The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-08-28
fFrom Wednesday's Daily.)

took the witness stand this morning
in the case wherein he is on trial on
charge for the murder of Washington
Long. Before he had been long on
the witness stand it was apparent that
he would rely upon the "unwritten
law" as his defense. He. stated that
the deceased and his wife had grown
fond Of each other and that his wife
had grown CORRESPONDENCE cold and
Indifferent to him; and that 1t was
due to this fact that they had sepa'
rated last aJnuary. He charged that
Long was a man of bad reputation
about the women, and about talking
about women, and that although ne
had repeatedly warned his wife that
she would cause talk and scandal II
she did not discontinue all friendly
relations with the deceased, that she
mad refused TO obey his warnings ana
iniunctions and that her coldness to-
wards him and Partially for Long,
eliminated in their separation about
FIVE months before the alleged muir
der.
The witness was perhaps on the
stand for an hour before he came TO
the climax of his testimony wherein
he openly upbraided his wife on the
charge that she had been untrue TO
him. This, his wife, he stated, de-
MED. She is alleged to have cnai-
lenged the defendant to prove his
charges. The outcome of these some
what sensational charges was tnaI
they agreed to separate and did sep
arate
According to the evidence OF the
defendant he and his wife lived hap
PLY together until they moved from
St. Louis to Mt; Pleasant last De-
cember and went to board with Mrs.
Long. the mother of the deceased;
that thereafter his wife and Long be-
came good friends; that when the
defendant would return to his home
from the mines he almost invariably
found washington Long in the bed
room of himself and wife; that he
repeatedly but unavailingly warned
her that her conduct with Long, If not
dropped, would cause talk, for the
reason that Long had bad reputa-
ton for talking about women.
The witness testified that he dis
covered shortly after going to Mt.
Pleasant that his wife's attitude to-
ward him was. changed; that she
seemed not to be as fond OF him as
she had been; on the contrary ne
found that she was more and more
with the deceased.
Defendant declared that Harry j.
Harlan had told him shortly before
the separation that there was talk
about the relations between Long and
his wife and that he then asked Har-
Ian to tell him all that he heard SO
that he could caution HIS wife and let
her know that she was being talked
about. He testified that whenever
he got after his wife about allowing
young Long to remain in the room
with her that she would tell him II
he wanted Long to stay out to make
him do so: but that he insisted that
IL he raised a row with Long on this
account that there would at once be
talk and big scandal. When ne
had accused his wife of being "unt
true" to him he did not mean GRIM
inally so; he meant simply that she
was not loyal to him and was incon-
siderate of his wishes and needless
of his warnings against boy he knew
that to be even on friendly terms with
would provoke gossip and injury OF
her character.
The defendant displayed the utmost
self control during the recital OF mis-
story this morning and spoke IN
low but nevertheless very distant tone
and answered the questions OF his at
torney without any apparent hesita-
ton. He was generally calm and
self possessed. His appearance ON
the stand added great interest to the
case and before he had been testify
ing many minutes the court room was
packed aud every one was craning
his neck that not a word might De
lost. 1t was necessary several times
for Judge Hart to have the specta-
tors seated.
The defendant maintained his COM
posture and displayed remarkable
nerve until he got to the most har-l