Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-23
NOW WEARS STRIPES
,r.TurRHOLTZ. WIFE-MuRDER-
rR. N THE PENITENTiARY.
TIE PRISONER DENIES HIS GUILT
uc says His Bctter-HaIf Was In
foithfuf and Was shot by the Man
lie Escaped Being Mobbed.

,rc gallows on a technicality, and who
,ut few days ago narrowly escaped
,.ins hanged by an indignant mob. is
Do last safe within the walls OF the State
3enitentiary. where he is to remain for
hc next five years
Weathorholtz arrived at the prison late
Monday night, and after having his hair
.ut short and being rigged out I'm prison
zarb was assigned TO duty in the shoe
,rop. He was given a day I'm which 70
,ccustom himself somewhat TO his sur
.oundings and this morning he will
march out with the rest Of the prisoners
md begin the performance OF his daily
asks
The prisoner is n tall. finely-b built young
nan Of q. has a frank, open countenance
and sunny smile. and talks freely about
,imsen and his case. He denies having
tilcd his wife. and says he is innocent.
30 far as he is aware Of any wrong doing
He does not regret his Incarceration.
hough. and says that as far as he has
zone he rather enjoys the change Of life.
WANTED TO TALK.
He was visited yesterday by a Dis
patch man. who was permitted to talk
with him for quite awhile. Weather
holtE seemed glad Of the opportunity thus
Afforded him to set himself right. as he
,ia'med. before the public. The papers.
be said. had done him great injustice.
and ne wanted the impressions made by
,he reports OF his trial corrected II
am not as bad a man as / have been
pictured" said he with a nod TO Cap
lain White. the Assistant Superintendent.
Hand YOU will find that out before j am
-aady TO leave here. / shall obey all or
lers promptly. and shall conduct myself
as required by the rules Of the prison "
This Captain White told him was a good
resolve. and he assured him that if he
lived up to IL he would receive all the
encouragement that the officers of the in
stitution could give him.
WeatherholtZ's case is a most interest
ing one He was for several years a hard
working man, and was engaged in the
tannery business, travelling around from
city TO city where he could secure the
best OF wages. He married when 21 and
has two boys, one of whom is now 4
and the other years old. 1t was his
custom to leave his family at their home
In Shenandoah during the spring. sum-
fner. and fall when trade was good in
his line Of business and he would come
back and spend the winter with them.
laying up enough I'm the other months 10
tide them over the cold weather.
ARRESTED IN HARRISONBURG.
He returned 10 his home last February.
and according to his story, ascertained
that his wife had been unfaithful to him.
They had some words but did not sepa-
rae. and Weatherholtz went TO Harri-
s0nburg TO buy some furniture. There
he was arrested on a warrant sworn
f.. L.. . H.. ,f.,-.
OF havine shot at and attempted TO kill
her. This WeatherholtZ says, was a
trumped-up charge, but nevertheless, he
was put In Jail and kept there TO await
trial. In the mean time he made his
escape. and il was while he was free
that his wife was shot and killed She
was engaged at her home milking a COW
when a load Of shot was fired into her
back from ambush and she expired in her
own blood.
Weatherholtz was at once suspected of
having committed the crime and was
soon apprehended and put back in Jail
this time the charge of murder being
registered against him. He says that he
vas nowhere in the neighborhood when
bis wife was shot. and that the deed was
perpetrated by the woman's lover, who
desired TO rid himself Of her and also to
be free from him. whom he feared know
ing that he would be suspected of the
murder.
In due time Weatherholtz was tried for
murder in the first degree but the jury
brought in a verdict of murder in the Sc
c0nd degree, and agreed on eighteen years
Imprisonment as the punishment TO be
meted out TO the prisoner. The Judge
set this verdict aside. as contrary to law
and evidence. and as the man could not
he tried for a higher crime than murder
ln the second degree, and there was no
evidence TO sustain any such charge,
a nolle prosequi was entered. and
Weatherholtz was free. He was at once
rearrested, though. on the charge of as
saultlag and attempting to kill his
m0ther-in-law, and was put back in jail.
THE LYNCHERS AFTER HIM.
Then il was that the people OF the
county rose in their wrath and deter
mined TO take the law in their own hands.
They visited the jail one night, about
ten days ago, and demanded the body
II Weatherholtz. The jailer had i'm the
mean time anticipated their coming and
had removed the man in care of one
Of his deputies to the County Clerks
office. He then told the mob that one OF
his children was sick and requested them
10 keep quiet. They respected this re-
quest as far as was practicable. but
searched the Jail They did not find their
arisOner but IN some manner they learned
that he was within the Clerks office.
They started for this building, but
through the strategy Of the deputy in
charge Of Weatherholtz they were
thwarted in their purpose. He made
noise as though a military company were
within the Clerks Office. and the mob,
fearing that suca was the case with
dew for awhile This gave the Sheriff
the opportunity that he was looking for.
and he at once sneaked his man through
window and rode with him to safety
The military was then ordered out TO
protect Weatherholtz. and he was ar
aligned. tired. and convicted on the
.harge Of shooting at his mother-in-law
and sentenced TO five years imprison-
ment He was then hurried off TO the
penitentiary, and arrived here Monday.
as stated.
THINKS 1T WAS A BLUFF.
Weatherholtz does not think that the
mob really intended to lynch him, and
when questioned about il yesterday made
ight Of the whole affair. characterize
ing IT as huge bluff. lie says that he
never intended 20 hurt his mOther-in-
Jaw. and that the charge is based on his
icuons while drunk. He had been
thinking hard, and while passing her
door fired load OF buckshot into it,
The old lady happened to be within. and
she thought. or pretended TO think, so
he says. that he was shooting at her
Weatherhoitz. though ne makes light
Of the lynching-bec. said. with laugh
when questioned as 10 his future move
ments. that nc would never go back to
Shenandoah. but that. as soon as he was
released from prison ne would journey
westward.
MAY GET THEIR MONEY RACK