The Washington times., 1928-12-07
ACQU|T TAI. SEEN
IN STUDENT
Staying

CHARLOTTESVILLE. Va. Dec.
"A. p. Walker and w. o. Fife,
counsel for Henry H. Chewing.
Young married man who is held ~
default OF $4,000 bond in connec'
tion with the shooting of James
Keith Summers, jr, of Rye, N. Y,
student at the University OF Vir.
einia who was shot through the
heart in a local restaurant late
Monday night. today seemed conf
dent their client will be acquitted.
They claim the shooting was purely
accidental.
Miss Alice Fowler, who was with
Chewing when Summers was
killed, is expected to be favor
able witness for the defense.
Chewning, who is an automobile
salesman, says the only explana-
ton he can offer is that his pistol
fell from his pockets discharging
when it struck the tile floor.
Willis w. Bohannon, a student
who was sitting between Summers
and Chewing, said he heard no
words between the two men and
did not see q revolver.
1t now seems the defense will
rely great deal upon testimony
as to the finding of bullet hole.
in the overcoat worn by Bohannon.
Bullet Pierced His Coat
The fatal bullet pierced the lower
part of the coat. 1t is contended
the coat was touching the floor
and that the bullet was fired up.
ward while Symmers was in lean.
ing position.
when Chewing testified at the
preliminary hearing conducted by
Magistrate Charles D. Shackelford,
the accused man denied ever know.
ing or having seen Symmers before
the night of the tragedy. Richard
w. Rhodes testified that Chewning
dropped thes revolver and then
picked it up.
The pistol and fragments OF a
quart jar were found under honey
suckle near the restaurant. The
jar had contained whisky. Chew
ming admitted having taken two
drinks shortly before the shooting.
J. G. Bryant and Edward Fisher,
two students, testified that they
saw a pistol fall from Chewning's
overcoat pocket.
Summers was a second year stu
dent in the academic department OF
the university.
Before coming here he spent one
year at Washington and Lee Uni
versity, Lexington, Va.
His father. who is a graduate Of
the law school of the local univer-
sity and who was too i'll to come
here to attend the victims fun
eral, is a member of the New York
firm OF Barry, Wainwright.
Thacker and Symmers. The VIC
TINS mother before marriage. was
Miss Agnes Shuey. daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Theodore Shuey, of Char
lottesville.
Rum Probe Urged
The death of the student followed
soon after the Rev. David Hepburn,
superintendent of the AntiSaloon
League, of Virginia, urged Gov
ernor Byrd to cause an invsstiga-
tion of alleged ieplorahle conditions
at the university and charges of
excessive drinking.
1t had been charged by the Rev.
Richard v. Lancaster, Presbyterian
minister, that he saw drunkenness
at the football game between the
University of Virginia and the Uni.
versity Of North Carolina here
Thanksgiving Day, when President
Coolidge, Mrs. Coolidge and Mrs.
Woodrow Wilson were among the
guests of honor to see the gridiron
contest.
Governor Angus w. Mclean. of
North Carolina, and Governor Byrd
were present. Denials have been
made that boys and girls drank 10
excess at the game. lit is admitted,
however, that numerous visitors
seemed somewhat hilarious and that
few persons were intoxicated.