The Washington herald., 1906-12-20

ana IN MS cufSinB ne mentlOne0 d knife.
And it was my brothers who Inter
fered then and kept him from my hus-
band. He seemed determined to make
trouble. to force trouble on US. / pulled
my husband from the room, and l went
out on the front porch. Afterward my
brothers and discussed the affair. and
we agreed that Bywaters must care for
my sister as a husband should
Would Force Him TO Remain.
Those were the conditions under which
he married her and my brothers said he
must fulfill them or take the cOnse-
quences. His leaving here would give to
the world the facts that for my sis
ter's honor we were so anxious to keep
hid II was on those terms he had begged
his life.
zone of my brothers then said that he
would go upstairs and tell him that he
could not leave that night. I started
to go upstairs and Just as I got up TO
where I could see into the room / saw
Bywaters sitting by my sisters bed, and
she had her arms about him, holding
him. He jerked away from her, and in
trying TO get down the steps he almost
knocked me down.
MY brothers were looking for him,
and I cried, Why. he's gone! He nearly
knocked me of the steps running by
My husband caught him downstairs
and brought him back to my sisters bed
room. Then he tried to run TO the win
dow, and just as he was getting out OF
the window the shooting began. All OF
the shooting took place at him after he
was out OF the window, not while he was
in the room"
Evidence was adduced to show that the
room was spotted with blood but this
was satisfactorily accounted for On
REORGANIZATION her testimony was lit
tie shaken, although both the Common
wealth attorney and the assistant special
counsel Mr.. Woods, had a try at IT,
She Had Trust in Bywaters.
The rest of the testimony went 10 show
that Viola had believed In Bywaters till
the end and was willing TO wait until he
should be ready 10 wed her. She did not
want to marry him at this time. Mrs
Gaines testified that since the StrotheI
family had been broken I'D BY the alb
sence from home Of the other boys, Phil
ip had been the guardian and protector
Of his two sisters. Viola and Bessie. VIII
came forward and wanted to be taken
into the family as a protector for the
girls also.
II was known that he was in love with
Viola, but, although she was his cousin
there was no objection 10 their wedding
But he took advantage of his family in
timacy to take advantage Of her and
bring her to disgrace and to deaths door
Her testimony showed that after the
shooting the two brothers did not 20
near Bywaters. He lay outside the win
dow, where he had fallen, until Mr.
Lemon, a neighbor, came over He was
still alive then, and at Lemons request
Mrs. Gaines got some water for the
wounded man, and afterward gave him
some whisky. which she had got for her
sister.
Two Negroes as witnesses.
When Mrs. Gaines concluded her testi-
mony the coroner said he had two more
witnesses to examine, but they turned
out TO be negroes on the "Rotherwood'
place, who really knew nothing about II.
1t was decided to go out at once 70 Mrs.
Gaines farm house and take the testi-
mony Of the widowed bride Il required
an unusual draft on the livery stable
facilities of Culpeper. as besides the cor
oner and the jury. there were half a
dozen other officials, counsel and asso-
ciate counsel. and about twenty-five cor
respondents. who we're specially invited
by James StrOther 10 be present.
We want you all to see and hear the
truth, he said. Get II straight gentle
men. that's all we want"
II was a hard fOuT-mile drive through
the sticky Virginia clay. and at the end
of IL a beautiful farm of 800 acres. Across
the rolling plains the Blue Ridge Noun
tains rise.
Here it was that Mrs. Bywaters lay in
bed and in her bedroom the inquest was
carried on. She was questioned by both
sides and answered both lawyers with
out hesitation. in a clear voice. shaken
q little now and then as she mentioned
Billy Bywaters.
Text of Her Testimony.
Her testimony was as follows:
Q. Give US as near as you can. and in
as few words as possible. what occurred
in your room Saturday afternoon. De-
cember Is, from the time you were mar
ried until Mr.. Bywaters was shot.
a. After We were married he stayed with
me for a little while. Some one called
over the phone, and he went down to the
phone Then he sat downstairs and
talked down there. I don't know what
went on down there: then 1 raised up out
of bed and told the girl to tell him 10
come up.
e. Which door did you open?
a The door down into the dining room.
O. To do that, did you have to leave
your bed?
A, ! did not have to get out Of bed on
tirely. l reached over the head Of the
bed. Then we were talking about sending
out announcement cards; and before that
he said he had not told his mother, and
he should 60 back and tell his mother
because she was delicate. and he would
rather tell her himself Some one sug-
gested he should phone, but he seemed
more inclined TO go.
q. Did he leave the room then and 60
downstairs after he told you he would
rather go?
A. 1 said to him that Jim was going To
town, and that he could send the cards
out
Q. You said that you told him that jim
was going 10 town and could attend t.
it, Did your husband leave you after
that at all?
A. l don't remember whether he went
downstairs after that or not. because ]
was so sick and had been suffering so.
O. When your sister came after that he
was in your room in the presence Of your
two brothers and your sister? How long
after this conversation was this?
4. Not very long, as far as I can re-
member
.. He was sitting by your side and
started out of your room down the back
stairs as your sister came up? AS h
went down he met Mr.. Gaines on the
steps and returned with him? How long
after that conversation was that?
A. Not very long I don't remember
how long il was.
Q. Tell me. then, how long after that
was II before the shooting2