Evening star., 1936-04-27
DEFENDANT HELD
Of UNS0UND MIND
by D. c. SPECIALIST
Testifies Undertaken Re-
acted UnfavorabIy to
Various Tests.
MUTUAL DESPONDENCY
BLAMED FOR "PACT"
Trial of Culpeper Man for Muir
der of Young Woman in
Hotel.
BY WILLIAM s. TARyER.


Mrs. Willie Mae Wood. 2I-year old
bride of II days, slashed her own
throat in a suicide pact with her
elderly Suitor, William H. Reaguer, it
was testified today as the trial of the
Culpeper, Va. undertaken, who is
charged with the young woman's mur-
der, went into its second week in Dis
trict Supreme Court.
The testimony was offered by DR..
Raymond K. Foxwell, specialist in
nervous and mental diseases, who said
the 57-year-old defendant told him
Mrs. Woods death was the result of a
pact entered into in fit of mutual
dependency. 1t was the first time
such testimony had been injected into
the trial.
Both Reaguer and the girl were
found in a downtown hotel room on
the morning of October IL. The man,
his left wrist slashed and his upper
arm deeply cut, was lying across the
girls body. from which the head
had been almost severed with a pocket
knife.
Tells of Trip to City.
During previous days of the trial,
which began week ago, witnesses had
told of the trip from Culpeper of Rea-
guer, Mrs. Wood and her cousin, Miss
Annie T. O'Bannon, II, and of their
registering at the hotel. The O'Ban-
non girl stayed in a separate room
DR.. Foxwell. who had been placed on
the witness stand to prove the defense
contention that Reaguer is insane, told
of questioning Reaguer at Gallinger
on the morning of the Staying
"Reaguer told me that the first he
could remember was awakening in the
hotel and thinking he was in CuI-
peper," the physician testified. He
said he walked the girl, and that they
both were very depressed and agreed
to commit suicide"
Mrs. Wood took the knife and cut
her own throat until the blade broke,
DR.. Foxwen quoted Reaguer as saying.
He told the jury Reaguer said he then
took the broken blade and slashed his
wrist. but was unable to cut deeply.
The doctors testimony was sketchy
and few details were given.
Convinced of UnSound Mind.
As a result of his examination Of
the defendant at Gallinger, he became
convinced the man was of unsound
mind, DR.. Foxwen testified He said
parts Of Reaguer's body seemed numb
and he reacted unfavorably to va
riouS tests.
During another examination, made
at the District Jail this month. the
physician said he found Reaguer Of
an extremely suspicious nature, add
ing he had difficulty convincing him
that he was the same doctor who had
previously talked with him. The
undertaken wept almost constantly
during the examination, the witness
declared.
Reaguer has been in tears num-
Der of times during the course of his
trial in a crowded Second-floor court
room. Appearing extremely nervous.
he continuously has wrung his hands,
bitten his nails and buried his face
in his hands.
Justice oscar r. Luhring permitted
an hours recess this morning, at the
request of Assistant United States At
torneys Cecil r. Heflin and Irwin
Goldstein. The prosecutors asked for
the respite after Chief Defense Attor-
ney James A. O'Shea produced o 25-
page typewriter hypothetical ques-
ton, which he proposed to ask DR..
Foxwen concerning Reaguer's sanity.
The Government ATTORNEYS Dr0taSted
they felt they should have an op-
portunity to read the question before
it was asked
Garage Men Heard.
Earlier, employees of the garage
where Reaguer parked his automobile
just before midnight october IL, after
arriving in Washington, testified both
the man and Mrs. Wood appeared to
have been drinking and that their
clothing was in considerable disarray.
William L. Perry, a garage employe.
said Mrs. Wood asked the location
of the hotel where they intended to
stay and then turned to Reaguer, say
ing, Lets go. The sooner we get
up there the more time we'll have
together"
Perry said he found an almost
empty pint whisky bottle, a shotgun
and hunting dog in Reaguer's car.
Charles Mullen, night manager of
the garage, also said both Reaguer
and Mrs. Wood rearranged their
clothes after they got out of the
automobile.