Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-07
JURrS VERDICT
OF ACQU|T tai
Continued from First pase.)

strothers were cousins, and their relatives
throughout the county are numerous. 1t is
for this reason that one Of the largest fami-
lies in the state has been disrupted and
two factions created. Even before the kill
ing Of Bywaters there were fractional differ
ences between the two families, but these
ture. representing the opposing factions Of
the county democracy. The death Of VIII
liam Bywaters extended the fractional diff
ferences to the women, and 1t is stated,
the breach Is so wide a one that there Is no
possibility of its ever healing.
Aside from these conditions, the case is
an interesting one, embOdying a long chain
Of circumstances which covered a period Of
first made his appearance at Rotherwood
the home of the Strother family. Viola
Strother was a young child wearing short
dresses Bywaters, her second cousin, fire.
ressed her, treating her as any young man
would have treated a cousin. Viola was
sent off to school, and when she returned
home she donned long dresses. Her cous-
ins attentions soon became pronounced.
and later he was looked upon as sutton
for her hand. They were lovers. After the
death Of the parents Philip Strother re-
NAMED at the old homestead to look after
his sisters. and during his temporary alb
sence Bywaters became the protector of the
sisters.
Made Rotherwood His Home.
Bywaters, the huntsman, horseman and
politician, was as much at home at Rother-
| wood was Philip Strother. He came and
went as he pleased, frequently spending the
night there. There can be no doubt that
Miss Viola Strother was deeply in love with
him. for she did not always wait for him to
reach her house; she frequently came to
Culpeper to meet him. Mrs. Strother,
i mother of the young girl, died, and later
her husband. the father of Viola, passed
| away. Before her death Mrs. strother
called her oldest son to her bedside and
asked him to see to the care of her baby,
Viola. Jim Strother made the promise
his mother had demanded, and it was be-
| cause of his effort to carry out his mothers
| request that he participated in the killing
had never taken improper liberties with his
cousin during the time her parents were
living, but shortly after the death of her
| mother he accomplished her ruin.
1t was not until the night of November
20 of last year that suspicious were
aroused That night Philip Strother saw
Bywaters cross the hall of the house at
Rotherwood, going from the direction of
the room occupied by Viola to the room in
which he had been in the habit of sleeping.
J Bywaters was followed by the pet dog. The
little animal attracted more attention that
night than ever before and Philip Strother
followed it to the room into which By
waters had gone. There, upon the bed, was
Bywaters pretending he was asleep. 1t
was not until Philip had called him several
times that he responded. He then offered
an excuse for having been seen under the
suspicious conditions.
Il was over in the spare room to get a
drink of liquor and 1 didn't want Philip
to me. for fear it would tempt him. "
was the plea Bywaters told Miss Viola to
make should her brothers say anything
about the incident.
Philip Strother occupied the bed with Will
liam Bywaters that night, but there was