Bywaters Murder – December 15, 1906

Story contributed by Karen Quaintance

Culpeper, VA, Rotherwood

William Franklin Bywaters was murdered by his two brothers-in-law after having “ruined” their sister. Viola Payne Strother was found to be pregnant in the fall of 1906. After two failed abortion attempts in Washington, D.C., one in October and one in November, she returned there in December for a third one that was successful. She traveled under the guise that she was away visiting friends. Her family had been suspicious of the relationship between Bywaters and Viola and upon her return to Culpeper, Viola suffered a hemorrhage and their secret was out. They confessed everything that they had denied for many months. Her brothers, James A. Strother and Philip J. Strother insisted that Bywaters marry their sister immediately. Against Bywaters and Viola’s protests, a marriage license was obtained along with a gold ring. The Reverend Josiah Ware was brought from the Episcopal Church under the assumption that the wedding was imminent as the bride-to-be was apparently dying. The wedding was held in the bride’s bedroom as she was now bedridden from the hemorrhage. As soon as the ceremony was over, Bywaters attempted to leave the house but was detained by the brothers. His last ditch effort to leave was through her bedroom window unto the porch roof. The brothers shot him no less than thirteen times and he survived less than an hour.

The Strother brothers confessed to the murder immediately. They were held temporarily until the trial began in February of 1907. A jury had to be brought in from Shenandoah County and a judge from Fauquier County as both families were very well known and related to many in Culpeper County.

On February 25, 1907 the trial begins and a verdict was returned by the jury – not guilty on all counts. The judge declared that Americans will not punish men who protect their homes. At the time is was deemed impulsive insanity. The acquittal was based solely upon the unwritten law, which has prevailed in every Southern state since the memory of man runneth not to contrary that the despoiler of a woman’s virtue shall atone for his crime at the muzzle of a double-barreled shotgun.

The bedroom where the wedding took place. The house is mistakenly identified as the Gaines home. Viola’s sister was married to Edwin Lewis Gaines and she was at the Strother house when the newspapers descended there. The Washington Times, December 20, 1906 (https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84026749/1906-12-20/ed-1/?sp=1&r=0.273,0.414,0.53,0.319,0)

Articles regarding this event appeared in The Alexandria Gazette, The Asheville Citizen Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA), The Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Times & Democrat (Orangeburg, SC), The Manning Times (Clarendon, SC) and The Inter Ocean (Chicago).

On June 17, 1928 at the age of 47, Philip J. Strother commits suicide in West Virginia.
On April 4, 1930 at the age of 60, James A. Strother commits suicide in California.

Viola Payne Strother Bywaters moves to Asheville, NC. On May 2, 1912 she marries Dr. Thomas E. Craddock. He lives until August 1, 1929. She lives until February 17, 1980 when she passes away at the age of 96.

**Please note this location is not accessible to the public.**