The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-01-12
WAITING FOR THE VERDICT.
The Untimely End of n Tennessee Collector
of Taxes.

81 had to do it-ycs, had to do it"
to the jury. 'It was a matter of self
Defence"
"Did this plaintiff here, whom you
had shot twice, draw any wcapon2"
asked the lawyer.
81 don't say as he did,"
"Was he about too"
II don't say ashe was. Deed, p! guess
he didn't have no wecpins with him"
"But you plead self.dcfcnce."
"Sartin, I do. I went off thar in
fras tea and lean bacon all winter. This
spring got in a few hills of corn and tn.
tiers, and 1 kinder got track of several
bee trees, and kept my eyes peeled fur
coon tracks. Things begun to look as if
we had seen the wust. The ole woman
was reckonin' on a new kaliker, and I
was plannin' to git my ole rifle fixed.
when when"
Here the prisoner seemed overcome
by his emotions, and it was two or three
minutes before he could continue:
"Well, l might a-knowcd tina some
calamity would come along sooner or
later and kick the skillet off the Chin
bly,. 1 was always a poor crittcr-poor,
but strivin' to be white all the way
through"
Proceed" said the lawyer after the
prisoner had wept some more.
81 sot out there on a log, kinder
hopin' that the corn and taters wouldn't
grow fast huff to keep me from goin'
tishin', and the old woman she was
smokin' limweed in her pipe and won
derin' if the children had freed mother
coon, when-when this ERE Teller what
got shot swooped down like one o'them
sighcloncs. All was changed in one
mint. All was"
They let him have a few minutes to
crowd down his feelings, and he went
on:
she didn't make any bones about it,
tall. He axes if my name was Dan'l
Scott, and I says it was. He axes if I
owned the farm. and I gin it to him
straight. Then he pulls out a paper
and says:
"'Dan'l, Pm cum fur
"sFur what2'
""The taxes
"'What taxes?'
"'State and county, DAHL: We can't
run this ERE best kentry on airth and
her Liberty and Union and q Fourth of
July every year without money. Them
as owns land must pay taxes
".Neverr says /. The tyrant don't
live as kin put his foot on the neck of
Dan'l Scottp
"'But you must pay says he, OF I'll
have to sell you OUT
"Wall, gents, that was threats. That
was drivin' me to the wall. The ole
woman begun cryin', the children cum
up and sniveled, and corn and taters and
bee trees and coon tracks and bright
prospects all went to the dogs. Icouldn't
no T couldn't"
Couldn't what, Mr.. Scott?"
"Call me Dan'l, onless you want to
hurt my feelins. I meant I couldn't
put up with no SIGH threats of assassina-
shun. The old woman sneaked the dou-
ble-bar'ld shotgun over the brush fence,
and l popped away, and popped to kill.
Yes. gents. I'm tellin' you the solemn
truth, and I want to ak if there's q free
born American citizen and Tennessee
patriot among you who wouldn't hev
did that very same?"
At last accounts the jury was still out.
elevator accidents kill more people
than boilor explosions do" says the
american Machinist, which wants q law
compelling the periodical inspection of
passenger elevators. with q clause pro-
hibiting Youths under 10 years of age
from operating them made general aud
applied to freight elevators.
y Na.f - "