MURDER CHARGE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20619, 8 August 1932, Page 7

MURDER CHARGE.

TRIAL OF AIRMAN IN FLORIDA. REFERENCES TO MRS KEfTH MILLER. (r.VITKD PRKSS ASSOCIATION' -Ml IU.KLTJKIC TELEGRAPH—COrYBIOHT.) .MIAMI (Florida), August 5. Captain W. N. Lancaster's nuguisb at hearing that Haden Clarke had succeeded him in the affections of Mrs Keith Miller were described to the jury in a lengthy diary read to-day during the trial of Lancaster for the shooting of Clarke. Mr N. V. Hawthorne .(prosecuting) said hia object in reading the diary was to prove that Lancaster killed Clarke because his beloved had been taken by his best friend. "I love her more than rny very life," Lancaster wrote. Many otner passages referred to the airwoman, in endearing terms, expressing distress that she had not written to him ©ftcner while he was away, and recited how desperately Lancaster tried to raise money to send to Mrs Miller, who was virtually stranded in Miami, while Clarke attempted to write a hook about her life's adventures, to raise funds.

"1 wired Chuhbio every cent I. had. It leaves mo flat broke," Lancaster wrote on April 3rd. The day before this J. F. ltus&eli, one of Lancaster's companions, showed Lancaster letters from Mrs Russell, saying that Clarke and Mrs Miller had called- at her home "all ginned up" early in February. Clarke came into the diary with Lancaster's comment: "Met Haden Clarke to-day, a writer. First impression of him very good."

Two days later the diary commented: "Chub and Haden got cockeyed to-day, but. not unpleasantly so." On March 22nd, in El Paso, Lancaster was wondering "whether Clarke kept his promise to me." Soon after that. .Russell broke the news that C)arko and the aviatrix wore in love. Later, Lancaster was "winging homeward."

The entry at Tuscou (Arizona) read: "Ways and means havo to bo found to-day to go on east. East is whero my life lies. I can't stand the strain much longer."