Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-06-27


these words, and said ssyour mother may have
been decent or respectable woman, but your
| conduct has made or proved You to be such.'
Hockenbury was standing at the door with the
! gun at his lett side. He lifted the gun into
| his hands, when Thompson spoke of the caps.
| Thompson called Hockenbury a id papist,
and after that word was spoken, Hocke injury
| stepped inside of the door. After the gun
| was fred saw Hockenbury pass up the street.
| As he passed down over the steps, he said,
ssmaybe you'll mind, attend to yonr own
business after this.'' Saw the blood gushing
| from Thompson's mouth-saw him fall off the
end of the porch, and afterwards picked up.
! Branson Davis, e-called.-James Stirk and
two others brought gun into ny bar-room on
the forenoon of the same day Thompson was
shot. The gun was placed behind the bar
| took no particular notice whether it remained
| there all day. Hockenbury had no gun when
| he came.
Richard S. Ellis, sw.-I heard Hockenbury
say if John Thompson did not quit abusing
| him he would shoot bim-he would kill him
| dead. Heard him make the threats two or
three times-were made within year.
X.-DiGn't think the threat would be car.
ried out-didn't think they would carry the
dispute SO far. Hockenbury had been wit
ness in the Conner suit, and on that account,
| he said, Thompson abused hm-that Thomp-
son charged him with having sworn falsely in
|
| enbury. Last conversation / had with Hook
enbury was in the fore part of last winter. He
was considerably excited about it. He is al
ways q nervous man.
Jacob Smith sworn.-Heard Hockenbury
make threats. He said at one time if Thomp-
| son didn't leave him alone he would shoot him
| if he was the last man living. He said about
| the same thing at another time. Thompson
was working with me at the time, and Hook
| enbury asked how he was getting along. He
| said he was afraid of Thompson, and this was
the first time he had no gun with him. This
conversation was in last February. The other
was six weeks or two months before that.
Kin the first conversation he asked me
| whether l had heard Thompson make any
threats-told him not. Heard him called ssdev-
| il John Thompson
Samuel Sunderlin, sw.- Saw Hockenbury on
the day Thompson was killed-on the River,
on raft. Saw no gun with him. Saw him
above Lumber-cty.
X.-He was on the raft as hand. Thomp-
son was on a rafs between the one Hockenbury
was on and the one was on.
Commonwealth rests.
The case on the part of the prisoner was
then opened by Fl. b. Swoope, Esq, who al
luded to his age, the circumstances of his en-
igration, when boy, to this county, the man
ner in which he was raised, his mental condi-
tion, and the fatal occurrence, defined the
y
defence his counsel intended making.
Andrew Graham, sw.-On the 9Th of Febru-
ary, 1860, was at Brant Davis tavern, in
Lumber City, standing with my back to the
stove, looking out at the door, when saw
man reach another man gun. Didn't know
either of the parties then. A little after,
hearing noise on the porch, saw John
Thompson standing on the steps in front of
the house, saw him lift his coat skirts and tell
Hockenbury to shoot him, as be had heard he
had threatened to shoot him, and id him to
do it now. He then stepped up onto the porch
and called Hockenbury God hell
deserving, God id son of a b-h, and a pa
pist into the bargain. Hockenbury said he
was liar. Thompson didn't seem to mind
him. but went on with his discourse, saying
he didn't impute his decent mother with be-
ing b-h, but his own low, id deeds and
actions proved him so. Hockenberry then
lifted the gun into his two hands, drew back
the hammer of the gun and then left it down
again. Thompson told him to look if the cap
was in order and if not he would buy him q
box. He then started into the door and said,
eco, John, let me alone.a Thompson said
eJohn, God id you, if you say John to me,
ssI'll kick you to hell and back again if you
had 100 guns.'' Thompson was following him
towards the door when he said this. When
Thompson came within little piece of the
door, he turned his side towards the door, his
face up the river. The next thing l saw was
the muzzle OF the gun pointed out at the door;
heard the report of the gun. Thompson lifted
his hand, put it on his breast and said he was
shot man. Saw him vomit blood. Saw him
stagger toward the end of the porch and fall
off the porch. When went off the porch,
Hockenbury was few steps ahead of me.
soon overlook him. Met man named Shem
White and another man-stopped to tell them
what had happened. Hockenbury got a few
steps ahead of me, but soon overlook him.
Here the Commemorative counsel object to
the witness repeating the declarations of the
prisoner after the killing; the Court sustain
ed the objection, and the counsel for defence
ask that a bill of exceptions be filed.
X.-After Thompson had turned his face
away from Hockenbury, no words passed be-
tween them. Wouldn't suppose Thompson to
be 2.fect from the mnzzle of the gun. James
Hockenberry received the gun from the man
on the outside of the door.
John HARRISON, sw.-The general tenor of
the testimony of this witness went to corrobo-
rate that of the preceding one. Whilst
Thompson was dining him to shoot, she gun
went off.
1.-Two or three seconds elapsed before
the gun went of.
Clempson Davis, sw.-When came out OF
my fathers house, saw Hockenbury and his
brother Joseph sitting on the bench on the
porch. Soon Mr.. Stirk and David Hockenbu-
ry came down off the hill with the gun in his
hand. James Hockenbury stepped up to the
door, and took the gun in his hand and was
looking at it. Then Thompson came out of
the bar-room, and walked on the boards to-
wards Curbys. He was talking about the tim
Der on the other side of the River. Thomp-
son then walk on to the porch and talked to the
men. Hockenbury in the meantime was talk
ing to David Hockenbury and Stirk. Then
Thompson began to swear at Hockenbury to
shoot him. He then squared himself and
pulled up his coat-tail, and swore at him to