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

Stockton Heth, brother OF vawter's
victim, who took his dying statement:
DR.. w. r. Henderson, resident physi.
clan at V. p. l., who was first to reach
the Yawter home after the shooting;
G. NJ. Camper, deputy sheriff OF Mont
gomery County, and Miss Emma Gar
rison, head nurse at the V. p. l. Hos.
pital.
One hour and forty minutes was re
quircd for the deliberations, and at
l1:20 the jury announced: Common
Il felony---a true bill"
Fifteen out OF the irst venire of
sixteen men were qualified as jurors,
one man being 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 (;
M. w. Zirkie, merchant; G. W. Sis.
son, merchant and farmer; a. J. Alti-
ger, farmer; ]. Il. Welch, carpenter; ;
I c. W. Alien, miner; II. II. Sh alton,
farmer; d. II. Lucas, farmer; w. G.
Hensley, farmer; Joseph NJ Kanode,
farmer; end r. T. Smith, farmer.
Both Professor and Mrs. Vawter will
take the stand tomorrow and the
wife Of the accused man is expected
to lay bare her life to save her hus-
band.
Crimes Dispatch. May, 1919
LETTERS LAY BARE VAWTER' S
SORDID BARGAIN WITH HETH.
Christiansburg, Va, May 2.--The
struggle of husband to resist the
temptation Of drink, to which he ad-
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 deDts, were the
dramatic developments to-day in the
case Of Charles u. 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
Heth.
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 week
later Vawter wrote again, urging
Hath to forget what had been said
and to continue his visits as before.
In the letter he asked that Heth pay
a whisky bill, amounting to 500, which
he had contracted at a Roanoke H.
quor house. This letter with the
whisky BILL was found by Miss Vir-
ginia Hetb, 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.AWAKE
ALTHOUGH FEIGNING SLEEP.
In the third letter Professor Vaw-
ter admitted that he had been wide
awake OH the afternoon he discover
ed Heth and Mrs. Vawter in COM
promising position although he feign
ed sleep. II came to the door and
found out for myself what I have sus
pjcioned for a long time," the letter
continues. "And now 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 you will re
very Gar u 2ssrEiot t. cause her to bee
talked about or 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 come wholly
as a 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.
II can, speak it, for reasons you
can guess; but, to make my position
clear in a matter over which I have
no control, I 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. / was thought to be sleep,
but in reality was never more wide
awake. I came to the door and found
out for myself what have suspicion
ed for quite while. Now I am going
to give you the surprise Of your life,
and I only hope that you will be able
to appreciate my position. BY SUI
preme effort l kept myself under con-
troll that afternoon, and can keep it
now forever. TO make a long matter
short, l love-beyond what 1 can ex
press, and the conventions Of this
world can not make me do anything
to mar her happiness. / remember all
the years she has had to stick by'me
when drink made demon of me: how
her love has never faltered. Now mine
shall not. know that you are the