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


to be good to his mother.
REVIEWS HIS LIFE
y 'E;+&' -''-a--r-
FROM COLLEGE DAYS,
Upon taking the stand Vawter prac
tlcally reviewed his life from his col
lege days up until the present time.
lie admitted he drank and that 1t took
but very little whisky to complete.
~ down me-" He said he loved Stock
ton Heth Is q brother until he sus-
pected improper relations with his
wife. When asked for specific in.
stances of improper relations he
stated that on one occasion he saw
his wife run out Of Heth's bedroom
In night dress. When lie asked for
an explanation she said that she was
fixing Heth's collar. He denounced
her, and went to Heth's room and
said:
stockton, you-- libertine and rob
Der or homes; what do you mean by
such conduct with my wife?"
He testified that Heth jerked him
into the room. choking him and ours
Ing him for his suspicion Of Mrs.
Vawter. =
aE w 'er protested to be unable to
rests, sge arguments" aiitlA Uiandlsh-
ments " Heth and his wife, and said
he would always accept their eXcus-
es.
On another occasion Vaw!er stated
that Heth choked him into insensibiI
ity when he accused him OF kissing
Mrs Vawter. He stated that the four
times he had broken his pledge about
drinking was when Heth offered him
whisky.
Vawter admitted practically every
detail or the shooting as was given
before the bail commissioner and
which was produced in court on Tues
day during the opening arguments OF
counsel. When he awakened to find
his wife missing from her bed and
saw her running down the hallway
he Immediately started downstairs
for his pistol His wife, he stated
chung to him, and he stated that he
thought she said, "Kill me first" At
the top of the stairs he grappled with
Heth, who choked him, and as he was
losing consciousness he fired tho 3
fatal shots.
Vawter then told how he went into
the children's room where little
Rachael was found crying. He took
both children into his arms. kissing
them and saying: "Children don't
know What they will do to father, but
l have protected you. Whatever hap
pens, he good to mother"
LOSES CONTROL OF HIMSELF
AS FIFE TELLS OF TRAGEDY
Vawter completely lost control Of
himself when he detailed the horrible
events Of the fatal night. FIe pre-.
sented peculiar study In psychol-
ogy.
When the prosecution commenced
cross-eXamination. Attorney Jack Lee
stated that numerous things would
come up mat had not been introduce
ed before, and that they were things
he would not care for his wife to
hear. Immediately the women left
the courtroom. Under IS eXamina
ton Vawter' admitted writing certain
letters, but that he was drunk when
they were written. Several times dur
ing the examination the acnused man
broke down completely and wept.
Bernard Williams, the student who
roomed In the Vawter home and was
present on the night of the shooting
stated that he never knew of the al
legged relations between Heth and
Mrs. Vawter, but that the two drank
together frequently, and oftsn went
into the country in Heth's automobile.
He corroborated testimony relating
to the entire party taking drinks and
playing cards, and said that just
after the shooting he had heard Mrs
Vawter say: "Stock, dear, it was all
my fault" and saw Professor Vaw
ter with sleeve torn from his night
shirt and several scratches and bruis
es about his neck.