Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-04-20
PARENTS Of GIRLS
KEPT Off REAGUER
JURY BY DEFENSE
Women Also Barred as Sc
lection in Murder Trial
Is Completed.
US. TO CLAIM JEALOUSY
LED TO BRIDES DEATH
Defense Chary of Revealing Plans,
but Indicates Insanity May
Be One Plea.
BY WILLIAM S. TARVER.

A jury from which all women and
fathers of grown or near-grown daugh-
tiers had been eliminated by defense
counsel was impaneled early this aft
ernoon in District Supreme Court tc
try William H. Reaguer, 57-year-olo
Culpeper, Va, undertaken. who is
charged with numbering Mrs. Willie
Mae Wood, 81, last october IL, in the
Houston Hotel.
Defense Attorney James A. O'Shea
exhausted his 20 peremptory charges to
exclude persons whose sympathy might
easily be aroused on behalf of Mrs
Wood, only II days bride, when she
was slain.
The Government challenged Il pro-
spective jurors and wer excused for
cause by the court.
Lifeless Body Found.
Mrs. Woods lifeless body, the head
almost severed, was found in down.
town hotel room in the early morning
of last october y. Reaguer, who had
slashed his own wrists and attempted
to open an artery in his arm, was lying
across her form.
Heavily yelled and dressed in black
Mrs. Dolores Fletcher, mother of the
slain girl, sat quietly in the court
room throughout the morning. Be-
side her we're Miss Annie T. O'Ban-
non, Mrs Woods cousin, who accom-
panied her and Reaguer to Washing
ton and stayed at the hotel the night
the bride was slain: Mrs. Wood S
younger sister, Miss Margaret Fetch
er; Herbert r. Wood, who was the
slain girls husband, employed by the
Virginia State Highway Commission,
and his sister, Mrs. Cornelia Phillips
Jealousy Charged as Motive.
The Government, through Assistant
United States Attorneys Irwin Gold
stein and Cecil R. Heflin, expects to
prove by 81 witnesses that Reaguer
killed Mrs. Wood with clasp knife
because of jealousy over her recent
marriage.
Under pretext of bringing Mrs Wood
from the Culpeper, Va, home of her
parents to Fairfax Station, Va, where
she lived with her husband, Reaguer.
armed with shotgun, allegedly drove
her and Miss O'Bannon to Wash
ington.
The trio registered at the hotel as
''H. L. Thomas and party, Richmond
Va" and were assigned two rooms
on the ninth floor.
The prosecution contends Mrs. Wood
never entered the room she was to
have occupied with her cousin, but
stayed with Reaguer. The first in
formation of the tragedy came about
4:30 am, when a loud scream was
heard by hotel employees.
Insanity May Be Claimed.
The police investigation of the case
disclosed Reaguer had been friendly
with Mrs. Wood since she was II
years old and had opposed her mar
Tiage to Wood.
O'Shea said he could not predict
definitely what trend the defense will
take, but he may seek to prove that
Reaguer was insane when Mrs. Wood
was killed. Associated with him are
Attorneys Burnett Miller of Culpeper
and Alfred Goldstein, this city.
A large crowd was on hand by $50
am. and Justice Oscar r. Luhring
was forced to clear the court room of
spectators to make room for prospec-
tive jurors. The trial was called in
a small second floor court room, where
Criminal Division No. 3, established to
clear a crowded docket, will be held
the rest of this Spring.