The Washington herald., 1906-12-19
CULPEPER IS DIVIDED
Many Justify the Killing of
Young ByWaterS.
WASHINGTON DOCTOR ACCUSED
An Arrest Here Expected a. SeaueI
to Disclosures Made by Viola
StrOthers, Just Before Her Mar
riage-BrOthers Not Likely TO Ap-
pear Again Before the Coroner.

Special to Tho Washington Herald
Culpeper, Va, Dec. 1s.-The killing on
Saturday Of ". F Bywaters, one of the
most popular and prominent young men
Of this section, by the Strother brothers.
an hour after his marriage to Viola
Strother, has split the community into
factions. Some Culpeper people privately
denounce the tragic Staying Of Bywaters
as a cOwardly, cOld-bloOded murder that
calls for vigorous justice, while others
and they are probably in the majority
consider that the Strothers were justified
In their action I'm order 70 maitain the
honor Of their family. Everybody de
piores the tragedy. and few citizens are
openly expressing opinons of any sort.
The general belief. however. is that the
slayers viii escape punishment There
is universal sympathy for the young
widowed bride, who was deeply in love
With Bywaters, and also for his aged
mother, who has not yet rallied from the
shock
The arrest OF a Washington physician
said to be Of good standing, on the
charge Of criminal practice in connection
with the affair. is expected as a result
of the disclosure made at the preliminary
hearing.
The continuation of the coroner's in
quest tomorrow is not likely to result
in startling Developments The coroner.
T. H. Lewis, stated positively tonight
that young Mrs. Bywaters could not be
called as witness. nor would a deposi-
tion be taken at her bedside we only
axe narGGirfnuc vr-frp
fear of DEATH" he said 1T is stated that
Mrs. Bywaters is very much better. and
II would not be advisable 10 bother her
now. II Is not at all improbable that
neither Of the Strother boys will be pres
ent at the inquest. Both are at liberty
on bond and Philip StrOther spent this
afternoon here. walking about the streets
OF Culpeper. apparently not at ali per
turbed as to tie outcome Of tie affair.
Mrs. Gaines Important Witness.
Both brothers are renrcschted by John
L. Jeffries, Of Norfolk Va, who was
formerly Commonwealth's attorney of
Culpeper County. As the accused in the
case, they cannot be called upon T. tes-
ufy, and it is freely predicted that they
Will absent themselves The most inl-
portant. If not the only important, wit
ness promises to be Mrs. Gaines. the
sister OF the Strother boys. who went to
'Rotherwood' on the night Of the killing
to see Bywaters married to Miss Strother
Most of the discussion that followed the
bedside wedding was heard by her, and
II is her version of It that is expected TO
make interesting testimony
Public feeling has brought prominently
to light the fact that Billy Bywaters
was one of the most popular young men
In these parts. Many of the wealthiest
and most influential citizens were his
friends, and backed him in his recenr
candidacy for county treasurer. II Is
predicted that they will seek to uphold
his reputation now by having additional
counsel TO assist the prosecution of his
siayers. Bywaters was a prominent Odd
Fellow, and at least four of the members
OF the cOroner's jury belong to the order
It is considered impossible to ever secure
a jury in this county impartial enough To
justly try the case. That there are TO he
some serious developments in Washing
ton over the case is most likely. Dr. n
T. Chelf, Of this place, who was called IN