Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-16
COART'S TESTIMONY
FEATURE OF TRIAL
Continued from Page One.)

FEAT URE Of TRIAL
Continued from Page One)
grace on my home and yours. 1
then went home and warned my
wife that I had forbidden McNiece
to come to my home again. I told
her these illicit relations had to
stop"
81 realized" he continued, "that
was dealing with man who had
violated every sacred obligation Of
confidence and friendship" He told
of having told this terrible story"
to Jim Jordan, adding that he did
not tell the worst of it. He told it
to John McGehC also,j he declared,
He said that McGehee said: Lee,
this thing is too critical. I can not
advise you. What I might say for
you to do in this case might be too
sibility."
Denies Mrs. McNiece's Story
Referring to the testimony Mon
day of Mrs. McNiece, Coart said: 81
hardly think it necessary to enter
into a discussion of OF offer to ex-
plain. Mrs. McNiece's story as told
on the stand Monday afternoon. 1
think somebody else is responsible
for this story. All the accusations
in it. are false. The story is un-
true
Throughout the trial, Coart has
been most gentlemanly in his atti-
tude towards Mrs. McNiece, evidenc-
ing great respect for her, but seem
ing to wish to give the impression
that she was not responsible for the
story she told.
Story of Tragedy
Coming to the day Of the tragedy,
Coart gave this account: "Going to
see McNiece was only one of the
things I had planned to do the
morning; of the tragedy. I went to
his office first. He was not there. I
then went to Mr.. Pinkston's office,
!! and in a few minutes / heard Nc
Niece coming in. I went into his
office and again warned him about
violating his promises. H, said:
Look here, major, what's your
game? Hereafter our pathways
shall be as far apart as possible.
Talk continued, he said, until Nc
Niece exclaimed: "I believe all these
things you have been telling me are
pack OF c. d lies, and I
have taken all expect to take off
you. He then arose from his chair,
white with anger. I thoughthe had
a knife. shot him."
Says Widow Opposed Prosecution
Coart then spoke pathetically of
how he loved his wife and his home.
81 did everything in the world a
man could do to avoid this tragedy.
Nobody in the world regrets it as
I do. When I entered the United
States army, / tried to be a man.
and there is no blot on my record
as a soldier. / am now As years
old, and if all the sorrows offmy life
could be piled upon me, they would
not equal what have gone through
during the past year"
Coart said that a short time after
the shooting, Tom Butt told him that
Mrs. McNiece was lying on cot
downstairs and had told him (Butt)
that she did not want Coart prose
cuted.
'I regret this thing more than
anybody in the world. The blood of
my body prompted me o~be a man,
and / ask you in the name Of God
and of justice to see and under
stand"
Love and jealousy, anger and a
desire for another mans wife were
in the picture painted by the prose
cution late yesterday in it's opening
battle to send Coart to the gallows.
Mrs. Estelle McNiece, widow of the
slain man, threw thunderbolt into
the ranks of the defense and set
this little town agog when she took
the witness stand and told Of an al
legged "unwelcomed infatuation" she
said the accused man had for her.
Coart went to trial with his lips
sealed since the killing, refusing to
indicate why he fatally shot his
friend, the school superintendent.
Before his death McNiece refused to
tell authorities why he had been
shot, saying that sit was a personal
matter, and I don't care to discuss
it,"
This led to the belief that the de-
Tense would be based on the "un-
written law" and Mrs. McNiece's
testimony turning the tables, came
as complete surprise.
81 started to leave" she told the
jury, in describing a visit to the
Coart home to see Mrs. Coart. "He
(OoarD intercepted me between tho
library table and the door. Catch
ing me in hig arms, he kissed me-"
These words fell like bombshell
upon the startled crowd that packed
the little court room as the pretty
widow, clad in becoming black,
spoke. She told Of her affection for
the accused mans wife, how the two
families had been close friends for
several years, and of her discovery
of Coart's |"unreasoning infatuation."
At the time she alleges Coart kiss
ed her, she had called at his resi-
dence to see Mrs. Coart about
church entertainment. Coart led her
into the house, sh. said, before he
explained his wife was away. He in