The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-03-06


II In fur me-"
tinued Jim. aeprecatingiy, AZ the
county clerk made suggestion
"Women are in "a good many things
an they try to get into everything
but thar's some things they amt
into. Bill jest hated me on general
principles. ! allus seemed to be git
tin into his way, an the more ! tried
to keep away from him, the more
run agin him. i never seemed to git
along nohow, l was allus the under
dog. Bill knew it, an as ! allus
turned up when i wasn't wanted, he
would swar i was a-snoopin' arter
him TO find things out, but j wasn't.
What good would it have done me
IL j had found out things? / never
could have done anything with EN-.
If | found gold mine, somebody
would git it away from me an accuse
me Of tryin' to steal it. But Bill de-
clared ] was his hoodoo. He said
was nightmare, an ii made him
SILVER only to see me around. He
must have felt like when he see a
waller dorg. he wanted to throw
kill me il | didn't keep out OF his
way, an every time he come across
me on the street. not thinl<in' Of him
AT all, he just up and fought me an
7 allus got the worst of ii.
"Well, this evenin', along late in
the afternoon, he run into me as
was turnin' a corner, an he swore |
did it a-purpose, but how could L?
| couldn't see around corner, could
j? Then Bill says: Damn you, I've
got you now where thar amt nobody
looking, an I'll just kill you an fee!
easier With that he draws his gun
an says: Say your prayers If you've
got any, afore you git sent over the
range whar you'll never come back
to bother me- | didn't keer much
about whether | was dead or alive
but Just at that moment | felt as II
| wanted to live, so | stopped down
without thinkin' an picked up rock
that happened To be lynn thar, an
dashed it at him. Maybe he was took
by surprise an thought | was gittin
on my knees to pray. | didn't have
no gun nor anything else about me,
an i had no thought to kill Bill. ]
just threw the rock for luck, an IL
happened to slam him in the face
That's all thar is to it, judge"
sheriff, where's Bio" inquired a
bystander
"Oh, he's dead, all right enough,
replied the sheriff. Hes lynn out
there where he fell. most likely as
stiff as pick handle by this time
"Jim, was Bill dead when you left
him." asked the judge.
II don't know, Judge answered
jim. HE fell down when the rock
struck him; that's all / know about
it. | amt no doctor. but l opine he
was unconscious or he'd a-shot."
II suggest that we visit the res
gestae," said the clerk of the court.
Second the notion" said town
councilman. Lets take suthin' hot
first; it's on me. What you goin' to
have. JIM"
In few minutes the party re-
turned to their position around the
hot stove, and after quiet was re
stored. the judge spoke:
"Mr. Sheriff. open court"
This having been done in the usual
fashion. with the preliminary com
mand: "Hats off. gentlemen; courts
in session." the clerk called the case
OF "the people against James Burley.
charged with the murder Of William
Jackson"
A jury Of IL was then impaneied,
and the defendent interposing no OBJ
lection. the prosecuting attorney ex-
amined witnesses. who testified to
the finding OF the corpus deficit and
the defendants admissions. Where
upon the Judge. turning to the pris-
oner. requested him to tell his story.
after cautioning him that he could
not be compelled TO give any evidence
tending to eliminate him.
II told you all l know awhile ago,
Judge" said Jim. IL hain't got moth
in more to tell"
"Well. tell it again" insisted the
Judge. II guess ii won't hurt you
any; besides. the court wants the in
formation"
Jim repeated his story. and volr n
teers on his behalf testified that a
careful examination of the res gt
tae disclosed the fact that big ROCK
lay beside the dead man, and that in
his hand was n gun. on the trigg er
of which was still pressed a frozen
finger, one cartridge Of said gun be-
ing empty-that is TO say. the one
upon which the hammer had fall n
when the trigger was pulled.
Joe Bowers, policeman and a
former COW puncher from Arizona,
after qualifying as an expert, tes,i-
fed that Bill Jackson must have
been ready with his gun before the
rock was thrown, for the reason that
the gun could have been drawn
quicker than STOPPING TO pick up a
rock from the ground. That il was
impossible to tell whether Bill Jack.
son was killed by the rock thrown by
the prisoner or whether he had froz-
en- to death while lying unconscious
after he fell. Further. that. in his
opinion. it was a special dispensatiou
Of Providence that Bill Jackson was