Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-11-09

said to his Aunt Annie's. He asked me
where l was going. l told him up on the
hill. l made an engagement for that
evening, was to meet him at MIR. GILES.
pies field. then continued up the hill
and was probably within 200 yards of the
line fence when suddenly looked up and
saw Hiram White getting over that fence.
He was sitting on it preparatory to getting
down. He was in direct line with me,
and continued my course until we met.
He said, "Good morning, Mr.. Martin. "
l said, "Good morning, Hiram. l then
remarked: Hiram, l am 30 sorry your
little difference occurred at the house, par
ticularly as far as it concerned Mrs.
Martin, but you will be back there in two
or three days, and l want you to apologize
to my Wife" He said in a very gruf way:
81 aint goen back" l saw he was excited
but | did not pay any particular attention
to it. was standing at that time and all
the time in about 3 feet of him. l still
continued on: "Oh yes, you will come
back and apologize to Mrs. Martin and
there wont be any more of it," He SEEM
ed to he very much excited. 1 was stand
ing with my gun under my arm. 1t was
cooked. always carry it cooked when l
am hunting. 1t was pointing up 10 the
right Of me. At that moment, as [ had
finished my words to him, he grasped me
by the neck with his right hand and pull
ed me forward. So far was it from my
mind of shooting that man and so horri-
BILE was 1t that my first impulse was to
down the gun, and obeyed that impulse,
and grasped the gun by the barrel and
threw it down as quickly as l could; at the
same moment that l did that, and that he
Srasped me by the neck, he grasped also
for the hammers of the gun. Just placed
his hand right over them. At that mo-
ment the discharge took place. In a mo-
ment he said, you shot me. said, "My
God, Hiram, let me go for doctor and
see what can be done for you" 1 didn't
know that he was shot. He said, "No,
you have shot me, or you have killed me,
and l will kill you, so help me God"
Then began the struggle. He released my
neck and grasped with the other hand
the muzzie of the gun, and began to
wrench. My impulse then WAS to shoot
him, but seeing | was an infant in his
hands my object was to discharge the gun
if possible in space, and keep him from
wrenching it from me and shooting me,
and that l succeeded in doing. l did not
know how 1 was able to do it. In a mo-
ment afterwards he fell. then fell down,
my back was violently wrenched, ] could
not straighten it. | again fell down on
my knees and examined the wound. /
saw that it was in the right leg. had
sufficient knowledge of anatomy TO know
that mans arteries are down inside of
the legs Seeing that he bled freely, l
concluded that the artery must have been
cut by the discharge. then tore off his
suspenders, tied them around his leg
above the wound to staunch the blood as
tightly as l could. then tried to, arouse
him. said, "My God, Hiram, tell me
how you feeP' AMI he could not say any
thing. He was apparently insensible. !
then started off as rapidly as 1 could, un-
der the condition that ! was in, my back
nearly broken. went direct to Roten's
house, thinking l might find him there.
l opened the door and walked in, and he