The Washington times., 1921-09-27
.W|FE|SSA|D To
Be REASONFOR
FATAL GUNDUE[
Virginia Physician Killed by
Road contractor-Defend
ant Out on Bond.

quiet little viggae Of Boonsboro, Med
ford county, eight miles northwest OF
. Lynchburgh. vas shocked Saturday
to learn that DR.. William A. strother,
thirty eight years old, scion OF
] proud old Virginia family. had heen
killed in a pistol duel with Jesse r.
Ford, thirty.five years old, road
builder,
! At Liberty on Bond.
Today Ford is at liberty on $4,000
bail pledged by his father. James r.
Ford, Virginia State road contrac-
tor. ~ s..#....s
Ford has many friends, and while
he is virtually charged with murder.
these friends say that DR.. strother
was killed while Ford was acting In
self-defense.
On the other hand, many rumors
are afloat concerning Mrs. Ford, but
no testimony has been produced con-
Meeting her name with that OF DIR.
! Strother. Within less than twenty
| four hours after the tragedy the
principals were warned by counsel
! not to discuss the case.
After he was released from Bed.
ford county jail Sunday, Ford
motored TO the home of his, father In
Lynchburg. For two days he has
remained inside his fathers home. on
Floyd avenue, near Fourteenth street.
Members OF the Ford family. feel
| keenly the sorrow brought upon
them. James r. Ford has taken
up his sons battle and retained Jack
Lee. noted Virginia criminal lawyer,
to defend him.
A preliminary hearing will be held
today before Magistrate B. d. Clay.
at Boonsboro, for the purpose OF COM
hitting Ford for the action Of the
Bedford grand jury, provided the
testimony warrants such action. A
brief hearing 10 anticipated.
Legal Talent Lined Up.
At the formal trial the prosecution
will be handled by Landon Lowry,
Commemorative attorney for Medford
county. The Strother family here has
placed its legal interests In the hands
Of Mayo C. Brown. Of Lynchburg.
There Is a possibility that the de.
Tense will stand on one of two lines.
should a plea Of justification be made
on the ground of self-defense, the
other angle, 1t is said. will be aban.
doned, and in this cas- much OF the
will be eliminated.
There seems to be little dispute con.
corning the manner in which DR..
Strother was killed. Mrs. Juanita Pat.
terson Ford. thirty years old. wife OF
the man charged with causing DIR,
| Stro.her's death, was found at her
home in Boonsboro. The Ford home.
a modest cottage, Is less than 100
yards from the home OF the physician.
From the windows of the Ford cot
tage one could easily have observed
movements across the field on the
Strother property. II IL said that
Jesse r. Ford had spent much time
at his windows watching the home Of
Dr. Strother. Reports that Mrs. Ford
had made visits to the physician's
home are alleged to have reached the
road builder.
His Vigil Ends.
Ford watched from the windows
Of his home Saturday morning. He
left the house and walked across
the field to the Strother property,
| Strother was seen to enter his ga
rage. Ford quickened his pace. Some
one else saw the husband gain the
| Strother property. Mrs. Ford. 40
cording to Medford county officials,
was THE witness.
II want to see YOU" Ford ex-
claimed as DR.. Strother emerged
from the garage. The physician
turned to meet Ford and at the same
time Strother Is said to have pulled
pistol from his pocket. With an
exclamation, Ford is alleged to have
| pointed an automatic pistol at the
physicians body. Eight bullets found
their mark at close range and DR..
Strother fell dead near the garage
door. Ford wheeled and started for
his home across the field Of weed
| brush.
Medford county officials are in.
vestigating the statement made by
Mrs. Ford that DIR. Strother fired
| two bullets at her husband.
Mrs. Ford was the lone witness to
was on the Strother porch when the
shots were fired. When DIR. Strother
lay dying on the turf, Mrs. Ford ran
to his eide and called to her husband
to help carry the physician to the
house. Ford. without making any re-
mark, did as his wife requested. Then
he surrendered to the county authori. |
ties.
Dead When Doctor Arrived.
DIR. d. M. Thomasssn pronounced |
DR.. Strother dead on his arrival ten |
minutes after the shooting. The jury |
Of inquest called by Magistrate b. d. |
Clay decided that DIR. Strother came |
to his death from bullets fired from
q pistol held by Jesse r. Ford"
Mrs. William NJ. Strother, mother of |
the physician, defended her sons name
today. Mrs. Strother lives In Lynch
burg. Today she and her daughter,
Mrs. Henry Blackwell. spent several |
hours at the scene of the killing.
II was not here when my son was
shot and cannot say what caused the |
ohooting," said Mrs. Strother. II can
say. however, that DR.. Strother was
extremely devoted to his work, serving
humanity as physician must. Hun.
drcds OF those who knew him, white
and colored, have called and paid their
respects"
Divorced Years Ago.
b DIR. Strother was born in Lynch.