Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-26
FATHER DENIES
MRS. BULLARD IS
ON HUNGER STRIKE
Billiard Files Divorce Suit,
Naming Edwards as Co.
respondent-Eary Trials
in Shooting Case Unlikely
BY BRYAN COLLIER
(Staff Correspondent of The Journal

(Staff Correspondent of The Journal
POWDER SPRINGS, Ga, July %.
7. A. Burnett, father of Mrs. Ruth
Burnett Billiard, who is jointly ac-
cused with Sim Edwards. a neighbor.
of assault with intent to murder
her husband, d. d. Billiard, as he
lay asleep in their farmhouse home
on the night of July 8, Tuesday in
dignantly denied reports to the eff
feet that his daughter was staging
hunger strike" to avoid appearing
in Marietta for trial.
Monday, when the cases against
Edwards, and Mrs. Billiard were
scheduled for trial at Marietta, the
woman did not appear in court, and
her attorneys introduced testimony
TO show she was physically unable to
attend. On this showing, Judge d.
w. Blair, presiding, issued an order
continuing both cases indefinitely.
Eager to Eat, Says Father
When the order was issued, the
courtroom was packed with Cobb
county folk who had come for miles
and had been in their seats since
court opened at o'clock, eagerly
awaiting developments in the case.
As they filed out many expressed
then selves openly as skeptical re-
garding Mrs. Billiards. illness, and
there were rumors of a hunger
strike,'' that she had purposely
weakened herself by abstaining from
food to avoid appearing for trial.
Mr.. Burnett, at his home here, in
d1Snantly denied these reports. He
said his daughter had been practical
~ starved for about ten days because
her system would not retain even
the most delicate foods, and that she
was growing steadily weaker under
the strain, but declared she had at
tempted to eat and was eager to re-.
gain her strength SO that she might
defend herself against the charges
against her.
Line of Defense
At the same time he gave the
first intimation of the line of de-
Tense Mrs. Billiard will make when
she finally is put on trial, en-
phatically denying previous state
ments attributed to his daughter in
which she was quoted as saying
she saw the form of man leaving
their bedroom Immediately after the
shot was fired that came so near
taking her husbands life.
''The report that my daughter is
refusing to take food to avoid APP
pearing for trial is untrue" said
Mr.. Burnett. "She is in an ex-
tremeIy weak and nervous condi-
ton, and seems. to be getting worse,
but her condition is due solely to
the nervous shock that she has
suffered by the attack on her hus-
band and by these terrible charges.
''She does not want food and we
have prepared every delicacy we
could think of to help her rebuild
her strength. She tries to eat. but
her system will retain nothing. She
seems to me to be gradually vast
ing away. 1 don't know what we
will do.
"All that has been said in this
case so far has been on the other
side. People don't know our side
and we are not ready to make a
statement yet. We will do that at
the proper time.
Mrs. Billiards. Story
$50 many utterly false reports
have been circulated. My daughter
has been quoted as saying she saw
man leave the room after the
shot was fired. That is not true,
she never said that. She has told
me all about the affair, all that
she knows.
''The first she knew of an attempt
to take Mr.. Billiards. life was when
she was awakened by the explosion
of the gun almost in her face, be-
cause she was sleeping with her hus-
band. She never saw anybody leave
the room; she was almost blinded by
the explosion, and it was several
minutes before she could move.
"She tells me her husband got
out of the bed first and that she
then went with him to the dining
room, where they found the gun.
They both, went together to the
home of his father. That is all she
knows.
Throughout the interview Mr..
Burnett seemed to be holding him
self in check. Several times he seem !
ed ready to say something further
and suddenly stopped. Attorneys for
the young woman evidently have ad-
vised him not to talk. He resOlutely
refused to allow reporters to see
Mrs. Billiard, stating she, was con-
fined to her bed and that he feared
the least excitement would throw
her into a state of hysteria mad
make her condition worse.
RULLARD SEEKS DIVORCE
FROM HIS ACCUSED WIFE
MARIETTA, Ga, July 25.-Suit
for divorce from Mrs. Ruth Burnett
Mullard was filed Wednesday IN
pine Ridge circuit court by counsel
for d. D. Billiard, Powder Springs
farmer. who was shot as he slept
the night Of July 9. The petition
charges infidelity cruelty and en-
terfng into conspiracy to end his
life.