Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-05-12
THio VAWTER CASE.

We have been wondering whether
itwould be well to make any comment
whatever upon the rather remarkable
case OF Prof. Charles Il. Vawter,
former instructor in physics in the
Virginia Polytechnic Institute, at
Blacksburg, Va. He admittedly shot
and killed Stockton Heth, Jr. March
18th, 1917 after having found him
in compromising situation with his
wife
Heth was resident of Radford,
Va. and SO far as the Vawters were
concerned, "a friend Of the family"
The evidence disclosed tho fact that
Vawter knew OF the criminal relation
existing between Heth and Mrs. vaw-
ter and that he condoned it.
This is scandal In high life among
white society and colored folks in
this State know Of many others Of a
similar character. 1t only looks
awful when 1t is made public. There
are many white men and colored ones
too, for that matter, who have con-
cealed their sorrows and hidden their
embarrassments. when they have
been supplanted in their wife's af-
fections for another. Many have sub
mitted to it from love Of the wife
and many others from solicitude for
their children.
White folks talk about colored
folks immortality and lack Of virtue,
but here was a case not only in high
life, but upon the grounds Of q
temple Of learning. The fountain
head Of virtue and presumed purity
was being contaminated. The worst
part OF it all Is tho admission that
Professor Vawter and his wife and
the victim were confirmed "good-
timers" drunkards and that in order
to indulge in debauchery, Professor
Vawter had permitted the destroyer
Of his home to "pay the price"
We have wondered why Heth's
relatives insisted upon q trial We
see or think We see, tho meaning Of
1t all. They knew that Stockton
Heth was not only killed, but the
family name furnished by the ira
gedy. He could not be hurt any more
than he had been. The purpose was
to destroy In public opinion. not only
Mrs. Vawter, but her husband and to
bring obloquy and shame upon their
children.
The Vawter family living ia worse
off than Stockton Heth, Jr. dead.
Heth's troubles are over. "The
wages Of sin Is DEATH" says the Holy
Writ and he has drawn his pay.
Those he left behind ere experiencing
y living death. The jury has ac-
quilted Charles 70. Vawter, upon the
theory that he has been punished
enough We did not expect any
other verdict. Professor Vawter was
In his own home, He may have
yielded to temptation for the reason
that the woman was the cause of his
undoing, but he had been punished
enough.
Viewed from any angle, the fam
lilies OF both parties to the tragedy are
entitled to sympathy In their weak
ness. Some women can extract all
the manhood from some men and
some men can extract all OF the
womanhood from some women. The
world will feel a contempt for Vaw-
ter. The people will not fail though
to deny that he should be subjected
to punishment when the awakening
came and he fired the fatal bullet
which rid that community Of a man,
who seemed to have been AS infat-
uated with that hayward married
woman as her own husband seemed
to have been. Harry Kendall Thaw
seems to have been the center-piece
Of vice and crime In q northern cline
and now the Vawters and the Heths
are struggling for first place in this
sunny cline.
The curtain has been rung down
upon the tragedy. The guilty have
gone marching up the road labelled
and disgraced in the eyes Of all re-
spectacle people. Now come. the
innocent children, the families on
both sides. Colored folks, let us live
upright and mend our ways, trusting
in good God and realizing that He
will bring all things right In His
own time.