Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-02
VAWTER ON STAND
IN OWN DEFENSE
Tells Why He Shot Stockton
Heth, Jr., at Home in
BIacksburg, Va.
WIFE is TO TESTIFY ALSO

Polytechnic Institute, admitted that he
shot Stockton Heth, jr., after a series
of incidents which he believed indicated
improper relations between Heth and
Mrs. Vawter.
the shooting he and Heth had been
drinking together. and later he had
seen his wife emerging from Heth'a
room, despair written on her face. He
went downstairs for his revolver. and.
returning. engaged in q violent strug-
gle with Heth, in which Mrs. vawter
also Joined in an effort to prevent him
from shooting Heth- He said he fired
the fatal shot just as consciousness was
slipping from him.
AS early as last June vawter do
clared he had discovered evidences of
improper relations between Heth and
his wife. resulting in his writing Heth
a letter asking him to keep away from
her. explaining that the happiness of
our lives has been ruined" and accus-
ing Heth of doing the worst thing that
could be done" for his wife's happiness.
Outline of Defense.
The defense. as outlined by Attorney
Colhoun in his opening statement to tho
jury. was that Heth had been a fire.
quent visitor to the vawter home at
Blacksburg. Va. and had often treated
Vawter with liquor. Vawter. after
finding his wife in compromising sit
uation with Heth more than once, pro-
tested. both to Mrs. Vawter and to
Heth. and an agreement was reached
whereby Mrs. Vawter was to avoid
Heth and Nawter was to quit drinking.
But on the night of March Is, ac-
cording to the defense attorney. the
Nawters returned home from theater
and found Heth awaiting them with in
toxicants. The party drank and re-
tired. Later Heth came to the Vawters'
bedroom with the liquor and they
drank again.
Went for His Revolver.
vawter, according to the attorney.
awakened about 8 o'clock in the morn
ing and found Mrs. vawter absent. He
ran into the hall and saw her entering
the room of the little Vawter boy. He
ran downstairs for revolver. followed
by Mrs. vawter, who demonstrated
with him.
Returning upstairs, he met Heth on
he shot the young Virginia society
man to death
The session opened this morning with
the courtroom filled to suffocatfon with
people eager to hear the proceedings.
" dressed in a blue cloth suit and blue
hat. and looking wonderfully beautiful,
despite the fearful ordeal through
which she is passing. She sat near her
husband. They were accompanied by
their children, Charlie, aged eleven, and
Rachel, aged nine, and also by Mrs.
vawter's sister. Mrs. c. P. Miles.
Physicians on the Stand.
The first witness for the prosecution
today was DR.. w. F. Henderson. ply
stefan Of the Virginia Polytechnic In
stitute. who first ancwered the call to
the vawter home on the night of the
shooting. DR.. Henderson was delayed
in reaching court by an order from the
War Department to examine a large
squad of institute cadets detailed for
the officers training camp at Fort
Myer.
The prosecution announced that they
would examine only two witnessesAin-
chief, DR.. Henderson and DR.. f. p.
Jones, the latter a physician at the
Roanoke hospital where Heth died
Dr. Henderson said that he was called
to the telephone by Vawter, who as
serted that he had shot young Heth
and begged the doctor to come imme-
diately. He was met at the door by
Mrs vawter. DR.. T. B. Elicit came
hall, and after administering anes-
thetic prepared to rush him to a hos
pital in Roanoke. DIR. Henderson said
that at his request Vawter surrendered
his pistol. 1t was hammerless, had
five chambers and three empty shells
Dr. A. Jones described the operation
performed on Heth and said that after
twenty-four hours it became evident
that Heth could not live. John L. Lee.
for the prosecution. announced that the
commonwealth rested.
Charlie Vawter. little son of the ac-
cused, was the first witness called for
the defense. The child was questioned
as usual as to his understanding of an
oath and said that little boys who tell
stories Ego to the bad place" explain
ing in answer to questions that his
mother and father taught him that. He
said he was awakened by pistol shots.
He got UP, but his father told him to
go back to bed and not worry, but ito
be good to mother.
Prof. Vawter a Witness.
Prof. vawter followed his son on the,
stand He said he was forty years old.
was educated at the University OF Vir-
ginia, had taught at v. P. /. since 1902
and married Miss Rachel Henderson Of
Salem, Va. September 8, 1902. He said
he drank and that it took little whisky
to down him completely. Stockton Heth,
he said he loved like brother until he
suspected improper relations with his
wife.
When asked for specific instances of
improper relations. Vawter said that
last June he drank. lay down in a re-
ception room, woke at ! o'clock and
missed Heth and his wife, went up
stairs and saw Mrs. Vawter running
out of Heth's room in her night dress.
When asked what she was doing she.
replied that she had been fixing Heth's
collar Vawter denounced her. went to
Heth's room and said:
Der Of homes. what do you mean by
such conduct with my wife?'
Heth jerked him into the room. called
to Mrs Vawter to close the door and
choked Vawter for suspecting his wife.
Vawter said:
'.They could always outtalk me-"
The following letter, begging Heth to
keep away from Mrs. Vawter. was in
troduced:
Pleading Letter to Heth.
June Is. 1916.
Mr.. S. Heth, jr., Blacksburg. Va.
My Dear Stockton: I have been
thinking matters over very carefully,
and / must ask of you that you do not
come to my house or see or write or
converse with my wife at all. You may
blame me some. but the happiness Of
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