The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-23
LOVING MURDER
TRIAL Tomorrow
"A Sensational Case to be,
Called in Halifax
County.
HUNDREDS OF
WITNESSES
Unwritten Law to Play a Party
Resembles the Strothers and 4
the Thaw Cases-Verdict 8
Depends on Miss
Loving's Tes-
timony.

Q "
timony.
AT Houston. the county seat.of Hal4t
fax. there begins tomorrow one 6odi
the most notable murder trials which,
the State of Virginia has ever KNOWN
and which bids fair to rival in Interest,"
and sensations the McCue murder trial
OF three years ago, and the Strother
murder trial of recent date. St
Judge William g. Loving. OF Nelson
county man prominent In the polit!-i
cal and social life of the State. will bai
tried for his life. charged with shoot
ing down Theodore Estes, a young man
who resided near Judge Loving's
nome and who the night before the
killing, had been driving with his
daughter, Miss Elizabeth Loving. a girl
nineteen years OF age.
1t seems a foregone conclusion that
the defense of Judge Loving will be the
..unwritten law" which played so i'm
portant part in the Strother-Bywaters
trial.
It will be remembered that at the
conclusion OF that trial. which resulted
in the 'acquittal of the men who killed
Bywaters Judge Harrison from the
bench made statement regarding tho
law in this State for which he was
severely criticized by the Northern
press.
Two OF the lawyers who SO success
fully defended the strothers. are Of
counsel for Judge Loving, and In view
OF these circumstances 1t would appear
that the defense will be the same In
this trial as was brought forward In
the Culpeper case.
The Loving case is not unlike the
Ihaw- White tragedy, and this being
fresh in the minds OF all lends an
additional interest to the trial. tor
while Miss Elizabeth Lcv!cs's char
acter is unsullied, the story told her
father. whether true or untrue, was
responsible for the killing of Estes,
lust as the story, true or untrue, told
to Thaw brought about the death OF
Stanford White.
In word, on the testimony of Miss
Elizabeth Loving will depend the ver-
dict in the case, and the story She
will tell the jury will either clear
or condemn her father.
The fact that no statement has
been made by the defense and that
no word has escaped except the brief
utterance made by Judge Loving at
the hearing before the Justice when
the release of the prisoner on bail
was asked adds to the interest, for
while the prosecution and the Estes
family have published abroad their
side Of the story, the contention OF
the defense Is absolutely unknown. and
especially Is this true regarding the /
testimony of Miss Loving. who has
lived in the strictest retirement since
the fearful tragedy.
The case Is either one OF deliberate
,murder or It is case Of killing by al
man laboring under the most awful
a n nf Mt 6ri fp hr,t
deed by the idea that one bound To,
to him by every tie OF blood and affeo-I
tion had been outraged and ruined by
the young man he shot down.
There can be no middle ground-no
Question of manslaughter In either de-
gree-for Judge Loving has said that
he meant to kill Estes. and that all
the powers OF hell could not have,
stopped him. The question which will
be asked. and which must be answered
to the satisfaction OF the jury. Is.
What led to the killing, and what
had Estes done which led a high and
honored citizen of Nelson county to I
pursue his neighbor and shoot him
down without giving him chance to u
explain or to defend himself?"
Many Runors Afont.
There are all manner of rumors afloat
regarding the testimony which will he
brought out by the defense. It.is said1
that many affidavits have been securedt
touching on certain characteristics OIL
young Estes, and that at least threa
persons will tell what they saw going
on in the vehicle in which Miss Loving
and Mr.. Estes were seated and OF cer-
tain words uttered by NlisS2Loving In g
high voice.
The story of the murder and of the
incidents which led up to 1t, In brief. is
as follows: Ss
IS On Sunday evening about O'clock
Mr.. Theodore Estes took Miss fElizabeth's
Loving for drive. Miss Loving res
Of Mr., Thomas F. Ryan. her fatherS
Judge Loving, being manager .for Mr..
Ryan, Miss Loving was on a visit to
Miss Annie Kidd at the village OF !,
Lovingston. and It was at Miss Isidd's
suggestion that Mr.. Estes invited Shers
guest to accompany him on a drive.
What occurred during the drive Is
unknown. brt about o'clock Mr.. Estes
and Miss Loving returned to Low
ingston, the young lady being In such
a condition that she was lifted from
the vehicle at the home OF Miss Snead.
and Mr.. Estes was sent for a ply tcian,9
sVhat Estes Said. s
To the physician Mr. Estes explained
that there was nothing the matter
except that Miss Loving had taken too
much booze" The doctor found that
Miss Loving had taken whiskey. and
prescribed accordingly. but made no
further examination and asked no
questionH
q On Monday morning judge Loving
sent his wife to Loyingston to Ssd
out the reason OF his daughters abs
sence. and upon her return. after hears
ing statement made by tho daugh-s
ter. armed himself with a shotgun and
drove OF in search of Theodore Estes.
That he expected Estes to Nee &hs.
county Is shown hy the question hss
asked at Oakridga Station: Did rhs-l
odore Estes take tho train here f' ons
it,nding out that the young man was at
the station In q freight car. unloAdsS
Ing fertilizer, Judge Loving hsstene4,
TO tho spot. and stan dAngs on the Groand,s
with his gun pointing thgouE the door
alt Estes, SAID TN so IL oa, ware out driving
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