Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-04
BULLARD, ON STAND,
TELLS DETAILS Of
HOW HE WAS SHOT
Mrs. Billiards. Face Lined
by Worry Husband Says
Edwards Alone Knew
Where Gun Was
BY RALPH SMITH
tStaff Correspondent JOurnaD

MARIETTA. Ga, Oct. ga jury
Of Cobb county farmers is sitting
in judgment here today on the case
Of Sim Edwards, who is charged
with assault with intent to murder
D. d. Billiard, farmer from near
Powder Springs. last July.
Mrs. Ruth Billiard, wife of the
victim of the alleged assault, will
be arraigned on a similar charge
at the conclusion of Edwards trial.
1t is alleged by the state that an
Illicit intimacy between Edwards
and Mrs. Billiard furnished the mo-
tive for the shooting of Mr.. Billiard
on the night of July 8.
The case is being heard before
Judge D. w. Blair, of the superior
court of the Blue Ridge circuit So
hcitor John A. Wood, assisted by
MoZely & Gam, appear as prose
cutting attorneys. The firm Of Nor
ris, Hawkins & Morris represent the
defendant.
Crowd Includes Women
Attracted by the sensational eIe-
ment involved in the trial. a crowd
that taxes the capacity of the Ma
rietta courthouse is in attendance.
Many women are among those pres
ent. but for the most part, the audi.
ence is composed of farmers.
While most of the morning was de-
voted to the selection of the j,.ry, the
calling of some forty or fifty wit
nesses for prosecution and defense
served to break the monotony.
Mrs. Billiard, who is to appear as
witness for the defense, was the
center of interest when she appeared
in answer to her name, when called
by former Judge Newt Morris. She
is small, frail, little woman, with
rather pretty features, marked by
evidences of worry and nervous
ness.
In the selection of the jury eight
veniremen went off the list for cause,
nine were struck by the state and
nineteen were excused because of ex-
ception by the defendant.
Names OF Jurors
The jury as selected follows: Rob-
ert Marble, foreman; A. G.. Hollificld,
&. {. Ireland, J. M. Finley, Cliff
Harris, w. L. Hicks, H. +. Wade
John B. Collins. r. N. Arnold, r. r.
Strickland, Z. e. Hill, Z. o. Brown.
From the number of witnesses, the
care with which the jury was select.
ed and the alertneSs of both prose
cutting and defense attorneys, it is
apparent that the case will be hotly
contested It is believed that some
three or four days may be REQUIRED
for its disposition.
D. d. Billiard, victim of the shoot.
ing, was the first witness called by
the state. Judge Morris, of counseI
for he defense, challenged his right
to testify and asserted that since he
is the husband of Mrs. Billiard. his
testimony was incompetent He con
tended that the state has built its
case upon the assumption that Mrs.
Billiard and the defendant, Edwards
are guilty Of a conspiracy, although
they have been indicted separately
and are to be tried separately. He
stated also that the solicitor general.
In his summons to the jury, alleged
that illicit relations between Ed
wards and Mrs. Billiard were the
motive for the crime He recited
court decisions in support of his con.
tentions that Billiard was an incom.
petent witness.
Objection Overruled
Judge Blair overruled the obiec-
ton, and Solicitor Wood took the
witness in hand for direct examina-
ton.
After the usual formalities OF get
ting his name, his age and place Of
residence, Billiard said he had been
married nearly five years. On the
evening of July 8, he recited, he
went TO bed about 7:S0, about ten
minutes after his wife had gone to
bed. He recalled only few in.
stances prior to this time in which