The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-12-12

could not iiud 1t. He did not think th,
sheriff mad any right to it and though
Johnson might need 1t again.
Nav. VIM. g. johnson, the defendant
was the last witness to testify for tn,
defense. He took the stand In his owl
behalf and testified as follows:
am minister OF the gospel OF the
Baptist denomination am pastor OF
BamberP, Hunters chapel and Den
mark Baptist churches have been To-
Gated at Bsmherg about four years.
In June, 1899, | was called on by Mr..
Brown to perform marriage cere.
mony between himself and Miss Bellin
ger. The Saturday night following
the marriage Mrs. Bellinger came to
my house l left her and Mrs. johnson
IN conversation IN my piazza | was
IN back part OF my house and heard
Mrs. Belllnger abusing me to my wife;
also heard s mans voice heard nv
wife say to Mrs Bellinger: Il am
surprised IT your conduct Willie
Belllnger, who had come for his moth
er, told my wife to 'shut up, I've heard
enough of that"
did not see Willie Bellinger again
until the day before the tragedy, when
| found him setting line fence which
separated my house from Mr.. Bellin.
gers. Mrs. Belllnger was also present
a negro painter named Walker WAS in
my yard painting fence | called
Walker quietly to my steps and said to
him: "Do the painting as you agreed
to do or get out OF here" | then went
down town and asked Mr.. j. G. Moye
TO help me get negro out of my yard
Moye came and entered my back door
asked him for his pistol and he gave
III TO me, then walked out of house
and told Walker, the painter, to get
out OF my yard. | repreated this several
times, and he would start, but Willie
Belllngcr would each time call him
back, telling him to paint the fence.
Finally Bellinger asked II he was
going to- paint that fence? Walker
said, I'm afraid" Bellinger said,
Afraid? What, afraid OF that long
legged ---," at the same time
using several other epithets.
told Bellinger he could not 20 out
IN Ihe road and say that. He jumped
down on Inc post on which he was sit
ting anu came out OF his front gate |
went to my gate and saw then that he
had pistol In his hanl; exclaimed
You are armed, eh 2" Bellinger re.
peated his abusive epithets and |
turned and walked back 10 nv house
soon after this occurred Col. Counts
came up TO my house and talked with
me. told him of the d.Reulty had
with B4llinger and he left but returned
with Mr. Sanders, who brought me 8
gun. tThe gun was then for the irs,
time produced in court. Mr.. Jonnsor
examined 1T and pronounced it the
gun which he used in shooting Mr.
Be.linger.) The gun was loaded
LOOK IL ana put 1t In my sitting room
| expected TO need the gun to defenc
myself, my family and my home, which
| had been intruded upon.
| me next morning as | was about t,
go down town Mr.. Brown drove up I,
my gate and tolu me that if was 90
! ing Gown town he would take me.
"eht WIN MIN transacted my bust
ness AT the postotlicc and returned to m
nome Durlng my trip to the pustoflic G.
| was armed with a pistol, because
thought | was In danger OF being sho
by Bellinger. A short time after m
return home from the postoffice MI
brown again drovo up to nv gate an
sta Led out to meet him. | then "a,
Mr.. willie Belllinger coming acros
the campus, which is located In from
OF my house, and picked up my sho
gun to defend myself against anv poss
ble danger. As soon as | got out tn
mouse and into the road where Nj,
brown was, Mr.. Bellinger had b
mat time approached to within 10 Q
10 steps OF US, and he opened fire on n
with pistol. / raised nv gun an
lire. Mr.. Bellinger shot at me twice
then shot, and he shot twice NOR
after l fired. was standing in th
road AZ the time and had no referepc
to the telephone pole referred to di
not know the pole was about; ther
was nothing between us that | saw ::
shot him to save my life, which | b,
lleved to be In great danger; after tn,
returned to my house and reloade @
the gun, fearing that | might hay
further trouble.
Oa g cross-eXaminationb bv Alto
, ney oeral Bellinger, Mr.. Johnso
said that when he went out to me,
, Mr.. Brown that he stood by the hor,
convorsing with him relative to a FEM
3 which Mr.. Brown proposed to bui]
between the two premises that viii
, standing there the horse became res
r less and Mr. Brown jerked him bac
just as Bellinger came up, thus expo
ing him, (Johnson) to full view of BE
J lnger, when he opened fire.
JOhnaOn aat6 aftar a II - A.. 4, I,