Evening star., 1936-04-23
.REAGUER CHANGED
IN RECENT YEARS,
WITNESSES AVER
Physician Says He Suffered
Head Injury in Fight
Over Slain Girl.
CULPEPER DRUGGIST
CITES LACK OF MEMORY
Boyhood Friend Says He Noted
Change After Undertaker's
Son Died.
BY WILLIAM S. TARvER.


The last few years brought a pro-
nounced change in the mentality and
character of .57-year old William H.
Reaguer, his neighbors and friends
told jury today in District Supreme
Court, where the Culpeper, Va, under
taker is on trial for the Staying Of Mrs.
Willie Mae Wood. 81, bride Of only
II days.
Mrs. Woods head was almost sew
cred from her body with pocket knife
early in the morning of October IL in
a downtown hotel room. Reaguer was
found PROSTATE, his head pillowed on
her lfeless form.
A dozen acquaintances of the de-
fendant took the witness stand before
Justice Oscar r. Luhring today to de-
scribe Reaguer as a respected and
peaceful citizen of the quiet little
Virginia town where he lived for a
number Of years with his wife and
three children.
Several Of them mentioned change
in his nature which seemingly trans
formed him from an affable, genial
man into brooding, nervous and
dazed person.
Doctor Describes Change.
DR.. o. K. Burnett, the defendants
physician and friend, said he wit
messed Reaguer undergo a definite
mental deterioration. The doctor was
first called to treat Reaguer on May,
1882. after the undertaken had suf-
fered severe head injury in a fight
with another man over Mrs. Wood,
then Miss Willie Mae Fletcher of Cul-
peper. Reaguer had been interested
in the girl since she was 16.
DR.. Burnett said Reaguer COM
planned of severe pains in the back
Of his head "as if he had been hit
by hammer"
He was wild and unmanageable,
and I couldn't do much with him."
the witness declared.
Both his brain and heart showed
definite signs Of hardening OF the
arteries and indicated a probable
cerebral hemorrhage, the witness de-
clared. adding that Reaguer's mental
condition was not clear, and he
eventually sent him to the Uniyer-
sity of Virginia Hospital, Charlottes-
vile, for treatment.
Diagnosed as Blood CIot,
There his trouble was diagnosed as a
blood clot on the brain.
L was called in again February /.
1885" DR.. Burnett said. Mr.. Reaguer
was suffering from headaches, nausea
and dizziness, all symptoms of harden
ing OF the arteries. There seemed to be
mental deterioration. He could not
exercise proper judgment and was not
himself. He seemed to have a definite
change of personality and was not as
friendly as before. He did not greet
people as cordially as he formerly did,
and he complained of being unable 10
rest at night"
Defense Attorneys James A. O'Shea.
Alfred Goldstein and Burnette miller
have staked their hopes Of saving
Reaguer from the electric chair on
their ability to convince the jury ne
was insane on the night of the Staying
and that his condition was aggravated
by heavy drinking.
Maj. John r. Karrick, Rixeyville,
Va, a boyhood friend, testified he no.
ticed change in the defendant after
the death Of Reaguer's son two years
ago.
Formerly he had been jovial and
greeted his friends heartily, Kerrick
declared, but after the young mans
death he seemed to withdraw from
the world and to dislike meeting
people.
Pharmacist Cites Change.
Another witness, Harry F. Bywaters,
a Culpeper pharmacist, placed the
mental change as occurring after
Reaguer's trip to the hospital in 1892.
Asked to give an example of the
change, Bywaters said Reaguer often
would come into his drug store to
pay bills which he already had set
tied day or so before. This hap.
pened dozen times, the druggist de.
clared.
He said Reaguer was in his drue
store on the night Of October 10
He seemed gleeful," Bywaters re-
lated. His face was flushed and he
had wild look in his eye"
AS the procession of witnesses en-
tered the court room through the
morning, Mrs. Bessie Reaguer, wife
of the defendant, who has remained
loyal to him throughout his difficult
ties, was waiting in O'Shea's law
office nearby to be available in case
1t was decided to use her testimony.
Although the defendant wept at one
time during the hearing, he seemed tc
have himself under considerably bet
ter control than yesterday, when he
broke down and sobbed convulsively
at the mention of the name of his son
now dead, and when his daughter,
Mrs. Katherine Perrow, took the stand
The efforts Of the Government at
torneys, Cecil r. Heflin and Irwin
Goldstein, were confined this morning
principally to requiring of the defense
witnesses exact descriptions of the
changes in Reaguer which they re-
lated.