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

light ut Il party ut my house on l4th
February.
MIR. a. }. Ferguson. sworn: Am the
:ni!i ~ ~ 'oha Ferguson. The .irl that
nurscd him bcl.n",rl To me. She is now
h".w""n thirty aud %thirty-fvr years old.
| have seen her h''n. HIM in The house
in n spoken of. his eyes looking
tiN'"i md h." pail. AMI unconscious. lie
would sometimes wake up screaming.
This lasted until lr WAS five years old.
Hat DR.. Jim Ma!ry to attend Kim. As
hr grew Whcr II" seemed to get over
them. | Didn't know Of any spell until
he WENT" Walhalla to school. five years
ago. brought him away because I did
not know what might b. the result. He
was ut Adg'r C".legc TOR five months let
him go to work after | had brought him
home; dill all sorts Of plantation work.
Knowing hi: disposition ~ have these
spells | tried to favor him ali | COULD.
When it was very no, "r had laboriou<
onhim in 81 "r 81. We were hauling.
logs. In l~na,iing them l.al to lift right
smart. John tumblcd over: moved him
ny side of u tree, and remained there in
n stupid. pale condition and didn't seem
W Nto" an lilhS. IL WIS uDOut wv o
hours before he was rational enough to
know which way to go. He helped us
late in the evening. When he got I'D
he started in n different direction from
home. The spell occurred about 10 4. M.
l don't think he had bccn drinking that
morning. This was before he was mar
ried. | noticed another similar spell.
| Sent him to the mill to see about some
lumber. When he came back was look
ing curious and strange. l saw some
thing was wrong with him; asked him
about the lumber and he gave me no
satisfactory answer. lie her went ont
of back door and his mother followed
him. went out of front door and
walked round end Of house. and saw him
rs he turned the ncgroe loose. Negroes
name was Tom Berry. Know Of no
trouble between Tom Berry and him
self. l saw no more spell while he was
working witt me. He worked crop to
himself after he was married. | was
gong across bottoms in very hot
weather. John WIS pl"wing and he
said TINT he believed he had give out.
| told him to go I" tho spring and get
some water AMI cool off. I won't to
spring first, anil rs he came | saw M
thing was the matter with him. He vas
not saying n word, and just as he got
opposite the spring he fell. | poured
water IN his fac" and famed him. He
did not speak for some time. and was
unconscious. | Staid with him one hour
and IL half. III. did not tnlk s"nSibly
when he did talking. He
went with mo to my house, anil plowrd
a little late in the evening. II" had n
similar spell last y Ear in the cotton patch
in July, about 10 o'clock in the day.
He said Pa, | believe am going to faint;
there looks like there is n thick cloud Of
smoke in front Of me. then took linn
in shade and he fell down and tried to
rouse him mp. but could not for about
IN hour. When | did he said he wanted
water very bad and took him to a spring
200 yards off. He didn't have any more
that day. He was stabbed in back the
18th February, 1884. 1t was 4 right
straight stick and gave him severe pain.
He ney has looked the same since the
stabhing. He looked sad and diScour-
aged; didn't look natural out Of his
eyes; held them in one position; they
looked set; hardly EVER winkcd them.
know something Of Johns drinking.
He began to drink three years ago. |
have seen him drunk Il time or two ut
my house; he has drank very heavy for
last twelve months; I have noticed il
all year, but for last two months it has
been an incessan. thing. Ever since he
was stabbed. | know Of no cause for
his drinking; ] have never allowed him
to manage his own affairs since he has
been living by himself; l have been
going there two or three times a week
for the last two months, inquiring where
he. was and where he had been; l was
afraid he was coming to town to get
whiskey and | wanted to catch up with
him; he had eresipelas very bad in his
left leg; he went to N~incty-Six to attend
a wedding and came back on Friday; h.:
was plain crazy when he came back; he
had had something to drink, and o heap
Of it; | smclt it, he was the craziest man
I ever saw in my FIFE; don't think he
room with him: tried to get him to take
thin. to eat and begged his wife not to
leave him; after ! vent to bed heard him
tell his wife that he wished he was dead
and out Of the way. Next day I came
down here to sec DR.. Malry about John.
saw John on Monday and on Tuesday;
he had been drinking then; he came to
my house and had a jug Of whiskey;
tried to conceal It; heard him say he had
q strong notion Of taking a gun and blow
ing his brains ont; I didn't see him on
Wednesday until late in the evening; I did
not knon he was to conn to town until
late in the evening; three was to be a
marriage at Mr.. Brooks'-his wifr's sis
ter; John was not to be there; l went
over and made arrangements for his
brother Tom to bring his vile to town
and for John to stay at home; ! didn't
want him TO come to town; he con-
scented to that arrangement; never heard
him say q word about Benedict; John
had carried a pistol regularly; certainly
for four or five months; he began awhile
before the election; ever since the Gufin
affair; my daughter Lizzie had fits for
six or eight months; have seer her in
many a one; would jerk and foam at the
mouth and always try to get hold Of me;
DR.. Roberts attended her, (vial contain.