LANCASTER TRIAL

Northern Advocate, 4 August 1932, Page 5

LANCASTER TRIAL

SHOOTING OF HADEN CLARKE CASE FOR PROSECUTION. SERIOUS INFERENCES. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received 9 a.m.) MIAMI, August 2.

At the trial of Captain Lancaster, charged with the murder" of Ha den Clarke, threats against Clarke by Captain Lancaster when the latter learned of the growing attachment between Clarke and Mrs Miller were alleged in the opening statement of- j the State Attorney, .Mr N. Vernon ■•■ s Hawthorn. He said he Tvould preyed that accused, upon hearing gossip about this attachment, paced the floor in a rage and threatened to get rid of Clarke. • . ;

The prosecutor said he would show that accused made other threats on other occasions as information about the relations between Clarke and Mrs . Miller reached him. While lie was at -' ■» St. Louis on a business trip Lancaster 7 was notified that Clarke and Mrs Mill-’ - er had decided to marry. He hurried •' back to Miami, and within 12 hours 7 -' 1 ■ after his arrival Clarke was dead — shot through the head with ■ a pistol, which accused, it was alleged, had bought in >St. Louis.

Mis Miller accompanied accused., to court, and reiterated her conviction that he was innocent. She will as the principal witness for the' fence.

Mrs. Miller said'that Lancaster Kur- l ’ ried home from a business trip to Sf.‘~ Louis after hearing that she and".' Clarke had become engaged. AsTa--girl she wrote her memoirs, which she ~ hoped to sell. '/’I Mr. Hawthorn: “Mrs. Miller, were'-' .you engaged to Captain Lancaster' Mrs. Miller (with spirit):;. “YbiU’ can’t bo engaged to a person fwlid;"is married. I always intended to marry" him for almost five years.” Mr. Hawthorn: “Were you infatuated with Haden Clarke when Lancaster left here on March 6?”

Mrs. Miller: “No. I changed my mind later. I advised Bill (Lancaster) by letter to St. Louis and so did Haden. Wo read each other’s letters before they were mailed.” She said that Lancaster was sad upon his return from St. Louis because of the engagement. He told her'die': had planned to kill himself in an aero-' ’ plane so that she would benefit, from, the insurance. Later he learned that the insurance company had failed and ’ he abandoned the plan. The court adjourned with Miller still on the stand.

A policeman, Earl Hudson, quoted Lancaster as saying on one occasion that Clarke was ill and that fact was preying heavily upon his mind. Mrs. Miller testified after the adjournment that Clarke frequently talked of suicide.

MRS MILLER TESTIFIES. JEALOUS LOVERS. SUICIDE THEORY UPHELD.' -:. (Received 10.30 a.m.) MIAMI,, August 3. Called as a witness for the prosecution, Mrs Keith Miller said" that/Lancaster and Clarke quarrelled' over her affection at dinner the night before Clarke was shot.

They settled their differences, h'oin?ever. She had locked her- room door when Clarke fold her that he did not want Lancaster to go there to talk her out of her marriage plans. - Mrs Miller also testified that Lancaster contemplated suicide in order that she and Clarke might receive 1000 dollars from his insurance, policyon their wedding- day. /y ' Air Hawthorn; “Do you know who killed Haden Clarke?”

Mrs Miller: “I am convinced that ho killed himself. She added, that Clarke had often talked, of suicide, particularly when he was in a violentV rage or in the dumps. She said .tbat£ Lancaster awakened her about 2 a.tor 1 on April 21, and informed her that Clarke had been shot. ' ‘

She denied having heard a shot, and' said that Lancaster had made no attempts to offer any explanation. Mrs Miller also said that she and Clarke had talked of committing suicide; together because of their position. Mr Hawthorn: “So far as Lancas- * ter was concerned, did Clarke discuss suicide the night before he was shot?” “No.” She added that she came to the United States with Lancaster.

Mr Hawthorn; “And you have been his flying companion and a ebmjpanipn. in other ways since?”—“.Yes.'”

Mr Hawthorn: “Inclined to. save Lancaster and to impress the! publicwith his innocence, did you not • you would issue a statement, .tor. the„ newspapers that you had killed Clarke if Lancaster was held?” Mrs. Miller hesitated and flfeh. .'replied: “It sounds theatrical, but I r say that.” ...