The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-06-25
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scar OH her arm except a small scar
near her LET, wrist.
He said his wife refused 20 get
breakfast for him on the morning of
the separation ana drove him away
from town. He admitted that he
. went TO Colvert's butcher shop and
that while there the Massey child
came i'm for some meat for breakfast
and that he took the meat away from
the child and would not let her carry
It to the house. Said if they could
not get breakfast for him they could
not have the meat.
Did you ever at any tine in your
life see anything wrong or improper
in the conduct of your wife,"
No. except when she was around
Young men I thought she talked too
much. and then the receipt of that
/ letter"
He admitted that his wife told him
she was getting her mail under the
name of Minnie Hood because she
thought some one else was getting her
mail
The witness said he bought the acid
70 take his own life and admitted that
he had q pistol in his pocket at the
same time.
You had the pistol to protect your
self with?'
Yes"
And the acid to kill yourself with"
Yes"
why did you want to kill yourself
and protect yourself too, or why not
use the pistol for both purposes?
Didn't you know you could shoot your
self with less PAIN"
Il didn't know"
Witness did not know why he said
to Mcdonald that Amt this the
devil?" but showing pistol This is
worse than the devil" Had no inten-
ton of killing his wife then. He
could not explain why the pistol was
worse than his wife's departure. He
admitted that his wife had told him
to get a job anywhere and send for
her and she would come but said he
did not believe her He said he went
back TO the house before the tragedy
to talk with his wife about their ar
ranging to live together again. He
was not very clear as to why he
would believe his wife on this second
occasion and not on the first
The witness was required by the
attorney general to tell the story of
the killing in detail He said he sim
ply shot his wife and did not even
give her a chance to know she was
going to be killed.
You knew everything then, exactly
what you were doing?"
Il don't know whether | did or not"
you knew her. knew Mcdonald,
remember the shooting, knew you
were shooting at hero
Il knew | was shooting"
couldn't you detail every act. and
haven't you just done so.
Il remember shooting at her.
when have you stopped loving the
memory of your wife
Never"
And yet you are tearing down her
memory and attempting to blacken
her character in your own defense?'
NO, I don't know as l have tried
to tear down her character"
What is your defense anyway?'
The attorneys for the defense OBJ
iected to this question and there was
quite an argument at the conclusion
of which the witness was turned over
to his own attorneys.
The attorney general throughout
the cross-examination had the witness
tell of showing the bottle Of acid to
different parties and telling them that
he intended taking his own life. He
then asked him if he was not prepar-
ing his own defense by this action
and getting ready for a 'brainstorm."
Mrs. Tiftner.
The witness detailed a conversation
between Mrs. Willis and other women
in which Mrs Willis said that she
and her husband had separated. That
Mr.. Willis objected to her going with
Miss Massey. but that she was not
going to give her up for him.
Mrs. Jack Wells of Mt. Pleasant,
told of the same conversation.
Charlotte pillow. colorod.
Witness told Of Mrs. Willis bring
ing a picture into the Kitchen and
stating that she had punched the eyes