The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-06-25
BUT ONE WITNESS
WAS EXAMINED IN
HENRY WILLIS TRIAL
GENERAL MASSEY ON THE STAND
A GOOD PORTION or
THE DAY.
DIDN'T SEE THE KILLING
eut Told of Trouble That Had Ex'
isted in The Willis Family-ouar-
relied over Non-support And
Letter,

General Massey. in whose house
at Mt. Pleasant Henry Willis shot and
killed his wife, seriously injured Mrs.
Kirk Wood, attempted to shoot Miss
Massey, and then took poison, was
the only witness examined Saturday
in the Willis trial. He took the stand
at II O'Clock, Immediately following
the completion of the task of select
ing the Jury His direct examination
was concluded before the morning re-
cess, and at o'clock this afternoon
his cross examination was still under
way.
The witness was calm and collect
ed. He spoke slowly and deliberately,
as though choosing his words. He
did not see the tragedy that startled
Maury county last spring, but he was
in the house at the time of the shoot
ing, heard the shots from the deadly
revolver, and narrowly escaped wit
Messing the narrowing chase of Mrs.
Wood and Miss Massey, as they hur-
ried through the halls of his home to
escape the assassin, whose wife lay
dying in pool of blood.
So far as the actual killing was con-
cerned Mr.. Massey's testimony was
of no value. However, it served to
throw light upon the causes that led
to the murder. He stated that FOR
week prior to the time that the des-
nerate deed was done Mr.. and Mrs.
Willis had not been on the best OF
terms; that they had quarrelled IN re-
gard to the manner in which the hus-
band had supported the wife and that
a letter which Mrs. Willis is said to
have received had caused them much
unhappiness. He gave the defendant
a good character prior to the time
that he came to Mt Pleasant; said
that he had known him at Cross
Bridges at the time that the youngest
child was a "good-sized" baby; that
all was then well with the family the
wife was happy, the larder reasonably
well filed, some of the luxuries OF life
supplied and all of the necessities.
He stated that he had visited the Will
lis home at Columbia early this year
and that to all appearances domestic
tranquility reigned there.
The defendant appeared in court
this morning neatly dressed in a black
business suit. He wore a light col
ored shirt and four-in-hand tie and
presented an attractive appearance.
A man of splendid physique, rather
heavy built, with slightly red hair and
brown eyes, he easily attracted atten-
ton in the court room. He showed
no signs of agitation, and as the wit
ness related the various details OF mis-
life with which he was familiar, dis
played no emotion
Seated near the defendant was two
of his sisters, while his brother, VINO
is a police officer at Mt. Pleasant, was
also present. Mrs. Alb Hood, the
mother of the woman for the taking
of whose life Willis is now on trial,
clad in deepest black, was also an in
terested spectator. Near her sat MIS-
Jim Hood, also clad in black.
But the figure that attracted most
interest, the one to whom the hearts
of the spectators went out, was. the
golden haired little girl OF the defen-
dant. She is pretty child, apparent
" four or FIVE years Of age. She sat
upon the lap of her aunts, and once
inst before the examination began IN
the afternoon, sat in the lap of her
father. A pathetic scene enacted dur
ing the morning hours was when the
attorneys for the state, pointing to the
little girl, asked the witness II she
was the child of the woman who was
shot on that fatal morning at Mt
Pleasant.
The work Of completing the jury
proved difficult, and an additional
panel of fifty had to be summoned.
This necessarily required some time
and It was IL o'clock before the jury
was sworn. 1t was evident from the
nature of the questions asked the
Jurors by the state that the common
wealth is expecting the plea of insan'
ity to be made. They questioned each
Juror regarding his prejudices
along the line of brain storms"
The jury is as follows; w /.
Wells. N. f. Dew, Charley Ferguson
J. B. Wright A. NJ Tillman, ]. Ander-
son. A. n. Gibson, J w. Moore, John
Watson C, II. Morgan, Argyle NC
Knight and Jim Roddy.
As on the previous day the staee
was represented by Attorney General
Job Garner, T, H. PEBBLES and Thos.
Forpey and the defense by attorneys