A: No, sir, I did not.

Q: Did you love her?

A: Yes, I did.

*

LOVED WIFE, ZEIGLER SAYS IN DENIAL was the headline in the next day's editions of the Sentinel Star.

The story by reporter Diane Selditch began:

JACKSONVILLE—William Thomas Zeigler Jr. calmly told a packed and hushed courtroom Tuesday that he loved his wife and didn’t kill her and three other persons Christmas Eve.

"My wife and I were closer and more compatible than when we got married," the 30-year-old defendant said in a controlled voice mirroring his emotionless demeanor during the trial of more than three weeks.

According to that account, Zeigler remained composed even through Eagan's cross-examination.  The state's first chance to confront its accused began without preliminaries:

Q (EAGAN): When you got shot and went down on the floor did you lie on your back or did you lie on your stomach?

A (ZEIGLER): Mr. Eagan, I can't tell you how I was laying on the floor.

Q: You heard Mattie Mays say when you were at her house you had a conversation with Charles Mays.  "Do you still want me to come down there tonight?"  And you said, "Yes."  Is Mattie Mays lying?

A: Mr. Eagan, the only thing that I said to them was, "Have a Merry Christmas."

Q: Mattie Mays was a liar?

A: I'm not calling Mattie Mays a liar.  I'm just saying that conversation did not take place between Charlie Mays and myself.

Q: Mary Stewart said you called her and told her some poppycock story about "We're all going to get our guns taken away from us," and you wanted to buy a couple to make sure that didn't happen, untraceable guns.  Was she a liar?

A: Mr. Eagan, I never had that conversation with Mary Stewart.

Q: Frank Smith said that he was contacted by Edward. He talked to you on the telephone.  He bought two guns for you and talked to you about them.  Edward Williams brought the money to him and took the guns from him.  Is he a liar?

A: Mr. Eagan, I never had a conversation with Frank Smith and never asked him to buy me any guns whatsoever.