New Britain Herald Newspaper, July 15, 1922, Page 3

WIFE MURDERS HER VAL WITH HAMMER Jealousy Is Motive for Crime in Los Angeles Los Angeles, Cal, July.l5.—Jealous of a supposed Intimacy which her husband denies, Mrs, Clara Phillips beat Mrs. Alberta Meadows, a twen- ty-year-old widow, to death with a hummer and stones here on Wednes- day evening. After overtaking a woman friend whom she forced to witness the crime, and threatening her with death If she told, Mrs. Phil- lips, leaving the 'body in the road, drove herself home in the dead wom- an's car. There the slayer, with the assist- apce of her husband, removed the traces of her crime, tidied up and fled by traln into Arizona. A dispatch from lLos Angeles late yesterday afternoon told of the ar- rest of a suspect in Arizona and also of the reported confession of anoth- er young woman who claimed to have “ seen the actual slaying. It was not until, today, however, that the entire detall of this gruesome crime be- came known. The prisoner denied all knowledge of the crime, maintained stolid indif- ference when newspaper clippings de- scribing it with lurid details were shown to her, and insisted she was Mrs. Clara McGuyer. The address she gave for her L.os Angeles home, 703 et Wiftv-third street, however, is that of A. L. Phillips, husband of th« PR T & Irdicted for Murder Mrs. Phillips, who is 23 years old, was indicted for murder by the Los Angeles county -gmnd]u‘y. An alarm had been sent out for her meanwhile, Reason of the many for using SUNSET - “It's a positive pleasure to use and you get the result you desire.” Ask your dealer, and Mrs. Meadows on a ride to the lonely spot where the young widow's | hody was found Wednesday e\'enlng.‘ ghe and Mrs. Phillips made a secret visit to Mrs. Meadows' apartment and | that Mrs. Meadows was not at home, Mrs. PMllips is said by her husband to have told him that she kilied Mrs. Meadows bécause of _calousy which, he asserted, was unwarranted. Phillips has declined to say where | he spent last Tuesday night. | “] cannot answer important ques- tions of that nature,” he sald. * victim's Friends Defend Her Relatives and friends of the dead woman, who was only 20 years old months, rallied to her defense and | agserted character and reputation only in “idle gossip.” Mrs. Caffee was permitted after she had testified grand jury. Mrs. Phillips, who is 23 years old is said to have had a brief experience with a comedy motion picture com- pany as a “bathing girl.” Mra, Caffee said she also was a for- mer chorus girl, Appealed For Her Life “‘After Mrs. Phillips began striking Mrs. \Mleadows with the said Mrs. Caffee today, “the girl was asking me to help her and I went had basis to go before the stating that " she .was wanted for a brutal murder, and she was quickly apprehended. ‘The sole witness be- fore the grand jurors was Mrs. Peggy Caffee, the woman who was forced to look on while the murder was done, The whole story of the crime wag unearthed quickly after the body was found in a loneiy road in the northern part of this city soon after the killing, a big stone lying on one shoulder. Reveals Wife's Crime Phillips, an oil promoter, having escorted his wife to a railroad sta- tion, bought a *ticket for F)| Paso and placed her on a train, sought the ad- vice of his lawyer. The lawyer told him to tell the whole story to the au- thorities without delay. Phillips then hunted up Sheriff Traeger and dis- closed the mur¥er. After defending the good name of the slain woman, Phillips told how he had learned from his wife that she had persuaded Mrs. Meadows to drive her and Mrs. Caffee to a dark, lonely spot. There the car was halted while Mrs. Phillips accused the young wi- dow of misconduct with her husband There was an indignant denial. Mrs Phillips produced the hammer, ap- parently bought on the day before with the murder in mind and the kill- ing followed. Lurid Details Vivid details of the crime were sup- plied a little later by Mrs. Caffee, who was found early today by the police She said that she had maintained si- lence’ in fear of the threats of 1\Irs. Phillips, but was easily persuaded to tell her story. Mrs. Caffee sald she had known Mrs. Phillips for a year and a half. They went shopping on Tuesday and Mrs. Phillips, according to Mrs. Caffee, said that a girl work- ing in & local bank had been intimate with her husband and that she want- ed to have a talk with the girl. Shy requested Mrs. Caffee to accompan, her and it was so agreed. Friend Looked on, Helpless She told of going downtown on Wednesday afternoon and meeting Mrs. Meadows, and of the request of Mrs. Phillips that Mrs. Meadows drivé| them to a sister’s house. The drive was halted on a hill road, when Mrs. Phillips requested Mrs. Meadows 10 get out of the car for a few moments, saying that she wished to talk to her alone, Mrs. Meadows left the car and Mrs. Phillips ‘followed, according to the story of Mrs. Caffee. On the road, ¢ short distance from the car, 2 Phillips accused Mrs. Meadows of in timacy with Mr. Phillips. . Mrs. Mea- dows denled this. Then in a sudden rage, shrieking accusations, Mrs. Phillips swung hei hand from behind her back, clench- ing the hammer she had concealed, and began to rain blows upon Mrs. Meadows. “Mrs. Meadows screamed for me to help her,” said Mrs. Caffee. “Mrs Phillips menaced me with the ham- mer and threatened death if I inter- fered. Mrs. Meadows moved back terrified under the blows, and then broke the grip which Mrs. Phillips had upon her and ran down the road Mrs. Phillips pursued and caught her, and brought hér back and began beat- ing her again with the hammer. ‘Threats of Death “After she fell I became sick and walked down the road. 1 was soon overtaken by Mrs.” Phillips. She was driving the car.” Mrs. \leadow's car, alone, She made me get in with her. She again threatened me with death if I ever said a word about the affair. She drove downtown and let me off at one of the'downtown streets and drove away." Mrs. Caffee was detained by the po- lice. Trace Victims Activities Whereabouts of Mrs. Alberta Mea- dows on the night before she was the victim of what has become known lo- cally as the “stone age murder,” and where A. L. Phillips, husband of the woman accused of the crime spent the night were subjects of inquiry to- day, deputy sheriffs said Mrs. Peggy Caffee, upon whose tes. mony the Los Angeles county grand ury returned an indictment charging murder against Mrs. Clara Phillips. noy held at Tucson, Ariz, further- more has declared that the night be- fore she accompanied Mrs. Phillips —DRINK— | Ayers’ Soda Water | Call for it by name and get the best. | For Sale at Your Grocer's toward her. 1 was right in front of the girl and Mrs. Phillips came to- ward me. [ dop't know whether she was me2aning to hit me but she called out to me ‘get out of my way.' “All this girl said was ‘lady, save me.' I didn't hear her say anything ige. That was before she fell down. I started down the hill. And when I got down there I lnoked back %nd saw Mrs. Fhillips hitting her then, and the blood on this hammer and on her arm—@&nd T saw the blood— saw her hitting—and I sort of cried out ‘oh’ to myself, ‘oh, Clara!’ Wipes Off Blood “She didn't say much when I got back in the girl's car 1 saw the hlood on her arms and she said ‘wipe my face off' and I took my hand kerchief and did it “Mrs. Phillips said ‘anybody can take my husband away from me' and she said * I can do that again.’ “And then she caimed down and pretended to me that she wasn't afraid of anything. But I was pretty much afraid of her. “She drove Mrs. Meadows' car back She didn't bring me home. She let me off."” “What did she say to vou before she Jet you out—anything?" asked W. C. Doran, chief deputy district at- torney. “Before,” answered Mrs. Caffee, “when I was up there and started down the hill, she said—she was hol- lering to me—'if you say anything, T will kill you." That was when I was running down the hill, because I got sick standing there and sort of fell over against a wall." LEAGUE OF NATIONS TO MEET IN LONDON Sessions Will Open Probably Monday In St. James Palace—Dele- gates Arriving. London, July 15 (By Associated Press).—For the first time since its organization the council of the league of nations is to meet in London. The sessions, which are expected to last 10 days, will be held in St. James' | palace beginning Monday. | The Earl of Balfour, Great Brit- ain's acting foreign minister will pre- side, and France will be represented by former Premier Rene Viviani; Italy by the Marquis Imperiali di Francavilla, Belgium by Paul Hy- mans, former foreign minister, "and| Japan by Viscount Ishii, ambassador; to France. Jugo-Slavia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Albania are sending delegates to defend their interests in the various controversies| scheduled to come before the meeting. Among the 22 items on the agenda| are the reduction of armaments, treatment of minorities, traffic in women and children, the deportations | from Asia Minor, the opium, traffic disputes over boundaries and incur- sions of bandits, discussions of the Palestine, Syrian and other mandates, epidemics, and the situation in the eastern Mediterranean. The council has received two sub- stantial gifts of money from the American Relief Administration and the American Red Cross for the relief and evacuation of the Russian refu- | gees now in Constantinople and will | endeavor to obtain a like amount from the league members. Rumania, | OFFERS SETTLEMENT Creditors of the Eagle Clothing Co which conducted the New York Sam- ple Shop in this city, and which was adjudicated a bankrupt a few days ago, will meet at the office of Referee Yeomans in Hartford on July 11, The company which reported liabilities of over $90,000 and assets®of less than $15,000 has offered a settlement of 20 per cent, ten per cent in cash and the remainder in notes, _——— WANTED — HIGH TENSION Permanent Positions Between New Haven and New York Rate 70c Apply C. A. Mitchell Supt. New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Three Size Botiies—5-10-15¢ Union Station, Hartford, Conn. and has heen a widow only a m\-‘mwn the impression of such that any aspersions on her|cation caused neither relief nor sur- | hammer,” | | endleton, KLUXEN BOY FREED INWURDER OF GIRL Public Clamor and Religious Hate Caused Prosecution = | New York, July 16.—~Francis Klux en 8d was acquitted yesterday in the supreme court of Morris county of the murder of Janet Lawrence, the 11 year old girl whose body pierced with knife wounds was found under a log in Kluxen's Woods, near Madison, N. J., on October 6 last, 1t took a jury imported from Es- sex county three hours to determine the innocence of the 15 year old boy defendant, An attempted demonstra- tion over the verdict was checked sharply by Justice Charles W. Par- ker, who had previously ivarned against manifestations of -any kind The defendant betrayed 'no emotion even when Charles Spengler of Ir- vington, foreman of the jury, boomed out a stentorian, “Not gullty!" His demeanor throughout the trlal has confi- | a vindi- | dence In his innocence that prise. Mrs. Grace Kluxen, his mother, col- lapsed when the verdict was an- FRANCIX KLUXEN nounced. She had expected a quick verdict of acquittal, and after two hours of waiting she became particu- larly nervous, clasping and unclasping her hands, wiping her face constantly with her handkerchief and praying. Charges Religious Hate. The remarks of Elmer King, chief counsel for the accused boy, showed the resentment felt by the family over | what they term the persecution of the | residents of the small community of | Madison. One of the grounds ade vanced for the unpopularity of the | Kluxen family was a religious antag- | onism. Mrs. Kluxen is a devout Cath- olic, and the boy's uncle is engaged in the manufacturing sacramental wines. One of the contentions of the defense was that the process of put- | ting the grapes through the ppesses| was responsible for the red stains on | the boy's khaki trousers and shirt. @ mmenting upon the verdict Attor- | ney King said: | “The best jury Essex county could | furnish found the defendant not gufl- ty. I hope the verdict will still the public clamor and the virus manifest- ed against this hoy by the people of the borough of Madison. During the | trial this lad has not had one kind | word from any one in Madison.” The feeling in Madison apparently spread to the surrounding country, for in spite of the intense public interest and excitement in Morristown during the trial there was no attempt at a | jubilation over the verdict as the| Kluxen boy pushed his way through the crowd and stepped into the auto- mobile that was to take the family | back to their home. ( The only comment he made was: | “I'm glad it's all over. Now I can go home." HIT BY Guilford Farmer Is Slightly Injured —Expected To Recover | Guilford, July 15.—Struck by an | express train passing through here at 4:25 yesterday afternoon’ Eara| 65, a farmer, sustained | only a fracture of the right arm, a| bruised shoulder and several lacer- | ations. He was walking beside the | track and apparently did not hear the train approaching from behind The train crew picked the man up} and brought Him to the depot | whence he was taken to the Guilford | hospital for observation. At last re- | ports he was resting comfortably. | Ciolae ey LL PROYV PRESS TRAIN ATAL New Haven Painter Dies After Tum- bling From Scaffolding. Haven, July 15.—Noah Ho- rowitz, 27, a painter, of 149 Dixwell avenue, this city, dted in the police patrol on the way to the New Hav hospital as the result of a fall from a scaffold, while at work yester- day. Horowitz was painting a house on Carlisle avenue when he lost his balance. New LINEMEN Per Hour BANK OF NEW BRITAIN 178 MAIN STREET SURPLUS $115,602.06 ASSETS $13,180,226.19 THE BANK OF AND FOR THE DEPOSITORS The attention of every one is respectfully called to the statement of the condition of this MUTUAL SAVINGS BANK, July 1, 1922. \ _ i A bank which has existed for SIXTY years in this community, conducting a strictly sav- ings bank business, under the laws and supervision of the State of Connecticut, successfully investing the savings of its depositors, paying liberal, uninterrupted dividends thereon (at present at the rate of 4149 per annum), and having regard for the needs of this commun- ity by loaning, to a considerable extent, upon real estate for the building of homes and the development of business enterprises. { STATEMENT, JULY 1, 1922 ASSETS vane Invested . $6,833,575.00 925,625.00 1,500.0¢ 1,327,442.06 658,926.80 1,090,300.00 1,390,226.25 800.00 231,312.00 100,000.00 618,142.29 2,376.79 $13,180,226.19 Market Value $6,833,575.00 925,625.00 1,500.00 1,354,282.49 685,487.50 1,125,550.00 1,532,395.00 1,375.00 294,815.00 *148,000.00 618,142.29 2,376.79 $13,523,124.07 Loans on Real Estate ............... Loans on Stocks and Bonds ............. Loans on Personal Security ............. United States Bonds and Certificates of Indebtedness . ...... Foreign Government Bonds ... ..... City and Town Bonds ... ... Railroad Bonds ........... Railroad Stock Bank Stocks ....... Real Estate—Banking House ....... Deposits in Banks and Trust Com- panies and Cash ................ Other Assets ....... *City assessors’ appraisal. LIABILITIES ; DepoSItE 25 s vv s i . $12,409,624.13 Interest Account . ... 55,000.00 Surplus Fund ... ......... . ; 700,000.00 Profit and Loss Account .. 15,602.06 $13,180,226.19 OF MARKET VALUES—$1,010,499.94. SURPLUS. ON THE BASIS OFFICERS .. H. DAVISON, E. N. STANLEY. President, C. F. SMITH, Vice-president, Chairman of the Board. NOAH LUCAS, Treasurer, C. B. OLDERSHAW, A and Secretary. Treasurer DIRECTORS C. B. OLDERSHA . F. SMITH. J. B. MINOR, H. D. HUMPHREY, A. ANDERSON. P. F. McDONOUGH, E. H. DAVISON, >. A. MOORE, 1. D. RUSSELL, E. N. STANLEY, . J. PARKER, NOAH LUCAS, G. W, UT, . B. PARSONS, H. S. HART. Open 8 A. M. to 3 P. M. Saturdays—S8 to 11 Monday Evenings—6:30 to 8 (Standard Time)