Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-05-05
Was VAWTER INSANE?
Experts Testify That no Sane Man
Could Have Written the MissiYa in
Question.

Christiansburg, Va, May 5.-When
the fourth day of the trial Of Prcf
! Charles f. Vawter for the murder OF
| Stockton Heth, .Jr., closed 1t
O'CLOCK yesterday evening the o'e
outstanding fact that both the pros
ecuton and the defense feels tne
most vital thing to be definitely es-
tablished is the condition Of the pro-
fessor's mind at the tia:s ne wrote
to Heth virtually Offering 10 ex-
change his wife's honor for the pay
mcnt of a $G2.50 liquor bill.
This developed after the rrose2u-
ton had introduced witness to
prove that instead of trying to keep
Heth and Mrs Vawter apa:t, Pro-
fessor Vawter, as late as January,
went out of his way to arrange i
meeting between them The profess
sor's mental condition was fought
over all afternoon, the prosecution
seeking through the introduction of
expert testimony, to prove that no
sane man would write the letter re-
ferred to and the defense, ~ long
dawn out cross-eyamination. endeav-
oring to break down the testi'~on; Of
the experts.
On top of this legal battle, by far
the most heated that has taken place
since the trial began, came the an
nouncement that before the trial is
over the jury will be taken to Blacks
burg to view the premises where
the shooting occurred, thereby max
ing it plain that the case probably
will not end before next Tuesday.
The reason so much Importance
is being attached to tke condition
of Professor Vawter's mind at the
time he wrote Heth the liquor bill
letter is that. if he was sane when
he wrote it, then his claim that he
was so infuriated when he saw his
wife coming of Heth's room on the
night of the shooting that he hardly
knew what he was doing falls TO the
ground, for in that letter he told
Heth he could thereafter love Mrs.
VaWter without fear.
While Professor Vawter asserts
ne shot Heth in self defense, there
is no doubt about the fact that his
attorneys are to be a very large
extent relying upon the so-calIed
"unwritten law" to save him from
prison or the eletric chair. Before
the trial began one of his lawyers
is alleged to have made the state
mcnt that, in his judgment, no Viz
ginia jury ever would convict a man
for defending the honor of his own
home.
The case was proceeding, apparent
~, largely on this assumption, when
Attorney Lee, for the prosecution
flashed the letter that iiguratve!y
speaking, swept tie opposing attor-
news off their feet. Their first act.
after they recovered from thei3
surprise.was to get Professor Vawter
to say on redirect examination that
he was either crazy or drunk when
he wrote the letter, as he knew moth
ing about it. and their next move
was. TO place three physicians on the
stand to prove that no sane man
could possibly have written such
things as the letter contained.
The theory now which they pur-
port to entertain is that Professor
Vawter was temporarily deranged as
the result of excessive alcoholism
when he wrote Heth. They contend
that lie drank more last May than he
ever before or since drank in one
month.
/ Vawter swore that he did anc
his wife swore that he did. He went
so far as to say that for while dur
ing that month he was unable tt
satisfactorily attend to his duties a;
professor of physics in the institu
ton with which he is connected
though he admitted, when recalled
to the stand, yesterday afternoon
that he heard of no complaints beinf
made by any members Of the col
Iege faculty about his drinking unit
sometime the following fall. Th'
students did complain, he said, abou
his coming to the classroom will
liquor on his breath. bat so far a
he knew their complaints did no
reach the ears Of the authorities.
| Neither of the physicians who tes
tilted for Vawter is an alienst, no
is any one of the several who testl
fed against him today specials