked and slashed. in the dining
room of the little Eastlake home in
Colonial Beach. early on the morn
ing of September 30. The discovery
of the body was made by neigh
/ bors. who had been summoned TO
the house by Miss Knox. the con-
victed woman.
Find =. Hntchet Wounds.
Twenty-seven distinct wounds in
| fl;cted with a hatchet were found
on the dead woman's body, and the
weapon and other articles were
later found in. the underbrush
which surrounded the house.
Miss Knox and Eastlake were. ar
rested in connection with the crime.
despite the wOman's statements Of
having seen a man" run from the
house and disappear into the shrub
berry at the rear of the house
/ They were removed to the county
| lowing night a crowd of residents
of the vicinity gathered, making
threats and causing the officials to
fear an attempt to gain possession
of the prisoners for the purpose of
lynching them.
SIN Feared Iynchinx,
Secretly. on the next day, the
man and woman accused of the
crime were taken from the little
Jail and spirited by automobile
to Fredericksburg. where they were
held in prison for three DAYS. Still
fearing that feeling against the
prisoners might result in injury to
them, and because of the lack of
accommodations. they were removed
to the city Jail at sRichmond. where
they remained until their arraign-
ment
Prior to the giving or the case
to the jury. the attorneys for the
prosecution and defense argued the
testimony submitted on both sides.
The prosecution pointed to Miss
Knox as the guilty party" while
the defense attempted>,to shoulder
the crime upon Eastlake, the freed
husband.
The opening and closing argu-
ments for the prosecution were
made by Commonwealth Attorney
Mayo, while Miss KnoX's case was
eloquently pleaded by Attorneys
Coleman and Smith. Both Of the
| lawyers for the defense attacked.
Eastlake. the murdered woman's
husband. who was star witness for
the State.
Aftornav EInxx lSastiaEe
Referring to Eastlake, Attorney
Coleman said he had shown he was
of the lowest and d-3est and filth
lest style of MANKIND
Before he could continue there
was a thunderous stamping Of feet
in the court room, Indicative OF ap-
proval of all the lawyer had said
Of Eastlake.
Attorney Smith endeavored to
shift the crime to Eastlake's
shoulders. He refer ed to Miss
Knox's washing her hands after
handling the body of Mrs. East
lake as the natural act OF trained
nurse and laid particular stress on
the story told by little Roger d.
Eastlake, jr, on the witness stand.
that, his sister MarS iret had tolo
him "a man in a raincoat had
pushed her into the room and that
he looked like daddy"
VERY seldom do children make
| mistakes in Identifying their par
ents." he added.