Evening star., 1936-05-01
REAGUER IS FOUND
GUILTY OF MURDER
IN SECOND DEGREE
Defendant Unmoved as Jury,
Out Since Yesterday,
Returns Verdict.
SENTENCE OF 20 YEARS
OR MORE is PROVIDED
Culpeper Undertaken Accused Of
Killing Young Woman in
Hotel Room Here.
BY WILLIAM S. TARvER.


With a composure which con-
trasted strangely with his former
emotional state. William H. Reaguer
today heard a District Supreme Court
jury declare him guilty of second
degree murder in the penknife slay-
ing October IL Of Willie Mae Wood,
21-year-old bride.
The verdict came at 1890 am,
after 9 hours and Is minutes de-
liberation by the jury of IL men,
who were locked up at l0:30 pm.
when they failed to agree. The jurors
returned to the court house at $40
am. and at 1910 O'Clock announced
they were ready to report.
Defense counsel received the yer.
dict with obvious satisfaction and in
dicated there would be no appeal.
For nine days they had fought with
every means at their command 70
save the 57-year-old Culpeper, Va,
undertaken from the electric chair.
Twenty Years to Life.
Sentence probably will be imposed
next Friday by Justice Oscar R. Luhr-
ing. who presided at the long trial.
Under the law, Reaguer may be i'm
prisoned for from 20 years to life.
News that the jury was ready spread
quickly and the small, second-floor
court room was filled to capacity
when the veniremen filed in. None
of the relatives of the accused or Of
the slain pirl was rreSPnt
How do you feel?" Alfred Gold
stein. one of Reaguer's attorneys.
asked him.
"Well-you know-nervouS, OF
course" the defendant replied. with
smile and a Shrug. He was well
groomed and only his hands betrayed
his inner feelings. Many times during
the trial Reaguer had broken down
and wept uncontrollably, and only
yesterday, during arguments to the
jury, he burst into tears.
.Reaguer Walks Out Calmly.
As the jury foreman announced the
verdict Reaguer turned TO his attor-
neys and asked what was said. At
without changing expression, and
walked calmly from the court room,
in custody Of deputy marshal.
The double defense of insanity and
drunkenness had been urged by his at
torneys, James A. O'Shea, Goldstein
and Burnette Miller. At their request,
the Judge had instructed the jury tc
return a verdict of not guilty because
of insanity if they found Reaguer un-
able to distinguish between right and
wrong or unable to resist the wrong.
If they concluded he was so drunk at
the time he almost decapitated Mrs.
Wood that he was unable to entertain
a deliberate intent. the judge said,
they could not convict him OF more
than second-degree murder.
Yesterday afternoon, after the case
had gone to the jury, Reaguer enter
tainec himself in his court house cell
by playing cards with his guards.
Early today, it was said, he appeared
about to break, but soon got himself
under control
The body of Mrs. Wood, who only
II days before her death had married
Herbert r. Wood, Virginia highway
emplcye, was found Just before dawn
in a downtown hotel room. Reaguer,
who had slashed one OF his own wrists
and deeply cut his arm with the same
knife used on her, was lying across
the girls lifeless form.
Double Crossing" Charged.
A Government witness quoted him
as saying: This woman double-croSsed
me, but she won't double-cross any
one else"
Assistant United States Attorneys
Irwin Goldstein and Cecil Heflin argued
to the jury that jealousy over Mrs.
Woods recent marriage caused
Reaguer, her suitor since she was Is
or 16, to Slay her.
The principal forensic fireworks OF
the nine-day trial occurred yesterday
in the closing addresses by Chief De-
fense Counsel O'Shea and Assistant
United States Attorney Goldstein. who
demarded the death penalty in an
impassioned appeal.
THE wrath of Willie Mae Wood
stands behind me-" he shouted. lone
arm pointed at the defendant and with
eyes turned toward you, demanding
the vengeance of the law"
Roundly condemning the defense for
(See REAGUER, Page A-6D