The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1855-01-17

''hd we can guess the rest. If you.
gentlemen, should see me point Il
gun alta man and pull the trigger, Sc.
the flash and hear the report, and at
the same time see the man drop, !
think you would say that shot him,
although you might not see the bail
strike him.
"Now, the fact is, gentlemen, that
on Sunday, was lying ON my lounge
i'll my hou c, when my wife said to
me that Doddcr was chasing nv
COWS. jumped Up and pulled on
my boots and went out of doors, and
saw Doddcr and the cows coming up
the road. 1t i, true he says he was
not driving them but says he and
the COWS was both going along the
road in one direction, and this was as
near rs could get him to the COWS or
the truth; but it is proved that the
COWS were going ahead Of him. and he
was following after them, striking at
them, with this little switch, 10 feet
long aud inches across the butt, and
| reckon you'll think he was ''driving,'
them. sung out to him, "Doddcr'
stop but he didn't obey my order,
and just threw IL stone in that dircc
ton, which went about 10 feet over
his head, at the same time going to.
ward me. He paid no attention, and
| sung out again, "Dvddcr, s,op!" still
he didn't mind me, and then just
threw another stone; but on he came,
and on | went, and threw the third
stone, which he says hit him in the
back OF his neck, but winch | think i,
rather strange, rs We were coming to
ward each other as fast Us we couii
go. But he never Stacked up, and by
this time we were within about eight
feet OF each other. halted and hul
Tered at tic top Of my voice, "DodLer,
Why in -- don't you stop!" about
hen he did stop, and raised this
10 foot switch, as if to strike me
sang "ut-"Mr. Dodder, look out.
You may wollup my cows, but if YOU
wo!!np me with that switch, you'll
woilup an animal that IL hook" Here
the o'a'or made an appropriate gcs
! tnrc of the head, rs in the act of hook.
my, which w:is followed with tumu,-
tn"us shouts and laughter, that COLI
tinued several minutes.
Now, gentlemen, ifyou convict me,
this Court can fine me $3.50 and
jug me for six months. aud if YOU
really think | ought to lie convicted
OF this assault, say SO for am in ia
v"r of living up to the laws, rs long IL
they arc laws, whether it is the Fun,
tive Slave Law, the Nebraska bill or
the Excise Laws. will read vou
II little law, however, which have
just seen in a book found hcre-(tI.c
speaker here picked upa law book and
read rs to!i"ws:) ''l;vcry man has
a ri4ht to defend himself from pc.
s"naI violence" Now don't know
whether that is law or not, but find i,
IN Il law book, Il veteran member OF
the bar who MAS sitting near the
S cakcr, remarked to him tha, it VIII,
good law. Well, gentlemen, h,rc is
an old man, who looks rs if he might
known something, and he says lhis
Is good law. Now if YOU will turn to
Barbour something, page 800, you'll
ind that the same doctrine is applied
to cattie-tgrrat laugh,cr.) Therefore
take it, had a right TO defend my
COWS against Doddcr's 10 foot switch.
Why, gentlemen, nearly all m,
wealth is invested in them 3 COWS, and
you can't wonder that became a Ii,
Tie excited when saw Duddcr switch.
ing them with his ten foot pole. am
Il poor man, and have Il large family
consisting of Il wife and six children,
which reckon is doing pretty well
Tor as small Il man as am, and
could not afford to let Doddcr kill nv
COWS.
Now, gentlemen, don't believe
you'll convict me, after what have
sad. But if you do, and this Cour;
fines me $3.50, :" shall repudia,e, -
because "can't pay" And if I'm
juggcd for six months. why these
Duddcfs will have it all their own
way up there. But Notwithstanding
all this, am willing to risk myself in
your hands, aid if You think ought
to have stood by and not done any.
thing, when ! saw Doddcr hammcrinu
my cows, why then | am "gone in,"
toll gate and all.
It's true, | am a poor man, but not
mean one. The name of Alcrton
can be traced TO the May Flower,
when she landed the pilgrims on Ply
mouth Rock, among the passengers
was a widow, Mrs. Aller,on, with
four a,hcrlcss children, and am de
scended from that Puritan stock; and
from that day to this, there has never
lived an AIlerton who hadn't Yankee
spirit enough to stop Doddrr for
polling his COWS. Pm done. (Herc
the laughing and shouting were cx-
cccdingly boisterous, in which all par.
ticipated, and it was several minutes,
despite the repeated cries Of "order,
order,' by the court, before order
could be restored. Our eloquent and
!