The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-02-11

'o' ~ IN hiOIo Iudu uIlCen OF
twenty minutes |; one morning al the
breakfast tnble-hc was boarding at NV
hnusc-he was similarly affected be
came pale and lost his intelligence. and
was taken from the table lasted a very
short while.
CrOss-examined-When over the
spells he seemed all right again : he
sometimes asked to be excused from re-
citations rs he was unable to prepare
them on account Of some peculiar feel
ing IN his head ut all other times he
was sane when spell was on him he
was not demonstratiAc it never came to
my knowledge he was drinking when in
Walhalla.
ke-dlrcct-I came to Abbeville on
other business and met Mr.. Ferguson
and told HIM what l knew Of these
spells.
Lewis Bclchcr. colorcd, sworn |
live at Mr.. Jack F~crguSon's have often
seen John working in the field with the
other boys; John ind | were pioughing
together year before last and John tum-
blcd down rigth on the ground : he put
his hands to his face and said Oh nv
head said he would be oil right di-
rectly; | went two rounds and he
then started on round with his horse
again then went to the spring and got
some water ; Joe and Tom were both
there.
Joseph B.. Ferguson, sworn Am
brother Of John Ferguson was present
III the woods when spell spoken Of by
my father was on John :; he dropped
down and didn't say any thing he was
unmarried; it was in January sometime,
rainy and muddy he lay there about
five minutes. and then got up nnd stag
Scrcd round and said his head was hurt
ing powerful bad ; l left him and father
in woods and went. IN to mill | saw
him once before in n similar fix about
eight years ago we were hoeing cotton
and John fell down and Staid awhile,
when he got up and wen to the shade !;
three years ago | was in yard when
John walked up and collarcd Tom Berry
and told me to hand him the AK he
wanted to kill that negro; | had the AK
IN my hand he gave no reason for
wanting to kill the negro; | knew Of no
trouble betwcen John and Tom Berry !:
don't know whether he was drinking or
not he looked pale and foolish about
n month before Christmas my brother
and myself foun! him lying in Ills piaz-
"a inscnSlhlc this vas about . 81. IN. .:
it was half an hour bctori. cu,:i;i get
him reused mp; when hr got ~, IL. com
planned Of his h"al about II week Oc-
fore he went to E~inrtv-Six | went to his
house from town !; he seemed wrong in
some way said lie was going to kill
himself, and wcht into the house and
got his pistol which took from him :;
he had been carrying n pistol FOR seven
or eight months to my knowledge; he
has been drinking n good deal since
he was stabbed !; and more in the last
three months than he had done NIL the
year was with him at Nincty-Six was
drinking when / got there John went
to see DR.. Wcnck, who rubbed his leg
with something, and as we started away
gave him q drink Of what | thought was
whiskcy; John was drinking when we
left Ninety-SiX. but soon he let the lines
drop and Tom drove the rest Of the way {;
he had not been drinking that morning
that knew of he ann nome on Fri
day and when he got there he didn't
have a bit Of sense.
Cross-exainincd-He was under the
influence of whiskev when he came from
Ninety-SiX nobody lived with him ex-
cept his family ; l don't think he was
drunk the day he wanted to kill Tom
Berry saw-mill he was sent to-was not
in the direction Of town.
Mrs. Mary Kennedy, sworn l live
at Ninety-Six, two miles from the town !;
the wedding took place at my house !;
am aunt of John Ferguson +; his appear
ance attracted my attention and | saw
there was something wrong with him
when he got ont of the buggy he looked
different from what | had always seen
him /; he talked and acted strange next
day all the time he was down there he
looked strange there was no whiskcy
in my house. except some for silla-bub :;
no whiskey is sold in Ninety-Six it is
n dry town.
Mrs. Carrie Richcy, sworn ain the
step-daughter of Mr.. B. d. Barksdale
the uncle Of Ferguson :; | was six years
old when my mother married Mr.. Banks
dale; he lived fifteen years after mar
riage lived in Mississippi till 1872 at
times he drank very hard, would then
be delirious, gather his arms and say he
was going to kill some one ; no one
could control him except myself and
would make him go to bed after-hc
quit drinking he continued to have
them come chiefly at night !; ON one
occasion he attempted to cut down and
burn up his own house was away from
home Il good deal when 1 came back
here, but saw him have several fits.
Cross-cxamined-I and my mother
and John Smith sometimes saw him ;
I don't think j.. II. Barksdalc ever saw
him.
Thos. F. Ferguson, sworn Am
brother Of John John drove the horses
into Sincty-Six and | drove them back
John looked pale and dropped the lines :
| was with Joe when we found him in
sensible on the piazza said he believed
he was going to die. and he believed he
would have died if his wife hadn't got
there ; John told me he was obliged to
drink, because he thought he was going
to die.
Cross.examined-He never was at
home under the influence Of whiskey
I think he had some whiskey at Ninety
Six.
Tom Berry, colored, sworn Lived