Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-21
To KILL.
EVERYBODY IN ROOM.
SAYS YOUNG ABBOTT
Emotional Insanity Is Plea of
Defense = State Rests
= Case After Calling Eight
Witnesses to Stand

Setting up the dual claim OF
emotional insanity and self-defense,
Mrs. Stella Abbott, on trial in the
Fulton superior court for the kill
ing of her husband, John Henry Alb
I bolt, on January 81, took the stand
Thursday afternoon to make her
unsworn statement to the jury, She
read her statement after objections
interposed by Solicitor General John
A. BOykin had been overruled by
Judge John D. HUMPHREYS.
Mrs. Abbott was on the verge of
collapse as she began to read. Tears
flowed down her cheeks and her
father, sister and two little sons,
who sat inside the bar railing, Wept
with her. while several women III
the crowd of spectators which filled
the court room sobbed in sympathy.
She had been preceded on the wit
ness stand by her father, L. II.
Fem, and her little son, Pierce,
aged twelve years, both of whom
were in the room when the fatal
shooting occurred. Mr.. Fem had
told of how ohm Abbott tried to
gain possession of the piston after
he had told his wife of his relations
with Miss Mary Powers, while the
little boy had related how his Ia
Their had threatened to kill every
body in the room" at the close of
the stormy interview over the tden3
UP on the telephone.
The defense had introduced tes-
timony to substantiate the claim
that Mrs. Abbott was the victim OF
recurrent periods of insanity result
ing from latter childbirth mania"
Two physicians were placed on the
stand to swear that they had treat
ed Mrs. Abbott for this malady on
various occasions and that recon-
mondation had been made several
years ago that she be placed in the
state hospital for the insane at Mill
ledgeVille.
The def9lse also introduced evil
dence tending to show that Mrs.
Abbott and her husband engaged in
a scuffle for the possession of the
weapon with which the fatal wound
was inflicted and that he attempted
to seize the pistol before his wife
Snatched it away and shot him. The
witness used to establish this con-
tention was L. H. Fem. father of
the defendant, who was in the room
at the Abbott home, SO Bass street,
when the shooting occurred.
In answer 10 a hypothetical QueS-
ton prorounded by Attorney Reuben
r. Arnold, counsel for Mrs. Abbott,
DIR. 3. Il Pierce, who also had at
tended the defendant. testified that
Mrs, Abbott might have shot her
husband during a period Of emotional
insanity brought on by the discovery
that her husband had been atten-
tive to another woman.
Both DR.. 3. E. Pierce and DR.. M. T.
Benson, in reply to direct questions
It xN,, (NNrN
eral John A. Boykin. declared that
in their opinion Mrs. Abbott was
mentally irresponsible when she fir
ed the shot that caused her hus-
bands death.
1T was brought out in the testi-
testified rs alienists and general
practitioners, that "after-childbirth-
mania" is not uncommon and that
it makes the victim subject to
the contention of the defense that
Mrs. Abbott was subject to this
malady.
Just before the state rested it's
case at 1925 Thursday morning,
several witnesses were introd, ed
derce presented W. 7nesday. Mrs
M. c. Mcintyre, who. with her hus-
band, Loarded at the Abbott hone,
terrified that on the night of the
killing Mrs. Abbott grew furious
after having answered n telephone
call to her husband; that she secur-
cd a pistol, sent for her father, L..
RI. Fem, and that more than an hour
afer the pistol was produced, the
shooting occurred.
Call Officers Davis and Assistant
Chief Jet were also called to testify
as to Mrs. Abbott's statements i'm
mediately after her arrest.
Testimony concerning the quarrel
between Mrs. Abbott and her hus-
band, precipitated by the telephone
cal1 of Mary Powers, occupied the
first hour of the trial Thursday
by Mrs. c. M. Mcintyre, wife OF the
young man who testified Wednesday
afternoon, and who with her husband
roomed at the Abbott home, 63 Bass
street, when the shooting occurred
On January 27. She testified that
gument for an hour or more, follow
ing the third telephone call, before
the shot was fired. She and her hus-
band did not see the shooting, as
they had withdrawn to their room
and closed the door.
Mrs. Abbott again avs dressed if
black, as on Wednesday. She sat
between her sister, Mrs. Myrtice
Reese, and her friend, Mrs. Edward
Rives. Her two young sons, Henry
and Pierre, occupier seats near her.
Fer father, i. H. Fem, sat across
10" the defense, Reuben R. Arnold
and Edmund w. Martin. Instead of
sitting erect, as on Wednesday, she
leaned forward with her face in her
hands.
Immediately after Edleman had
finished his testimony Judge Hum
phries adjourned court until 9 O o'clock
Friday morning.