"UNWRITTEN LAW" MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 17 June 1907, Page 4

"UNWRITTEN LAW" MURDER.

New York, April U. The "unwritten law," which is a stronger force th .n ever in the Southern Stages, despite its condemnation by the jury in the Thaw case, is responsible for a sensational tragedy in Virginia. The Hon. William C. Loving, former judge of Nelson County, shot and instantly killed Mr Theodore Estes, a wealthy young man who managed the Virginian estate of Mr Thomas F. Ryan, the New York millionaire, because Estes drugged and then mined his nineteen-year-old daughter.

Estes was an intimate friend of the Loving family for years, anil was a welcome guest a', their mansion at Lovingston. He frequently went riding with .Miss Loving, who i- ton-idered one of the prettiest girls in ' Kstes invited Mi-s Loving to go for a drive on Sunday night, lie brought her home about eleven o'clock insensible, and later sent Dr Strothcr to attend her, telling the doctor that the girl \vn« intoxicated.

Dr. Strother found tli.it Miss Loving was suffering from the etl'ects of a drug, and lie made a more serious communication to her father. The latter waited until she had recovered sufficiently to tell her story. Thereupon he loaded a double-barrelled shot-gun, and went in search of Estes.

Ex-Judge Loving drove for miles ilirough tile rain, searching the Ryan estate for Estes. lie finally found him at a wayside railway station, superintending a gang of negroes wiio were unloading goods from a ear.

Raising his shot-gun, he shouted: "So vuu went driving wilit my daughter on Sunday night, did you*"

Estes threw up bolh hands immediately as a si K u that he was unarmed. The Oilier man tired both barrels in quick succession, the second charge nearly decapitating Estes.

The negroes tried to assist Estc. lint ex-.Tudge Loving said: "It's no he's dead. 1 shot to kill." lie then threw down the shot-gun. and asked the frightened negroes the way to tin' nearest magistrate's oflice. He passed the night in gaol, hut was released next morning on ClflllO hail, which was furnished promptly by two leading citizens of Nelson County. All the es'tate owners in the county offered to furnish bail in any amount.

Ex-Judge Loving said to the magistrate: "i waited to learn all the facts. Then nothing could have stopped ine from taking that man's life. J did it after careful consideration.'' Several of Estes' main relatives armed themselves, and announced their intention of retaliating on the Loving family, but they were dissuaded, in consequence of public opinion supporting the murder-

The magistrate admitted that the amount of bail was very low, but he took the attitude that Loving could not do otherwise than he did, after hearing the story of his daughter's betrayal under particularly revolting circumstances.

The "unwritten law" sentiment is so strong in Virginia that doubts are expressed whether Loving will be compelled to undergo the formality of a trial.