The Washington times., 1920-05-18
WILSON SAVES
SLAYER'SL|FE
Webster Gets Life Term by
Presidents Clemency-Klll-
ed Orphan Boy.

! Charles Ross webstes, forty eight
years old, will not die on the Distriet
Ksllows for the brutal Staying oil
Richard NJ Duvsil, the orphan pro-
ltege of the Sisters OF Trinity College
'on Michigan avenue. Brookland.
Although Webster, a farmland al
the fashionable college for girls, was
Iconvioted by a jury and sentenced To
death by Justice Gould, OF the Dis
ltrict Supreme Court, President VIII
son yesterday commuted the desth
lsentence to life imprisonment In the
Federal prison at Atlanta.
1t was to get possession OF $29
which Dick Duvall, an intelligent and
promising lad, had hidden In shoe
he wore, that Webster lured him into
the secluded woodlands near the
4 Catholic University and shot him TO
death, Two shots were fred, one bull
let piercing the boys heart and All
other entering his brain.
"I shot him the second time, Web
ster confessed to Detective Sergt. Ed
ward ]. Kelly. following hts arrest.
because did not want to leave him
suffering"
Execution Set Six Times.
The day for webster's execution had
been set six times and he had re-
ceived as many reprieyes from the
President to enable the Attorney Gem
erals office to investigate the slAy-
er's mentality.
Thank God" was all that Webster
said yesterday when told that Presi-
dent Wilson had spared his life oy
committing the death sentence.
A. Webster is the father of a daugh-
tier about sixteen years old. living In
Morristown. MINI. He has not seen
her since she was baby, following
his arrest for burglary. He had been
paroled from prison and came to
Baltimore, where he was employed on
the farm of Commodore Isaac Emer-
son. in the Green Spring Valley,
Baltimore county. He later went to
work at Trinity College.
After the discovery of the bullet
pierced body OF Dick Duvall. who
came to Trinity College from st.
Mary's Industrial School, Baltimore,
Webster attempted to lay the Staying
on Robert L. Hawkins. colored farm
hand. After a gruelling examination
by detectives, Webster admitted he
had plotted with Hawkins to rob Du-
vail. He stated that he and Hawkins
had lured the boy 70 the woodlands,
pretending they were going to take
him to Cumberland, Md. Reaching
the woodlands. Webster said. he hand
cd the revolver to Hawkins, who fired
the death shots.
Admitted Killing.
Later, when detectives confir
the alibi OF Hawkins, who had pro-
tested his innocence. Hawkins ad-
:mitted he had deliberately planned
killing Duyall for the $40 that he
knew the lad had hidden in his shoe
and which he intended to use in go
ing to Baltimore to buy suit OF
clothes and visit an aunt.
When on trial in the District Court,
Webster attempted to discredit the
confession. He claimed that he and
Duvall went to the woodlands, but
that while he was tossing the revol-
yer about in his hands, it accidentally
exploded.
"The bullet struck Duvall and he
fell unconscious" Webster stated. He
could not account for the second bull
let wound. and was convicted.
IT loved DuvalI as much as my own
daughter and would not have delib-
erately harmed q hair In his head,
webster said. But the jury could
not reconcile this statement with the
fact that Webster had not seen his
daughter, by his own admission. since
he had been sent to Jail when she
was a baby.
Webster will probably be given
hard labor at the Federal prison. al
though, being an expert gardener. his
task may not be arduous.