Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-30
SURPRISE AT TRIAL
Defense Creates Sensation in
vondermiIIer Case.
BOYS STATEMENTS VARY
States Witness Had Signed Paper
Favorable to Prisoner.
TESTIMONY OF EIGHT HEARD
Prosecution Probably Will Complete
Its Case Late Today-Police-
man on Stand.

Exhibiting to the court statement,
signed by Lawrence O'Connor, sixteen
year-old boy, who was a witness for the
state, that Louis Vondermiller. when seen
! by O'Connor crouching in the bushes near
the scene of the killing of John Reeves
/ and just prior to the tragedy. acted like
| a crazy man." the defense sprung a SEN
sation this morning upon Common
| wealth's Attorney Crandal Mackey and
| Judge Thornton, who is trying the case
in the county court of Alexandria county.
Vondermiller is on trial for his life on
the charge of numbering Reeves. his
brother-in-law, at Syphax station, the
morning of June 5.
O'Connor had just testified. on cross
examinat alton, that Vondermiller did not
| look or act like a crazy man at the time.
The defense. represented by the firm OF
Moncure, Wampler & Cloth, called his
attention to the statement he had signed
only the day before, and asked him IL
he had not been repeatedly asked before
| he signed the statement IT Vondermil-
ler's actions did not suggest insanity.
| The commonwealth attorney called
| the attention of the court to the fact
| that the defense had obtained the state
| ment from one of the witnesses under
| summons by the state. Counsel for Won
| dermiler explained that the defense
had not willingly been unprofessional
| witnesses for the state, and declared
their ignorance of the fact until the
boys appearance on the stand
The state probably will complete It's
case against Vondermiler late today.
Eight witnesses were introduced yester-
day by Commemorative Attorney Gran
dal Mackey; eight witnesses gave their
testimony this morning before adjourn
ment; a dozen more will end the states
presentment
Frank Dennis Testifles.
The chief witness this morning was
Frank Dennis, special county policeman.
He narrated circumstances of his meeting
with Vondermiler the night before the
tragedy: OF the location of the gun with
which the deed had been committed: of a
revolver that Vondermiller is alleged to
have snapped at Reeves the night before
the tragedy. without its going or: Of find
ing an area of grass beaten down, where
1t was assumed that Vondermiller had
waited for the coming OF Reeves to the
station to catch his morning train to
Washington, and of the arrest Of Von-
dermiller.
The gun and spent shells. the revolver.
the CORY clothing of the dead man. his
bullet-h0led straw hat and the contents
Of the pockets were put in evidence by
the state.
There were many passages-at- arms be-
tween the commonwealth attorney and
counsel for the defense Vondermillers s
attorneys objected to the leading char
acter Of many of Mr.. Mackey's questions.
and protested that he was himself putting
evidence into the mouths Of his Witnesses
The court as often sustained the defense
as the prosecution.
Oscar Basye. a witness who was not in
Naarf NJ oil NH hi
called. and who did not appear until after
II o'clock to give his testimony, explain
ed that he had had to put fifteen men to
work before he could respond to the
1t to S1O put it back to IS. and finally re-
mitted the fine at the instance Of the
commonwealth's attorney.
Prisoner All Attention.
The prisoner sat in his corner Of the
court, elbows on knees head In hands.
When he raised his head, however. his
face did not wear an expression Of de-
lection, but rather of close attention.
w. A. Pirtle, the first witness, testi-
fed to the condition of the bushes
where Vondermiller was said to have
posted himself prior to the killing. He
said that the grass was crushed down
as though some one had been lying
there.
The defense, in cross-examining Po-
liceman Dennis, got him to admit that
he had himself lain down in the spot.
demonstrating the action OF Wonder
| miller, before Pirtle had seen the
place.
Eight Testify for State.
Eight witnesses testified for the state
yesterday afternoon after the jury had
been selected. Undertaken George WISE
| who prepared Reeves body for BURIAL
testified regarding the wounds in the dead
| mans head which caused death. He was
corroborated by William Taylor. his as
| sistant.
| A. c. Taylor, motorman Of the car that
reached Syphax station just after the
tragedy. told Of finding Reeves lying
wounded on the ground. still breathing,
| Robert Syphax. War Department
messenger. heard the fatal shots. and
passed Vondermiller walking away from
Reeves. several days. before. threaten to
Kill Vondermiller. when the latter had
snapped a pistol In his face that failed to
go OFF.
Cornelius syphax. Agricultural Depart
ment messenger, and q brother OF the
preceding witness, said Vondermiller
tried to borrow a shotgun. saying he
| ing, said the witness.
| Morris Ferguson. storekeeper. also tes-
titled he was asked by Vondermiller for
| the loan Of a shotgun with which Ito kill
a hawk Mrs. Ferguson and her son,
| Morris Ferguson, testified that Wonder
miller had talked nationally with them
just prior to the tragedy.
Testimony of Magistrate.
William II. Palmer. who had seen Von-
dermiller before the tragedy. testified that
he had acted like a man drunk or crazy
Justice Louis Dalbert, a county magis-
trate. testified regarding the visit of Von-
dermiller to his house the night before the
killing Of Reeves.
Get your gun and come with me-" Von-
dermiller was said to have shouted In an
excited fashion as soon as he came be-
fore Justice Dalbert. my her-in-law
Is choking my wife"
Vondermillers evident purpose was to
obtain the arrest of his brother-in-law,
Judge Dalbert said on cross-examination
He acted like q man under the influence
of drink. he said, and evidently was
highly excited and nervous.
Judge Dalbert was willing to make
out a warrant, but there was no po-
lice officer whom he could detail to