The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-08-06
HOW TlLLMAN LOST HIS EYE.
A True Version Of the Matter Giyen by
Himself.

YoRKvILLE, S. c., July 24.-The En-
uuirer SAYS: Several stories, purporting
to explain how Captain Tillman lost his
eve, are going the rounds of the press.
One is to the effect that he lost it study
ing Greek by a lightwood fire, and an
other that diving In stream ne struck
his head on arock at the bottom. Ac-
cording to Captain Tillman's own state
ment neither version is correct.
In the summer of 1886, Captain Till
man was invited to Tirzah, in this coun-
tlv. to address meeting of farmers at
picnic given there. As he stated IN
his speech at Yorkville on the 3rd inst,
it was the first eXtemporaneous speech
he ever made 1t became the duty OF
the present writer to report Captain
Tillman's speech on that occasion, and
there he met for the first time and form
ed the acquaintance of the embryonic
Moses" finding him to be socially
pleasant and affable gentleman.
During recess in the exercises, Cap
| tain Tillman and several other gentle
men seated on the speakers stand, a
stranger, to all except Captain Tillman,
approached, and ascending the stand, ad-
dressed Captain Tllman. His saluta-
! ton was returned in a cheerful manner,
and the meeting of the two men was
most cordial Captain Tillman intro
duced him to the persons present, and
after a conversation of several minutes,
mainly between Captain Tillman and
the visitor, the latter retired. He was
a travelling salesman for GreenYl!e
house at that time. and came from Rock
Hill via Tizrah to Yorkville on business.
While transScting his business at Ilzrah
ne inquired the enatcsFe of the meeting IN
the grove near Massey's store, and on
being told that Captain Ben. Tillman
was making Speech he fastened over
to meet him as above related.
After the salesman had taken his de-
parture from the stand, Captain Tillman,
pointing to his blind eye, remarked to the
company present: "He is the man who
did this" and went on to say that while
boys at school in Edgetield County, and
engaged one day in a game of ball, the
man who had just called on him struck
him accidentally on the eye with a bat,
from the effects of which he was conhn-
ed to his bed for several months, the ac-
cident terminating in the complete loss
of his eye; land" said Captain Tluman,
''this happened during the war, and to-
dayis the first time we have met since
the occurrence"
On the day after the meeting at Tizrah,
the writer met the salesman in 7 Yorkvllle,
and renewing their acquaintance, the
name Of Captain Tillman naturally came
up as a subject of the conversation. In
the course of the conversation the sales
man, of his own volition and without the
incident having been previously referred
to, remarked that it was he who, unfor-
tunately, by accident, caused Tllman
the loss of his eye He then detailed the
circumstance in about the same words as
did Tillnan on the previous day, and
said: ''This was during the war, ana
soon after the unfortunate occurrence /
went to the army, and though l have
been home several times since the war
ended vet yesterday was the first Tune
we have met since the accident. he
noted the fact that Tillman made not
the slightest auusion to the matter In
his presence at TiZrah, and concluding,
said: 1T was the most regretful act OF
my whole life, though purely an accident;
but Benis a noble man, and have been
, told that through all his months OF pam
,, and suffering, he never uttered narsn
word about me-"
This is the story of how Tillman lost
his eve, as related by himself and the
man who inflicted the wound, and should
he accented as the true version.