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

clan at V. L. l., VINO was flfSt to reach
/ the Vawter home after the shooting;
c. M. Camper, deputy sheriff of Mont
gomcry County, and Miss Emma Gar
| rison, head nurse at the V. p. l. Hos
pital.
One hour and forty minutes was re
CURED for the deliberations, and at
11:20 the jury announced: Common.
wealth Of Virginia VS.. G. T.. Vawter,
| Il felony-a true BILL"
| Fifteen out of the irst venire of
sixteen men were qualified as jurors
one man boing excused because of con
scientious scruples against the inflic.
ton Of capital punishment. The fol-
lowing men were chosen: G. G. Cor.
rell, farmer; J. G. Whitaker, farmer
NJ. w. Zirkie, merchant; G. w. Sis,
son, merchant and farmer; A. J. Alti.
ger, farmer; j. II. Welch, carpenter !;
&c. w. Alien, miner; II. II. Sh ,lton,
farmer; d. II. Lucas, farmer; w. G.
| Hensley, farmer; Joseph NJ. Kanode,
| farmer; end II. II. Smith, farmer.
Both Professor and Mrs. Vawter will
\ take the stand tomorrow and the
wife of the accused man is expected
4 to lay bare her life to save her hus.
band.
Crimes Dispatch. May, 1919
6LETrDRS LAY BARE VAWTEFs' S
SORDID BARGAIN WITH HETH.
Christiansburg, Va, May 2.-The
l struggle of a husband to resist the
1 temptation Of drink, to which he adj
mits he is a slave, and the admission
that he had reconciled himself to the
existence of improper relations be-
tween his wife and another man,
from whom he attempted to borrow
money to pay whisky debts, were the
dramatic developments today in the
case Of Charles e. Vawter, professor
OF mathematics in Virginia Polytech-
mic Institute, accused of the murder
of Stockton Heth, Jr., when the prose
cution read letters into the evidence
which were written by Vawter to
IIeth.
One letter, written last June,
warned Heth that his relations with
Mrs. Vawter had been discovered
and demanded that he stay away
from the Vawter home. About n week
later Vawtcr wrote again, urging
Heth to forget what had been said
and to continue his visits as before.
In the letter he asked that Heth pay
Il whisky bill, amounting to $63, which
he had contracted at Roanoke IL
Quor house. This letter with the
whisky bill, was found by Miss Vir-
giria Heth. sister Of the dead man,
in one of his pockets. In the letter
Vawter stated that his other debts
amounted to $4,000.
ADMITS BEING WIDE-AWAIlE
ALTHOUGH FEIGNING SLEEP.
In the third letter Professor Vaw-
ter admitted that he had been wide
awake on the afternoon he discover
ed Heth and Mrs. Vawter in a COM
promising position although he feign
cd sleep. II came to the door and
found out for myself what have sus
picioned for q long time," the letter
continues. "And now I am going to
give you the surprise Of your life.
Promise me that you will not mis-
treat--I mean by that neglect my
precious sweetheart d You will he
very fttsfC's 2a.ss"aot to cause her to b.a
talked about CT get into any trouble
whatsoever"
The sensational letters were pro-
duced into court during the afternoon
session after Vawter had spent the
entire morning Oh the witness stand
In his own defense. The grueling
crossQuestions and rapid-fire state
ments of the prosecution seemed to
unnerye Vawter considerably, and
the letters appeared to como wholly
as Il surprise to the defense.
The most dramatic of the letters as
outlined in court follows:
"My Dear,-Please read-and when
You have, destroy it.
81 can speak it, for reasons you
can guess; but, to make my position
clear in a matter over which l have
no control, l know it is my duty to
state my position.
ut all seems so strange and weird.
Then again, | know you will condemn
ME, but that matters little
FINDS OUT FOR HIMSELF
WHAT HE HAD SUSPECTED.
II know what happened Sunday
afternoon. I was thought to be sleep,
but in reality was never more wide
awake. | came to the door and found
out for myself what l have suspicion
ed for quite a while. Now I am going
to give you the surprise of your life,
and l only hope that you will be able
to appreciate my position. BY a SUI
preme effort l kept myself under con-
troll that afternoon. and can keep it
now forever. To make long matter
short, I love-beyond what I can ex
press, and the conventions OF this
world can not make me do anything
to mar her happiness. l remember all
the years she has had to stick by me
when drink made q demon of me: how
her love has never faltered Now mine
shall not. I know that you are the
only love Rachel has ever shown for
any one except me. She loves you
dearly, and you must not hurt her.