The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-04
Confession Adds Another Hor-
rible Chapter to Dark His
tory Of Crime
SAYS HUSBAND OFFERED
TO SHIELD HER NAME
Vawter, She Declares, Said He
Would Go to Electric Chair
With Sealed Lips, But She
Refused to Accept Sacrifice

Christiansburg Va. May g.
Calmly and with no outward signs OF
emotion, Rachel Henderson Eawter
today on the witness stand testified
/ that she. had broken her marriage
vows, In an-efrort to free her husband
from conviction as the slayer of the
man with whom she confessed she had
been on improper terms.
The slander seeking spectators In
the little courtroom crowdss, 20 Its
doors, leaned forward eagerly to
drink in every word of the woman as
she laid bare her faithIessness
The woman. wife of Professor
Charles E. Nawter. who is being tried
for the murder Of her lover, Stockton
Heth, Jr., made confession that
VIII eonsign her TO "a living death in
the ethics of Virginia society.
Only -nnre- during her whole nara
tive did the woman falter in her tale.
That was when the attorney for the
| s-siefense II. l.. Jordan. asked her:
When you told your husband. Mrs.
sawter that there were no grounds
Tor suspicion, did YOU tell the truth p
j did not. She tcarfully answered.
Picture sad Scene.
Mrs Nawter painted "a picture OF q
wifa and sweetheart binding THE
eyes OF u in-soaked weakIing OF a
husband calming his jealous RACES
With such phrases as Good night,
Professor, forget IT," and then letting
hfya lie all night after he was
eNoScJ inSenstbis' by her admlrer'
ringers. tho choking she said which
beth gave her husband on night II,
May and then mockinsiy she said:
rad he had sore throat, too, the
nex4 day"
There was a marked contrast in
aei testimony as to how she spoke OF
the dead man and her hasbsfd 1t
was always Stockton when speak
ing OF Heth. IL was Mfr Nawter''
when mentioning her husband
With characteristic Sou h e n
81. tieness Attorney Jordan led The
wife up 10 the events on tha night
heth iall DYING with three bullet
wounds in his abdomen and she had
cried out II was her fanlt
Tells of F~tal Night
II got up to give little Rachel
some medicine in the hall Mrs.
Eawfer began. II heard stockton
call me. Come in here and have "A
drink. but ! refused. Come in and
sit down he said again. Then he
seized my arm and pulled me into
the room l jerked loose and ran into
Charles room across the hall"
knowing her husband had follow
/ ell her out OF their bedroom, she
then ran down stairs and found hin,
with the revolver she said. =
He said TO me; Rachel. you've
been In Stockton's room
II cried out TO him, Give me the
pistol SO that l can shoot myseif.'
Mrs. Fawter said her hand was on
the revolver when the professor fired
the three shots Then she described
the details following the shooting.
Il called I'd him. Stockton. IL you
iont get well. remember il is all my
fault and he answered, No. it is
all mine,
stockton said ne was cold. so !
got blanket and put 1t over him
Mrs. vawter," asked Jordan. "af-
ter you learned of the death OF Heth
did Professor vawter come to you
,ifying or whether your name should
be brought into the trial?"
offered to Protect Her Name.
"He did. When he learned Stock.
ton had died OF his wounds he said
TO me: Rachel, there are two things
for me to do. II you will consent
will never mention your name and il
II comes, ri go to the electric chair
and save you from dishonor''
At this place Mrs Nawters glance
wavereh to her husband. She then
continued:
"But said, ri never consent to
that. I've wronged you once and will
never do II again, III tell the truth. y
Earlier in her testimony the wife
had testified as 10 the startling com.
pact between husband and wife and
IN mazda "A ~