The age-herald., 1898-12-30

we were talking about Browns" Clark said, Mir. Billingslea, how was the election at Martins?' I said, "I don know about the Martin election" Clark then said to Mason: You d:d write down to Martins for the negroes not to vote, and the com said, "I don't care who says I told them not to vote, he is a liar, and you can tell them, and I am responsible" Clark told him again that he wrote to Martins, and told the negroes not to vote. Mason said, "I did not" Clark said, ''you are a damn liar" Mason struck him with his fist Clark then stepped to the back door of the pulled his gun With his right hand from under his coat and shot. Mason was then standing at the place where he struck Clark. Clark got to the back door and shot. I said to him, flor Gods sake don't shoot me-" Mason caught me by the arm and said, "Billigslea he is going to shoot me, and I am unarmed.' He spoke distinct enough for me to hear him. Clark was ten or twelve feet away. After the first shot Mason held me by the arm. I told him to turn me loose. I stepped on the side of the bar, and then Mason caught me by the coat. He was behind me. Clark was standing at the back door of the bar after he shot. He then came straight up towards the front door Mason was then holding on to my coat and behind me- I did not turn then; was not between Mason and Clark when Clark was passing; l was try ing to get away from Mason. There were shots after the first one. cannot tell who fired the second shot. I did not fire 1t; the second shot came from my back. It was from the direction Clark was moving. When the second shot was fired, l heard rothing said.
 Nothing More Was Said
 I pose between the first and second shots; heard nothing said after second shot; Ma son was holding on to my back when sec ond shot was fred about a foot perhaps, from the counter, my back was turned to- wards the front door; I heard one more shot, but don't know who fired it;I didn't fire, nor did Mason from first to third shot did not hear Mason say anything; Clark was standing at the back boor of the bar after he shot; Clark then went straight up toward the front door; Mason was still holding to my coat and behind me; I was trying to get away from him; there were other shots after the first; l caHnot tell who fired the second shot; l did not fire it, nor did Mason; the second shot came from my back; l heard nothing said then; it was about five or ten seconds 1 suppose, between the first and second shots; heard nothing said after the second shot; Mason was holding on to my back when the sec
 
 counter; my back was in the direction of Aicardfs front door; heard one more shot but I don't know who fired it; didn't fire it, nor did Mason; from the first to the third shots 1 did not hear Mason say any thing; the third shot came from the di- rection of Aicardfs front door; l did not hear Clark say anything; when the third shot was fired l was at the back door of Aicardis.
 The Third Shot
 Didn't see Clark when third shot was fired; Mason was clinging to me behind; nothing was said by Mason and Clark be- tween first and third shot that I heard; when the third shot was fired pushed the back door open with my left hand and jerked away from Mason and pushed him through the door into the negro bar; the next l saw of Clark was as l turned fac ing the front door; he was standing inside the bar and had pistol in his hand and Captain Ed Walters had hold of him, and Clark said nothing; Clark didn't come into the back bar I don't know what was the condition of Mason when I pushed him into the back bar; I did not discover he was shot, but found it out when l left the bar; I left Mason after the third shot and did not see him until he was on the doc tors table about fifteen minutes after the shooting; I left him there Drs. Furniss and Gay were present.
 This concluded MT. Billingslea's testi- mony and he was not cross-examined.