The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-07
IIFE Of VAWTER MAY
HAAe ON SMALL SCARS
ll1ct Holes Arc Scanned ny Chris
ttansburg Jury rs Evidence of
~ Vital importance.
WHETHER HETH ATTACKED OR
100. WAS AsSAILED Is QUESTION
Week of Trial Filled With stunning
Sensations and Much of Evidence
Introduced Was of Conflicting Ma
80. ture.

Christianshurg, Va. MAY 6.~-Ipon
two seemingly Insignificant little
sears In the plaster OF the wall in
hall a mans life may hang. The
& scars are in the home ~ Nawter.
They were made by TWO bullets thar
he shot through Heth
The jury trying Nawter saw the
scars yesterday, and upon that evi-
dence may decide whether Nawter
shall go free or be imprisoned. They
Ara In the second story hall, where
me death grapple took place. one
is about Ave feet from the floor, the
other seven,
The whole Issue centers about this
point II thA lower hole was made
f,rst. then Nawter% story Of the death
& strr,gEle is correct, If the upper one
was made first, he lied.
yawter on the stand swore that
Heth attacked him as he came Up
the stairs and that he fred - ne
was thrown back over the newell
post. If that is true the first shot
would have struck low and almost
directly. while the second or fhird
naturally would have hit higher and
dancing: Friends 0t The defense
point 10 the fact that the lower noi'
ID practically straight, while the ether
is A scar running AT an angle OF about
forty-five degrees.
On the other hand, IT is pointed
on, that II Nawter were the aggres.
sor. exactly the same scars eou'0
have been maae--hUt ia opposite or
der
That is, Nawter. graphing WITH 1ne
larger man, naturally "ohtd nav
nred with his revolver pointing up
the first time. and later, 40 his victim
staggered he probably would nave
Strengthened his weapon
The Jury evidently realized the I'M
nortance OF this question and exam
med the scars with great interest
Their sabbath -lHtera"tio.
ChristlanshurE had respite from
! the sensations Of the trial today ana
almost unanimously went 70 the three
churches Of the town. It may ne
s1isperted that the unusual GROVES
could he explained by the fact that
the preachers were rather expected
To refer to the love triangle tria' III
the sermons but everybody was as
anpointed The only outward slgff
az the trial. al, the churches was Inc
reporters who tiockcd to one OF mem
The trv was locked within the
clerks ONCE at the courthouse thlh
morning They had been strictly lot
hidden ny Judge Moffett to go 10
church or movies and there areh
any OF the latter on Sundays.
a. snecial concession, and after
nstbetic plea bv one Of them, me
iurv was allowed to have fire to-
DAY.
After a week Of stunning sensations
In the trial. one can come 70 only one
eoncl,iston-that is, that the human
equation will DC the hnal solution
There has been SO much evidence
shifting from one side and 10 me
other. that IL is not humanity possible
n predict what the verdict will be.
The trial opened with everything
overwhelmingly in favor or Na"tcF.
.rhe barring Of the statement his coun-
sci made before the ban commission
er reauv strengthened his case.
The morning Of the second daY atNo
disclosed a patent advantage Tor the
defense with Vawter's dramatic and
convincing story or his martial rela-
ffofs ana flfs death str'sg9le wi'n
Heth.
Rut that afternoon came the shock
As # the prosecution had thrown Fl
tremendously heavy weight on me
scales OF Justice SO MAS the jury al
fected by the letter In which Nawter
offered TO sell his wife for SIS. to ne
paid on Il whiskey bill
So Wednesday, closed with the com
rnonweaHh Just as much IN the lead
a. the defense was the day before
Wife Helps Hawter.
Then CAME the third day with tbs
crushing effect Of Mrs Nawter's testi-
n,onv. No one knew just what she
was doine-whether she was telling
the whole trnth, WHISTLER she was tell,
inr part OF. the truth, or whether sht
was telling nothing Of the truth al
Az gut she told on the jury nj
would any beautiful. clever woman
IN The wor}d on a jury Of unsophisti-
Gated coQntrvrner, and the day closeo
with the balance again in Na~te- :
favor
The next DAY was not decisive. but
il hrough; the balance back TO even
One o. Jack Lees principal aims In
Introducing his expert witnesses
shs+ asv was 10 caunterAct Mrs Yaw-
tsr's testimony ny she dramatic
--strength she took the jury's mind on
her husbands horrible letter. Offering
& her for sale ard presented the pic
4 ture of wife drawing the wool over
ar indulgent husbands eyes SO Lee
made his opponents play into his
Z hands by keeping his experts" or
:. rho stand for four hours and keeping
the damaging letter hefor" the jurF
Z Consistently for exactly the same pc
4 rod
OF course. his second reason was tc
furnish the deadly paraNel-~to show
! lust how little doctors of exactly tbs
yayne type as those Introduced hy the
6 defense know ahoHt insanity.
Yssterdav finished FL draw. a'
!. the sporting writer's SAY. with il quite
4 undecided as 10 who had landed a
..telling blow.