Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-01
oR1M1NAL COURT.
George Avant on the Witness Stand in
His own Defense.

The prosecution in the case Of
George Avant, charged with poison
ing his wife, closed its testimony yes
terday afternoon, and George Avant
was put on the witness stand in his
own behalf. He denies all knowl-
edge Tor purpose Of poisoning, and
talks very freely in detailing every
little incident occurring during the
day. He declares that he and his
wife lived most affectionately and
lovingly together. When asked why
he objected to disinterring her re-
mains for post norton examination,
he said he told the officer that he
didn't want to see his wife cut up
like hog, and with this statement
he broke down and wept bitterly.
He said that his wife was in bad
health, subject to spasms or fainting
spells, which kept her constantly un'
easy and expecting to die suddenly
at any moment. He came to town
that morning, bought pint of whis.
ky for her and himself and other
things and got the strychnine to kill
rats Returning home, she met him
at the gate and took the bundles in
the house, while he took the horse
from the buggy. AS seon as he went
in she asked him if he got the whis
ky. He replied: eyes, honey, and
that other thing you wanted too"
and pulled the bottle of whisky out
of his inside coat pocket, and the
strychnine out OF his vest pocket,
remarking that he was afraid of that
stuff and was going to destroy it, and
did put it in the stove. She got a
tumbler, spoon and sugar and he
poured in the whisky and they both
drank out of the same glass. He
put the bottle away and they ate
dinner. After dinner he took short
nap and then went to the field where
the hands were at work was gone
an hour and a half, when he return
ed to the house, as he felt uneasy
about her. He found her hard at
work securing the window glass and
demonstrated, telling her that she
would kill herself. Her face was
very red, flushed from the exertiOn.
He made the second trip out, looking
after the farm work. Mr.. Cornell
came up and he told him about his
wife's situation and that he was eXpec
ting her to die at any time; that she
might be dead before morning, or
something to that effect, which tn
reporter did not catch clearly. He
followed Mr.. Cornell some three
fourths of a mile talking about his
wile's situation, and then returned
to the house, and finding that the
milk-Woman had not gone after the
cows, he told his wife he would 70
himself, as he wanted t. see about
the other cattle. Just before supper
his wife came to him, and speaking
in a low tone, asked where he put
the whisky (Fannie, the cook, was
close by. He told her he would get
the whisky and she could get the
sugar, which she did he made the
t0ddy, taking the first sup; she tell-
ing him to drink first and leave the
sugar, as he always did. Just as he
was taking the sup she turned to
look in the hall to see what Fannie
was doing, as she was very watchluI
and suspicious of the woman. Then
she drank and complained that it
was bitter. He then took the gla-s
and ate the sugar that was left, say
ing, "if there is anything in it to kill
you, I'll let it kill me too" They
sat down to supper and she was very
suddenly taken i'll and died in a few
minutes. MIR. Burney gave the pris
oner a very rigid cross eXamina
ton and he repeated his story pretty
much the same way every time. HI
was very much puzzled over the
question, why he suspected there
was something in the whisky that
would kin his wife when she com
planned of its bitterness. lie was
also troubled over the question
whether there was any other bottle
of whisky in the house except the
one he had carried home. The
colored woman drank some of the
whisky, but drank it from the bot