Evening star., 1917-05-04
VAWTER DEFENSE
TESTIMONY ALL IN
Only Two Witnesses Called
After Wife Bares Her
Life History. !
CROWD LESS INTERESTED
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CHRISTIANSBURG, Va, May 4.-The
defense in the trial Of Prof. Charles E.
Vawter. charged with numbering Stock
ton Heth, Jr., March 13. rested this
morning after presenting two wit
nesses. who testified that they saw
vawter between 9:30 and 1890 o'clock
on the night of the shooting. and that
he was not drinking.
Mrs. vawter was not recalled to the
stand today for continued cross-exami-
nation, as had been expected.
Defense Rests Its Case.
With this testimony the defense rest
ed. The prosecution asked for recess
of twenty-five minutes to arrange the
order Of rebuttal testimony.
The conference of the attorneys was
somewhat prolonged and it was 1880
before they introduced young woman
bookkeeper fr a liquor house now of
Baltimore. but formerly of Roanoke.
in an effrt to show that 1t was not cor
rect that Vawter had drunk more
liquor in May last than at other times.
rs had been intimated in testimony of
vawter and his wife. There was objec-
ton, but the court admitted the testf-
mony and ledger leaves from 1910 to
1915 were introduced.
Rainy weather and a feeling that
sensations are over reduced the crowd
In the courtroom materially today.
The prosecution has abandoned In
PRODUCTION of Heth's dying statement,
document that has formed oasis TOT
considerable speculation as to possible
ity Of its containing material not made
public when Heth's brother gave the
statement to the press following
Stockton Heth's death.
One of the features Of the trial, In
the minds Of spectators, was the man
ner in which Mrs. Vawter maintained
herself in the face of Lees cross-ex-
animation.
Mrs. Vawter Bares Her Life.
Mrs. vawter barred her life yesterday
afternoon in defense Of her husband. The
outstanding features of Mrs. vawter's tes-
timony were that she acknowledged in
timacies with Heth while under the in
fuence Of intoxicants: that she repelled
him at other times, and that vaWtes was was
aware of her acts, and had upbraided her.
Heth had attacked her. she said. the
night he was killed.
Following the introduction Wednesday
Of letters written to Heth by Vawter in
which the professor pleaded with the
younger man mot to mistreat" Mrs. Vaw-
ter, the defense suddenly began intro
ducing testimony in an effort to prove
Vawter was insane when he wrote the
letters. Several physicians testified that
Vawter apparently was unbalanced when
he wrote Heth about affairs in the Vawter
household.
The climax Of Mrs. vawter's testimony
came when she related happenings im-
okalx % FOIL hn
shooting After Heth had been shot, she
testified, vawter said:
81 have avenged my family honor and
will go to trial with my lips sealed to
protect your honor"
you will not" Mrs vawter said she
told her husband; IT will atone for my
past sins by barring myself to save you"
Home Life at Blacksburg.
Mrs vawter told a dramatic story of
her home life at Blacksburg. Going
back to May. 1915, she asserted that
Hetn had begun "dogging her tracks,"
always plying her with liquor. Once
she said her husband. seeing her
emerge from Heth's room, denounced
the guest, and few minutes later Heth
brought Vawter into his bedroom, ap-
parently unconscious.
The witness told Of another occasion
brace her. Vawter again denounced
Heth and later Heth again brought
Vawter into his room and put him to
bed. On the following morning she
said she found finger prints on her
husbands throat
Mrs. Vawter testified as to her happy
married life up until two years ago,
saying that Vawter was kind and in
dulgent husband. She knew Heth
slightly before her marriage, and for
frequently. Heth's frequent visits com.
menced about eighteen months ago.
Tells Of Drinking at Home.
She declared that during May. 1915,
Heth brought bottle Of cocktail to her
home. She. her husband and Heth had a
drink and vawter went in from the veran-
da and fell asleep. She testified that she
and Heth took another drink and went
to Heth's room: that she was under the
influence OF drink at the time. She re-
called that her husband came upstairs
and saw her come out Of Heths room,
Heth's room. She closed the door
at Heth's command and heard Vawter
say something in a gurgling voice. She
then went to her room and later Heth
brought Vawter in.
The witness stated that she repelled
Heth's advances when she was not under
the influence of whisky and that Heth
said in this connection: Rachael, nearly
all women allow such liberties If you go
at them in the right way"
According to Mrs. Vawters testimony
nothing occurred to arouse Vawter's sus-
picions between May and October, when
woman guest was in the Vawter home.
She declared that there were improprie-
ties between the visitor and Heth; that
they sat up in the parlor all Of one night;
and that when Heth was occupying the
little vawter boys room she suspected
him OF improper relations with the visitor.
What Happened at Christmas.
Nothing happened after that time to
arouse vawter's suspicious until Christ
mas. She told Of the time on the night