The record-union., 1896-01-31
WILLIAM CHRIST TESqIFIES.
Relates the Circumstances That Led to
His Wiie'S Death.
BE Says He Did Not Know What Hap
pened That Fatal Night-The
Testimony All In.


defendant himself Attorney Hiram
johnson intimated in his opening state
ment to the jury at the forenoon ses-
sion that the defense would be-as the
Record Union" on Tuesday said
temporary or emotional insanity,
resulting from Christ being sud
denly overwhelmed by the proofs of his
wife's infidelfty, and it became under
stood that Christ would be placed on
the witness stand to tell his own story
The result was a great throng of people
at the afternoon session, some of whom
held down their seats throughout the
hour-and-a-half noon recess of court.
There We're many ladies in attendance,
and they We're given chairs inside the
railing Neither young nor old ap-
peared to be at all disconnected by the
more spicy portions of the evidence.
William Christ, the defendant, was
called to the stand after two or three
other witnesses had been examined. He
maintained that impassive, subdued
manner that he has worn ever since the
night he shot and killed his wife. The
only time he showed any emotion was
while his counsel, Mr.. Johnson, read
aloud and with dramatic effect the let
ter published for the first time in the
Record Union" on Tuesday and which
Christ had found concealed in a book
sn his parlor on the day of the tragedy.
1t was written by William G. Hart to
Mrs. Christ, and its contents were such
as to leave no doubt as to the character
of the relations existing between Hart
and Mrs. Christ.
While this letter was being read to the
jury, revealing the story of his wife's
shame, Christ placed one hand over his
eyes and sobbed. He did not make the
most of his opportunity while on the
witness stand, however, for the facts
were such as some men in his position
would have employed with a dramatic
effect that could hardly fail to affect
even the most practical-minded jury
man The facts, however, spoke for
themselves.
Christ appeared to have little resource
of his own, and nearly every sentence
he uttered was in response to a ques-
tion by his attorney. He said his mar
Tied life had been a happy one until the
terrible revelation that his wife had
been maintaining Illicit relations with
another man. He gave in detail the
daily routine of his life-the honr at
which he went to work. when he lunched
and when he ceased his labor in the
evening-all tending to show that he
was a person of Industrious habits, eco
nomical, Of a domestic turn, and that
he gave most of his earnings to his wife.
He told the story, so often told be-
fore, of the visit of Mrs. w. c. Hart to
him in the forenoon of October 18th,
when she startled him by displaying
documentary evidence, in the shape of
RmatOrial verses, Of the relations that
existed between his wife and her hus-
band; how she told him that she had
at her home letters that had passed be-
tween the parties confirming the terri
ble suspicion contained in the poetry
sent by Mrs. Christ to her husband.
He told of his return to his lunch
with a heart heavy with woe, and how
at that noon hour he found in a book,
where his wife had secreted it, the let
ter written by Hart to her while she was
on a visit to Franklin. Then he told of
his visit to Mrs. Hart that afternoon
10 see some of the letters in her pos
session conirmatory of his wife's dis
honor. and of his interview with his
friend Ogg, who advised him not to ac-
cept as true even the evidence he had.
He returned to his work, but the rev.
elatons of the day weighed upon him,
and yet, when he bent his steps home
ward he had no intention of doing vio-
1ence to his wife. It was not until he
was on his way home that night that
he became aware of the contents of the
Hart letter, which he had placed in his
pocket. and when he stopped under a
friendly electric light and read it he
received the blow that blasted all the
hopes of his life.
10r
4he family for two or three years, had
ate at his table time and again, and
when Hart's own family were out of the
city and he was i'll, or pretended to be,
he was given a room there and was
nursed by the witness and his wife.
One letter, he said shown him by
Mrs Hart when he visited her the
afternoon of October 18th, was written
by his wife to Hart. whom she ad
dressed as My Dear Sweetheart"
Everything" the writer said, lis Sc
rene. Ny husband suspects nothing.
Oh, how I wish you were here! / never
knew what it was to love till 1 met
you. Ny husband is repulsive to me
now
All this and more Of the same ma
4ure, he said, he read in the letter, and
1T unnerved him, and after reading the
letter from Hart to his wife. while on
his way home, he was paralyzed with
grief.
When he entered his house that fatal
evening his wife and her mother. he
said. were in the sitting room. They
soon went into the kitchen, where the
evening meal was on the table, and sat
down to it. but he could not eat. Soon
his wife asked him what was the mat
4er-why did he sit there so morose2
lie got up and went into the sitting
room and replaced his coat and hat.
which he had removed on entering.
His wife followed him, and he then
turned and said
Emma. I've been to Mrs. Hart's,
and she showed me letters from you
to her husband in which you say you
have no love for me- For Gods sake,
If this is true. say sol"
Her reply, said Christ, was, Well,
what are you are going TO do about
it2"
Then he felt a shock like a blow upon
the head, and what occurred after that
was a blank to him.
His purpose, he said. had been to give
his wife all he had. and go away forever
10 his old home in the East.
This closed his direct testimony. and
ale was taken in hand by District At
4crney Ryan, who ss-examined him
closely, but he adhered to his direct
statement.
" Pure az