The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-05-03
Defendant on Stand Tells of
What F4e Claims Led
to Shooting.
BEAUTIFUL WIFE
ATTENDING TRIAL
Court Room Filled to Suf-
location With People
to Hear the Case.
By ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Christiansburg, Va, May 1.-The
second stage of the trial of Prof.
Charles E. Vawter, charged with the
murder of Stockton Heth, Jr., open
1 ed this morning with the court room
filled to suffOcatiOn with people eager
to hear the proceedings.
Mrs. VaWter was in court early
neatly dressed in a blue cloth suit
and blue hat, and looking beautiful,
wonderfully beautiful, despite the
fearful ordeal through which she is
passing. She sat near her husband.
They were accompanied by their chill
dren, Charlie, aged eleven, and Ra-
chel, aged nine, and also by Mrs.
Vawter's sister, Mrs. c. P. Miles.
The first witness for the prosecu-
ton today was DR.. w. F. Henderson,
physician of the Virginia Polytechnic
institute, who first answered the call
to the VaWter home on the night of
the shooting. DR.. Henderson was de
layed in reaching court by an order
from the war department to examine
a large squad Of institute cadets de
tailed for the officers training camp
at Fort Myers.
The prosecution announced that
they would examine only two wit
nesses-in-chief, DIR. Henderson and
Dr. r. P. Jones, the latter a physi-
clan at the Roanoke hospital, where
Heth died.
DR.. Henderson said that he was
called to the telephone by Vawter
who asserted that he had shot young
Heth and begged the doctor to come
Immediately. He was met at the door
by Mrs. VaWter. DR.. T. B. Elicit
L. L.
in the hail and after administering
an anaesthetic, prepared to rush him
to a hospital in Roanoke. DR.. Hen
derson said that at his request Vaw-
ter surrendered his pistol 1t was
hammerless, had five chambers and
three empty shells.
DR.. A. ?. Jones, a surgeon in the
Roanoke hospital to which Heth was
taken, described the operation per
formed on Heth and said that after
"a hours it became evident that Heth
could not live. John L. Lee for the
prosecution, announced that the COM
monwealth rested.
Charlie Vawter, little son of the ac-
cused was the first witness called
for the defense. The ckild was Ques-
toned as usual as to his understand
ing of an oath and said that little
boys who tell stories Ego to the bal
place." explaining in answer to Ques-
tions 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 ''to be good
to mother"
Professor Vawter followed his son
On the stand. He said he was forty
Sears old, was educated at the Uni
versity of Virginia, had taught at V.
?. l., since 1902, and married Miss
Rachel Henderson, of Salem, Va, on
September 3, 1902. He said he drank
Ind that it took little whiskey to
down him completely. Stockton Heth,
he said he loved like a brother I'M
til 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 reception room, woke at 1 o'clock
and missed Heth and his wife, went
upstairs and saw Mrs. Fawter run
ming 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 de-
nounced her, went to Heth's room
and said:
stockton you d libertinc and
robber of homes, what do you mean
bv such conduct with my wife,"
Heth jerked him into the room
called to Mrs. Vawter to close the
door and choked Nawter for suspect
ing his wife. Vawter said:
"They could always outtalk me-"
The following letter begging HetF
to keep away from Mrs. Nawter was
introduced: ,