The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-16

Il
first at the deceased and then at de-
ponent. Bellinger ordered the man to
paint on, and deponent insisted on
his going out and he started to go
and Bellinger ordered him to paint
on, and the painter would act as If
he intended to obey, when deponent
peremptorily ordered him out and
he went.
| BELLINGER HAD A PISTOL.
Mr.. w. Il. Bellinger then said that
the fence would be painted, and
cursed depOnent a d long-lipped -
Of a., and much more of the same
abuse, repeating that he would see
that the fence was painted; deponent
finally said he could not come into
the road and talk to depOnent that
way, when deceased jumped off the
fence to his fathers gate. came out
and stood by the post with a drawn
pistol In his hand. Deponent had
not noticed before that he had a pis-
tol, and said: "You are armed, eh?"
and turned and walked back into the
house. Nothing more passed that
day. The next day deponent came
out of his gate to go to the postoffice,
when he met Mr.. Joe Brown i'm his
buggy, who asked him to take seat
with him, and they drove downtown.
Mr.. Brown told deponent that he had
heard Of. the difficulty of the day
before and that he had heard of the
threats made by the deceased against
depOnent and warned him to protect
himself. Mr.. Brown got out of the
buggy at Jones's stable and told de-
pOnent to drive around to the post
Office, and to hitch the horse there,
In the rear of the postoffice, which
deponent did. Deponent got his
mail and returned home. While at
the postofflce deponent was warned
to look out for Mr.. Bellinger-that
he had made threats to kill him.
On deponent's return home he saw
Mr.. Joe Brown coming towards his
home In his buggy, and deponent
started out to meet HIM, and seeing
Mr.. w. T. Bellinger across the street,
he picked up a gun, which a friend
had put into his possession the day
before, telling him to use 1t to pro.
tect himself with, and that he would
need 1t to protect his life, and took it
out with him holding it in his hands.
THE FATAL AFFEAY.
Mr.. Bellinger came walking to.
wards his fathers house, while de-
ponent was walking by the buggy
with his hands upon the shafts, the
horse being restless, moving forward
q step at time. Mr.. Brown pulling
him back and endeavoring to restrain
him, which drew deponent and de-
ceased nearer together, when sud-
denly Mr.. Brown pulled his horse
back, and backing some feet left de-
ponent and Mr.. Bellinger in plain
view of each other, Immediately
when, without a word from each
other, Mr.. Bellinger raised his pistol
and fired on deponent, at distance
at ten or fifteen steps. In quick sue
cession he fired second time, and
as he was In the act of firing the
third time deponent fred the gun
one time and deponent raised his gun
to fire again, but seeing that deceas-
ed had iesisted from firing he shot
no more. The:deponent regrets more
than he can tell the necessity which
he was under to shoot the deceased,
and would only have done so in de-
fence of his life. w. f. JOHNSON.
Sworn to before me this 9Th day of
May, A. d. 1900.
ROBERT ALDRICH,
Notary Public, South Carolina.
THE COUNTS AFFIDAVIT.
The next affidavit is that of Capt.
Counts:
Before me personally appeared
Thomas j. Counts, who, being duly
sworn. deposes and says: That he
Is 72 years old, that he has been a
member OF the Baptist Church for
fOrty-five years; that he represented
the county of Barnwell i'm the State
Senate from 1877 to 1880, and is at
the present time Master in Equity
for Bambeig County. That he re-
sides In the town OF Bamberg and is
we'll acquainted with the people Of
the community. That for months
past 1t has been n matter of public
notoriety that Mr.. John n. Bellinger
and his family have sustained
hostile, abusive and threatening at
titude towards the Rev. Mr.. w. f..