Evening star., 1922-07-15
SEEK NEW CAVE
MURDER" EVIDENCE
Woman Battered Other to
Death, Third Tells Police
as "Sickened" Witness.
ASK WHERE WAS HUSBAND
Los Angeles Probe Extended as
Wife Is Taken From Train
in Alleged Flight.
By the Associated Press.


Los ANGELES. Calf. July i5.-The
whereabouts of Mrs. Alberta Meadows
on the nIgut before she was the vic
tim of what has become known locally
as the stone age murder" because
it was accomplished with hammer
and a rock. and where A. l.. Phillips.
husband of the woman accused of the
crime spent the night. were subjects
of inquiry today, according to an
nouncement by deputy sheriffs work.
ing on the case.
Mrs. Peggy Caffee. upon whose tes-
timony the Los Angeles county grand
jury yesterday returned an indict-
ment charging murder against Mrs.
Clara Phillips. now held at Tucson.
Ariz declared that the night before
she accompanied 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 n secret visit
TO Mrs. Meadows apartment and that
Mrs. Meadows was not at home.
Mrs. Phillips is said by her husband
to have told him. before her hurried
departure on the trip to FL Paso. Tex.
that ended in her being taken from
the train at Tucson, that she kill2d
Mrs. Meadows because of jealousy.
which, he asserted, was unwarranted.
Mrs. Meadows Accused.
And. according to the story of Mrs.
Caffee, who was present during the
alleged staying. Mrs. Phillips ac-
cused Mrs Meadows of having been
intimate with her husband. and of
having accepted presents from the
oil promoter.
Phillips has declined to say where
he spent last Tuesday night. Il can
not answer important questions of
that nature. he said.
Relatives and friends of the dead
woman, who was only twenty years
old and had been a widow only few
months. rallied to her defense and
asserted that any aspersions on her
characater and reputation had basis
only on idle gossip"
The coroner announced the inquest
over Mrs. Meadows body would be
held Monday.
Phillips has been detained as a
material witness and will be held as
such, according to the sherins office.
at least until his wife is brought
back to California.
w l. Traeger. sheriff, is now in
Tucson. expecting 10 bring Mrs.
Phillips back with him. Phillips Is
not under arrest, but deputy sheriffs
have been detailed to remain with
him constantly.
after she had testified before the
grand jury.
In Chorus and Film.
Mrs Phillips. who is twenty three
years old. is said to have had brief
experience with a comedy motion
picture company as "a bathing girl"
She also has been employed as a
chorus girl.
Mrs Caffee said she was also a
former chorus girl.
Mrs. Caffee went to the scene Of
the staying yesterday and showed
officers 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 Caffee, the girl was asking me
to help her and l went toward her.
1 was right in front of the girl. and
Mrs. Phillips came toward me. l
don't know whether she was meaning
Get out of my way All this girl
said was, Lady. save me- I didn't
hear her say anything else. That
was before she fell down. l started
down the hill. and when l got down
there ! looked back and I saw Mrs.
Phillips hitting her then, and the
blood on this hammer and on her arm
l saw the blood-saw her hitting. and
L sort OF cried out, oh" to myself,
oh, Clara
"she didn't say much when I got
back in the girls car. l saw the
blood on her arms. and she said
Wipe my face off, and | took my
handkerchief and did it
.Could Do 1t Again."
Mrs. Phillips said. Nobody can take
my husband away from me!' and
L can do that again. And then she
Gained down and pretended to me
that she wasn't afraid of anything.
But 1 was pretty afraid OF her.
"She had the hammer in the car.
And her white silk gloves were al!
full of blood and she took mine and
put them on her arms And there
was blood all over her face. arms,
dress shoes and stockings.
-, "And she drove Mrs. Meadows car
back After she got me in she took
II and went as fast as ever she could
down the hill and way down along
the car line on the street there. and
kept on until she came to her home.
She didn't bring me home. She let
me off at Figueroa and Pico streets"
What did she say to you before
she let you out-anything? asked w.
c. Doran. chief deputy district at
torney.
Before" answered Mrs. Caffee.
when l was up there and started
down the hill. she said-she was hol-
lering to me-If you say anything 1
will Kill YOU That was when l was
running down the hill. because I got
sick standing there and sort of fell
over against a wall"
Mrs. Caffee told the grand jury her
parents. whose names were not stated,
lived sin the east. near Philadelphia" ;"