MURDER CHARGE

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 267, 6 August 1932, Page 11

MURDER CHARGE

Trial of Airman Lancaster MRS. MILLER’S TESTIMONY Miami, August 4, The trial of Captain W. N. Lancaster on a charge of murdering an American air pitot, Haden Clarke, at Miami on April 21, was continued to-day. Mrs. Keith Miller, about whom the men were alleged to have quarrelled, gave further ©viduDCC. Mrs. Miller testified that she had proposed suicide to Clarke only a few hours before he was found fatally shot In her evidence on Wednesday she said that she and Clarke had discussed mutual suicide several nights before the shooting, but did not mention the subject again. She said that her suicide suggestion was made after Clarke told her of a conversation with Lancaster regarding their proposed marriage. She quoted Clarke as saying, “I can’t stand it any longer. lam going crazy.” She said that they agreed in a conversation earlier in the evening that it would be necessary to postpone the wedding until Clarke’s divorce decree was final.. Under examination by Mr. Carson, for the defence, she described as highly cordial Lancaster’s attitude toward her and Clarke when the flyer came hurriedly from St. Louis on learning that Clarke had succeeded him in her affections. ........ Public’s Interest. Hundreds in the court leaned forward eagerly to hear the testimony of the diminutive aviatrlx. Mrs. Miller elaborated under crossexamination her earlier testimony regarding the arrival of Lancaster from St. Louis the day before the shooting and the quarrel of the two men over her at tbe dinner table that night. “After Bill went to his room,” she said, "he read his mail and Haden and I sat downstairs talking.' We were despondent about the marriage plans and the whole situation. Then I made a fool suggestion. I said, T wish we could end It all.’ ” Then Mrs. Miller told of Lancaster and Clarke retiring to their room and she to hers. In compliance with a request from Clarke, she had locked her door. She said that Lancaster and Clarke, after the dinner table quarrel the night before the shooting, talked amicably through the evening of their futures and plans to postpone the marriage until Clarke’s divorce was final. At the conclusion of their talk Lancaster announced that he would move away from the house next day. She heard the men talking and laughing before she went to sleep. Testimony that Lancaster had threatened to get rid of Clarke was given by J. F. Russell, a former business associate of the defendant. "Had Inside Track.” Russell, who is now serving in a Federal prison a sentence for conspiracy to smuggle aliens into the United States of America, was formerly associated with an airways venture in which Lancaster was interested. A deputy sheriff stood by Russell as he testified to meeting Lancaster and other men in El Paso (Texas), on a proposition to operate a commercial air line between Mexico and the United States. Russell said that Lancaster tried to borrow 25 dollars from him in Los Angeles to send to Mrs. Miller. “I was unable to lend the money,” Russell continued. “He was very much worried over her financial destitution and failure to hear from her. I said, ’You'd better stay with us, Bill, and make some money.’ I told him he had tost out with her; that since we left I had heard from my wife in Miami that Clarke and Miller had been at mv house frequently. I told him Haden had the inside track; Bill asked if I thought Haden had double-crossed him. I said I thought he had. Bill turned on his 1 eel and muttered. ‘l’ll get rid of him.’ ”