Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-04-22
Mr.. w. /. Vowel Shot to Death
Near Donoldsburg

| Neal DOnnl0sDurR
The killing of Mr.. W. 1. Vowel
at HE home near Donaldsburg las
Sunday by some one unknown hat
stirred that community and the
whole county. That such a crime
&C uld be committed in o law-abid
ing section of Rockbridge, and the
criminal be undetected, passes be-
lief. While suspicious point tC
one man az the possible perpetra'
tor of the horrible crime, yet nc
arrests have been made. 1t 4
thought, however. that soon the
suspect will be behind prison bars
The tory of the tragedy is az
follows: Sunday morning Mr.
Vowel, who lives near Donalds'
burg, left his house shortly befoit
noon to take a walk over his
place. He did not return that
night, and his absence was the
source of alarm to his family,
Next morning a search was insti'
tutsd, and the dead body of the
man was found by lis wife near
fence some distance from the
house and not far from a strip OF
woods. The man was in sitting
posture, with several bullet holes
in his head.
News of tine tragedy soon Fread
through the neighbcrhOod and
throughout the county. DR.. A,
d. Estill of Lexington, coroner OF
the county, was sumroned, and
he left here for the scene of the
Grim 81 ortly before neon Monday.
Arrived on the ground, he issued
a summons for Elk men to compose
a jury of inquest to inquire into
the death Of Mr.. Vowel. The
following composed the jury :
Messrs. w. H. Crist, A. +, Mack
ey. j. H. Weeks, W. A. Alexan-
der. H. P. SheItman, |. G. Copper.
After hearing the evidence as to
when, Row and by what means MIR.
Vowel cane to bis death, the jury
brought in the following verdict:
That w. ]. Vow ell came to his
death on the 10th day Of April,
1905, from wounds in the head
il alcted By bullets fred from Il
32 calibre pistol In the hand of a
party unEnown to the jury"
Following is the testimony in
detail as presented before the
jury:
Mrs NJ. s, Vowel, wife OF the dead
man; "As he (Mr. YowelD did not
come In last night we got uneasy and
lthls morning. went to hunt for HIM.
Saw Mr.. John u-een and ] saw he
know nothing about him Then Jaw
Mrs. w. Il, Hunt and imputed OF her.
She asked me II | had looked around
the old buildings and told her | had
not. She then told me to go up the
road that goes to the back new ground,
and there | found him sitting beside
Inc fence dead, and when | saw he had
been shot called Mr. Muse and staid
near until the coroner came"
Mr.. j. W. Green "Mr. Muse told
me Mr.. Vowel was shot, and | went
back with Mrs. Vowel and Mr.. Muse
and found Mr., Vowel was shot. He
was on the ground beside the fence,
sitting crosslegged, bis head forward
and neck resting on a rail of the fence
No sign OF scuffle,"
Mr.. II. r. Muse Mrs. Yowell and
daughter came down through the
woods crying. They told me Mr..
Vowel was down there shot and asked
IRE to come over there and get some
one to cope with me. | found MIR.
Vowel sitting by the fence dead
MI. D. B. Foltz: II know Of no
threats against Mr.. Yowell. told no
and that I had heard threats against
him. Mr., o. 8. Strole told me that il
Mr.. Yowell didn't put his fence up and
his (Strole's) stock got in and Mr.
Yowell crippled them he (YowelD
would have 10 bear the consequences.
He didn't say what he would do. This
occurred one day last week.
The fence referred to was a line fence. "
Mr.. William Lee Vowel, son OF the
dead man: II heard a certain man say
that when he caught any Of us On the
road he would whip us. | don't want
to give his name at present"
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