Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-18

husband) does not love me-" In ten
minutes [ had told this to Mr.. Jor-
dan. and her. remark proves conclu-
sively whether Mrs. McNiece
thought ] was coveting her OF
course, l could not have proved this
by Mr.. Jordan in court for the sim
pie reason that it was hearsay evil
dence and inadmissible. That is
where ! made another grave error
in trying to keep matters secret,
but [ am not ashamed of the senti-
ment which prompted it. We put up
no witnesses in order to retain the
concluding argument, but / chal-
lenged the state to put them up and
disprove one word of my statement
on the stand.
Meeting With Mrs. COart
On the day of the shooting, after
going direct from our home to the
courthouse, and ministering tender
ly to McNiece for nearly two hours,
Mrs. Coart came down to the Jail to
see me for perhaps five minutes, and
asked me why L had shot him. 1
said, Rose, you know why | shot
McNiece just well as L do. [ went
there this morning to tell him he
had to stay away from you and my
home as long as I remain here. He
tainted, abused and threatened me
until it was beyond human en-
durance to bear" Almost her first
remorseful remark was, "Oh, Lee,
why didn't you shoot me instead,
for I was responsible for it alp
To my mind, these remarks of the
respective ladies show more clearly.
than anything else my position in
the matter, and those remarks were
made, as God is my Judge.
At the time of my trial, mis-
guided and misinformed journalistic
maverick published an editorial in
the Columbus Enquirer-Sun, ex-
coriating my witnesses and neigh
bors, accusing them Of backyard
gossip and deliberately blaming them
as the cause of the tragedy. In jus
tice to them, L wish to state that
not one of them was guilty of this
fault; they merely gave me. their
confederation of facts which l knew,
solely and entirely at my seeking,
often even reluctantly, but always
as my true friends. At that time
wrote a, defense Of these good peo-
pie, but my counsel did not favor
my carrying the case into print in
any way.
[ challenge and invite any person
to investigate these facts prOmis-
cuously among the people of this
county [ doubt if the other side
would offer this invitation unless
they could confine such investiga-
ton to a very small group of family
and political influences.
Despite this awful sentence, I'M
just on account Of actual facts, still
imposed by the courts which l re
| spect, 1 have the comfort and cheer
of the friendship of about 80 per cent
of the people among whom I have
lived for the past five years; every
one of my neighbors for a mile along
| the road, where we lived are my
| friends and were named as my wit
| nesSes; the two ministers of the
! gospel who were here at that time
are my friends. My witnesses were
| not put up for reasons already ex-
planned.
L believe with all my soul that
God is not dead" and that some
| day in the future 1 shall yet walk
among men and women free and
respected citizen, when others re-
sponsible for my present plight will
stand discredited, as they deserve.
| One of these minister friends of
mine has told me that in making his
trips over this county he finds that
fully 90 per cent of every one he
meets are my friends.
my head is bloody but still un-
bowed and l leave the matter fear
lessly to the future.
i. H. COART.