Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-12-20
ruE cutprPER pRAcED,

Before the hearing vas begun the cor
oner and jury paired to the mayor
Office in order to sccomdate those who
had to lake part 10 the hearing. Mrs.
+. L. Gaines, sister of Mrs. Bywaters,
was the FIRST witness examined.
"lYhen ! reached the house Satur-
day." she stated, "my brothers said to
me It's ali over; they are married. "
Witness went TO her sisters room and
found her aloue aud weeping bitterly,
| She said ooh, Nellie, why did they
make me marry him They have broken
my heart because they made me marry
him" 81 tried to comfort her the best
! could" she said.
"Viola, my sister, said By1aters
wanted to return to town. | told her it
was her husbands duty 10 stay, as there
was no one in the house except her two
brothers. then went to tell Bywaters
/ could not stay. found him and my
two brothers and husband in The sitting
room. When | told him he must stay
he said he could not. told him my
sister va. in serious coalition.
"He said he must 20 back to town to
tell his mother aud make some business
arrangements. He spoke "a though il
did not matter whether be stayed or not.
| I told him be could telephone his mother.
| He then became furious and was insult
| ing 10 his manner. | told him he was
The lowest dog that ver lived,
| al told him he had taken my sister to
Washington and had criminal opeia-
ton perform d in the most cruel manner,
aud | had seen her suffer mental aud
physical agony. for two daJs for you.
And now, sir, | said, you want to leave
her, and pray to God my ss,er may
die, aud be spared such a life as she will
live with you.
Gle laughed at me and sneered in
my face. Then my husband said by.
waters. | want to ssy what | think OF
you. You have violated every obligation
as an Odd Fellow and gentleman.
Then Bywsters said Yes, / know it,
but damn you, what have you got TO do
with il? Bywaters cursed him by every
sils word right in my presence and made
a motion e. though he would trash my
husband.
| IL saw no would make trouble and
took my husband on the front porch.
"I then came back and tAlSed with
! my brothers James and Phi lip abont
biz wanting to leave Viola. They said
he would have 10 stay, rs husband
should, and nurse her, az thoss were
conditions under which he married her
and be must abide by them. My brothers
told him beforehand he must marry my
sister, nurse and care for her and live
with her or take the consequences. lie
agreed to these conditions. Then one
Of my brothers started up stairs TO tel
him he could not leave.
81 went upstairs and saw my sister
holding to Bywaters. Just as got In
he darted by me downstairs. | cried tC
nv brothers that he had gone. Then my
husband, MIR. Gaines, pulled him back
into tho room 81, he was running ont,
and as soon az my husband let him 20
be darled Tor The window, and as he
| vent out OF the window The boys began
firing, There was not a shot fired in
the room"
| Ia reply to question by the coroner
tAIrs. Gaines stated that all the shots
were Gred through the same window.
| Coroner Lewis then exhibited msT
of the roGh, which was explained by thu
witness. In reply to question as tc
| the cause of two spots OF blood found OF
the bedroom floor, she explained tina
they were not from the dead man''
body, but had gotten there the day be
| fore, during her sisters illness.
"Who fred tho shots - asked thu
Commonwealth Attorney.
| "My brothers, Philip and James,
| she replied. 81 don't kuow how man!
each fired"
| "Did they run toward The window ant
| fire after he went through the window 2
was asked
81 don know" she replied, "but
think all the shots we're fired as he wen
through the window on to the roof. /
was dark outside. AL shots were free
as he went through the window"
Tbs rest of the testimony went to
show that Viola had believed in By
waters till the end and was willing t
wait until he should be ready to wed her
She did not want to marry him at thi
time. Mrs. Gaines testified thai sine
the Strother family had been broken vi
| By the absence from home Of the othe
boys, Philip had been the guardian Ant
protector OF his two sisters, Nicli am
Bessie. William Bywalers vas thei
cousin, and he came forward and wanle'
to he taken into the fam ly az q protecto
for the girls slso.
II was known that he WAS in lj7e will
Viols, bet, although she was his cousin
there vas no objection to their wedding
But be took advantage OF his fSmly iu
timacy 10 take advantage Of her ant
bring her TO disgrace and to deaths door
Her testimony showed that slIer tn
shooting the two brothers did not go uea
Bywsierp lie 10y outside the window
where be had Iallen, until Mr.. Lemon,
neighbor, came Oser lie va' still aliv
then, and at I.cm6n,s request Mrs. Game
got some galer for lie wounded man
and allerw1rd gave him some whisky
which she had got for her sister.
At the point where Mrs. Gaines wa
testiiying that she was up5raiding By
wsters for leaving his wife in a dyinl
condition that the door opened an
Philip and Jim Strother came in They
took seats quietly where they c1uld watcl
their sisters face