Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-18
TRIAL MAY MEAN FEUD
Trouble is Feared Over the By
waters Case.
TO BEGIN ON THURSDAY
Distinguished Array Of Counsel En-
gagged on Both Sides.
FEELING BETWEEN FACTIONS
Interest is Intense-Judge Harrison
of Winchester to Preside-"Un-
written Law" to Figure.

CULPEPER, Va, February 1S-James f.
Strother and Philip j. Strother, brothers,
under Indictment for the murder of Will
liam Bywaters, will be placed on trial in the
circuit court here on February 81. Judge
Thomas W. Harrison of Winchester has
been designated by Governor ianson to
preside at the trial. Both Of the accused
are now out on bail.
1t is probable that the case win occupy
the court at least ten days. Owing to the
intense interest which the tragedy has
aroused in this section of the state and
elsewhere it is likely that the town will be
thronged during the trial, and trouble is
anticipated by the authorities here In keep
ing the crowd from overrunning the court
room. The friends Of the Strother brothers
are numerous, and the Bywaters family has
large following. Feeling In the matter Is
so intense that serious clashes between the
rival factions are not improbable.
1t is not expected that the widow of By
waters will be able to attend court at Its
opening, but that she may be we'll enough
to testify sometime during the progress Of
the case.
Counsel for the state are Major Micajah
Woods Of Charlottesville ana NJ. and John
NJ. Keith of Warrenton, while John l.. Lee
of Lynchburg, John L. Jeffries of Norfolk
and r. Walton Moore of Fairfax will look
after the interests of the defense. Counsel
for both sides were here last week prepar-
ing the case for trial.
Story Of the Tragedy.
William F. Bywaters was shot and
killed on the night of December 10 last
about a half hour after he had married
Viola Strother, at the old Strother resi-
dence, Rotherwood, three miles from Gull
PEPPER James A. and Philip ]. Strother
brothers Of Viola, are charged with the
murder.
According to the Strother family. By
waters wished to desert his bride after the
marriage ceremony, while she was supposed
to be in a precarious condition. 1t is
cl; med by the accused that Bywaters, in
attempting to leave his bride, sought to
take advantage of a Virginia law which
permits the annulment of marriages when
the parties to them do not live together. 1t
is contended that Bywaters and the Strother
brothers were familiar with this law, and
that the Strothers believed that Bywaters,
when he tried to escape, did not intend to
return.
On the afternoon of December IS By
waters procured from the clerk Of the court
a license to marry Viola Strother. By
waters left late in the afternoon in COM
pany with a brother of Viola and drove di-
rectly to the old Strother residence. In the
evening the marriage ceremony was per-
formed by Rev. ]. T. Ware rector of st.
Stephens Protestant Episcopal Church.
Only a few intimate friends knew of the
contemplated marriage.
Love and Politics.
Love and politics are strongly interviewer
in the tragedy. The killing was no ordinary
affair. 1t may result in the building up of a
feud akin to those of the Kentucky or the
Tennessee mountains Both the Strothers
and the Bywaters belong to the old
est families of Virginia. Bywaters was
closely related to William Jennings Bryan,
whose ancestors went west from Culpeper,
and was also a cousin of the Strother bows
who killed him. While the Strothers have
| the more money, the Bywaters family
claims the better blood. Both families can
trace their descent from the earliest settlers
of the state
The shooting Of Bywaters has lined the
two factions up in more distinct lines than
politics ever did. The partisans of Bywaters
say his killing was deliberate murder,