Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-30
TIE Ii CONT SHOOTING.
Commencement Of the Trial I'm the Criminal
Court This Morning,


| MRS. LIZ CONT ON THE WITNESS STAND TKIil
HER STORY OF THE AFFAIR-A LONG AND Sc
WE'RE cEoss-KxAMISATIoN FAILS TO CHANGE
her STATEMENTS.
The case of the young man George lie CONT
who was charged with assault with intent &c
kill Charles C. Frost and Edith lie CONT, came
up for trial this morning in the Criminal Cour,
before Judge Bradley.
The trial, IT viii be remembered, is the out
come OF the mysterious shooting case that oc-
CURED In boarding house on 18th street just
above on the 3lst of last May. when lie CONT
shot his wife and his acquaintance. Frost,
charging at the time that they were un-
duly intimate. This is the case in which the
young blonde art student, Grace Eaton, played
such prominent part.
The case at the time aroused general interest
OWING TO the cloud of mystery and complica-
lions that surrounded 1t and the conflicting
statements made ly the chief parties TO the
drama as to the motives that brought about
the shooting. Both sides of the story were
printed in THE STAR at the time but il was i'm
possible to make them harmonize at all and
charges OF conspiracy were freely made.
LIE CONT CONES INTO COURT
lie CONT, tine defendant in the two charges,
came into court promptly at IL o'clock this
morning, attended by his counsel, E. H. Thomas,
Leon Geneste and ". E. Jones. LIE CONT, who
Is anne-iooking young man, with the air of Q
foreigner about him, was well dressed in a
black cutaway coat, dark trousers q white duck
pae from long confinement, but his curling
m0stache and wavy dark brown hair were care
fully trimmed and cared for
MI. 1homGs. Tor the defense. asked that the
case be delayed for a week. OIL the ground that
the COUNSEL had only been engaged upon IT since
last wednesday anG that the ends OF Justice
would be better served if more time We're given
Tor the obtaining of evidence. The cour.
ruled, however, that this was hardly suffcieu.
Cause Tor postponement and the work of
securing jury was at once gone on with. Mr..
Cole and Mr.. ClaSett conducted the case Tor
the government and announced that the first
case would be that of the assault upon Edith
LIE CONT, the defendants wife
THE JURY OBTAINED.
Panel number Of the regular Jury was
called to the box. In order to raise the cues
ton whether the case was one of felony or a
misdemeanor the defense excused four of
the Jurors. In felony the defense are en-
utled TO ten challenges, in a misdemeanor to
Tour. Tho government challenged two jurors
and the jury was then sworn 1t was made up
OF the following: W. 5. Roulette, John W. Kid
well. Wilson t. Brown, L. A. I. Judd. E. b.
Gregory, Peter Mccartney. Ellsworth Chap
peiie, Chas. w. Reese, Chas. H. Kettler, Gus
taVe A. hneesi, Homer Campbell and Andrew
Dyer.
MR.. cLBGETTs OPENING Address
Mr.. Howard Clagett then rose to make the
opening address to the jury and the witnesses
ON both sides were excluded from the ROOM
Mr. Clagett began his address with a
reference to the marriage Of George lie CONT
and his wife Edith in this city six years ago.
Ibey were living in that relation up to last
spring. Late in the night of May 30. or in the
morning OF the 3lst. there was a shooting in the
boarding house of Mrs. Rogers, on 18th street.
Ill which AIRS. LIE CONT was wounded.
On the morning of Decoration day the de-
PENDANT pretended to leave the city to go to
Baltimore, but did not really so, and in the
evening returned to his apartments and an
nounced his attention of spending the remainder
OF the night with some friends at cards. He
returned and entered the room of Miss Eaton
ana, without warning. shot down his wife, who
only escaped with her life by jumping through
window In her own room. She made her way
into the Globe House across the roof
The government would show that the de-
fencant had been watching the house all the
evening and that the subsequent shooting YVES
without cause. excuse or palIiation. Hence
they would ask verdict of guilty as indicted.
THE wIFE's STORY.
The first witness placed upon the stand was
Mrs. LIE CONT, really handsome young woman.
who was stylishly dressed in gray, with black
fur cape and small black turban. She identi-
fed the defendant her husband, to whom
she was married six years ago
In last May. she testified. they were living at
6Oi 18th street, but did not take their meals
there. They boarded a: 1918 G street Her
husband was clerk in the War Department
On tho 30th of May he was home until $50
Va an ha larf a,-i,
Baltimore and would return the following Mon
day morning.
Witness next saw him at Has O'Clock that
night coming across the street. Witness was at
Grace Eaton window in the same house The
hail separated Miss Eaton room from witness
Both were on the third floor. Witness and her
husband had two communicating rooms the
first of which had two windows facing on 18th
street. The frontroom had a door leading into
the hall. Miss Eaton's rooms corresponded in
most OF these details.
At the time OF the hooting witness had known
Grace Eaton tor six weeks. They were quite
intimate and were III each others rooms
every day. At the time of the shooting de-
PENDANT had known Grace Eaton for about
three weeks.
When witness saw her husband coming across
the street she WAS standing at Grace Eatou's
window, which she had opened, as it was warm
In the room. Witness and Grace Eaton were
alone in the room at that time. though Mr.
Chas. c. Frost had been in the room earlier In
the evening. He had left about ten minutes
before and had gone to his room at COS l2th
street, mex. door. Both houses were kept by
Mrs. Rogers.
The next time witness saw her husband she
was in their bed room.
HER HUSBAND AMI GRACE EATON WHISPERING.
1t was about II o'clock. He went into the
front room first. Defendant asked her to kiss
him, but she refused. There came q rap at the
door into the front room. LIE CONT went to
the door and found Grace Eaton, who COM
planned OF feeling very sick While she was
looking for some brandy she saw Grace and her
husband whispering to each other. lie CONT
asked for his cards and chips aadle the room.
Grace Eaton went across TO her own ROOM Wit
ness stayed in hers.
Mr.. Cole conducted the examination of Mrs
LIE CONT. and III answer to one of his questions
she stated that it was not a: all unusual tor her
husband to be out all night though i. was un-
usual for him to leave at that hour.
After he left witness stayed 4 few minutes in
her own room, and then went over in answer
TO request from Grace Eaton, who said she
was i'll and needed assistance. Witness went
back to her own room to lower the lights there,
and while she was out MIR. Frost came in Grace
Eaton's room and the two were in the front
room when witness came back.
Shortly after while witness was standing bv n
lounge wrapping shawl around Miss Eaton
LIE CONT came into the front room from the
hall Frost had gone into the back room The