Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1908-04-29
Mccormick semitic Grand Jury by
Justice TempIeton


A grand jury of Rockbridge
will determine whether or not the
evidence against A. Moore Mo
Cormick for the murder or W. l,
Yowell is sufficient to warrant q
trial in the Circuit Court. Such
was the decision of Justice W. F,
Templeton of Fairfield, Monday,
after devoting the day to a prelim-
mary examination of all the evil
dence obtainable bearing in the
situation. The trial was held in
the schoolhouse at Donaldsburg,
near the scene of the tragedy
1t will be recalled that the dead
body of W. 1. Yowell was found
Monday, April 20tb,in a field near
a strip of woods, not far from his
home, with several wounds in the
head, showing that he had been
shot. Suspicion was directed TO-
wards A. Moore Nc Jormick, q
neighbor, and upon warrant
sworn out by Mrs. Mary s. Vowel,
wife of the dead man, McCormicE
was committed to the Lexington
jail "chargeA on suspicion" oil
having killed Vowel.
A large gathering was present
Monday from the surrounding
country. people being attracted by
the growing interest in the TRACE
DIV. The case was enveloped in mis-
tery, which lent additional inter.
est, and ct 10 O. clock, when JUS
uce Temp letor convened court,
men were eager to hear every par
ticle of evidence offered. Captain
Id. E. Moore, Commemorative at
torney, represented the Common
wealth. He was assisted by Mr.
| Charles Curry, of the Staunton
bar. The prisoner was represented
by Mr.. Frank T. Glasgow. The in
vestigation lasted through the
day, with slight intermisslon at
noon for dinner, and was conclu-
ded after six O. clock.
! Much of the testimony in gener-
al was calculated to confirm the
suspicious directed towards Nc
Cormick, although the evidence
was of a circumstantial nature
The prisoner, according to the tes-
timony of several, was seen to
come from the woods near the scene
of the murder Sunday about noon,
although be affirmed that he re-
turned home shortly after ten o
clock. The search-light was turned
on Mccormick past and accord
ing to the testimony of witnesses
he had expressed himself in an un-
friendly manner towards Yowell,
even going 30 far as to attempt to
organize "whitecaps" TO drive
Yowell out of the community. That
was following the destruction OF
Mr.. Snider's o.chard, when suspi'
cion pointed to Yowell as the per-
petrator of the deed.
Mrs. Vowel was the first witness
called. Her testimony of the find
ing of her husbands body was
practically theasame as that at the
coroner's inquest. DR.. Hunter Nc
Chung testified of examining the
wounds of the dead man and prob
ing for the balls. Mccormick was
seen in the neighborhood where
the body of Vowel was found by
=. Tyree, W. A. Alexander,
DIR. Jeffress and Mrs. Alexander
Mccormick, in giving his where
abouts that fateful Easter Sunday,
said that he left home about
O'Clock and went out on the place
to look after some calves, that ne
passed through several fields and
retured home shortly after IL
o'clock. Other witnesses testified
seeing him at different times while
he was making the rounds OF the
place.
The testimony bordered on the
sensational when Justice Temple
ton took the stand and stated thai
he and l. G. Copper went to Nc
Cormick's home before the coro
ner's inquest and asked Mrs. Nc
Cormick for her husbands pistol
Before she could reply McCormicR
came in. In attempting to answer
Justice Templeton Mrs McCor'
mick gave important information
respecting the pistol. When The
pistol was brought out by Mrs
Mccormick, Der husband said
"That is not the one, Get the ole
one." His wife replied "That il
the one you had Sunday" Their
seeing her mistake she corrected
herself by saying that she hac
brought out the wrong pistol, that
the other one was an old pisto
which the children played with
Further inquiry developed the
facts that the pistol was one order
ed April 9th by Mr.. Charles Good
man, and delivered to Mccormick
two days later. 1t correspondeo
in size to the calibre of the balls
found In the head of Vowel.
j. A. Gibson and John Alex
snder testified that Mccormick
had tried to induce them to organ.
ize "white-cap" crowd to drive
Yowell out of tie county. That
was after the destruction OF