The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-16
THE HUDSON FIGHT
The Bo|Iingers Here Give
Their Side of the
Story.

Especial to News and Observer
Hickory, N. c.. Sept. IA. F. Boil
linger, Jr., and John Bollinger, who
were engaged in the Hudson battle of
Sunday, came here today to engage
counsel. They retained Thomas NJ.
Huffman, Esq, and Self and Whitener.
Learning that a capias was in the
hands of a sheriff, their counsel
sent for him. They then surrendered
and gave bond for their appearance
at the preliminary hearing at Lenoir
on MOnoav.
According to the statement of j. f.
Bollinger, Miss Pauline May Abbott
was sent as a missionary from Ohio
and conducted an excellent day and
mission Sunday school in their neigh
borhood.
While in Cincinnati this summer
she was soliciting funds to increase
the usefulness of the school when the
reporters got hold of what she had
said and worked UP weird account
of it. The interview finally got into
the State papers, and the people In
the Hudson community learned the
facts. They became greatly enraged'
threatened to drive her out of the
community or kill her. AS she
boarded at his brothers house he
felt called upon to see that no Vlo-
Ience was offered her and so eX-
pressed himself. Thereupon threats
were made to kill him also.
Hearing a report that the crowd
was coming to his house on Sunday
to execute the threat he went to
Hickory, phoned to Newton for his
son Charlie. and also induced John
Martin, Pink Sigman, Jim Ennis ana
John Bollinger to go home with him
to defend the place if it should be at
tackled.
Some time after dinner on Sunday
the Hickory party had hitched up
their team and were getting ready to
depart for home when a man named
Jim Bumgardner. approached the
Bollingers' spring house at the end
of the woods and called for Bollinger.
The latter went down. whereupon
| Bumgardner asked him where that
-- using epithets too vile to re-
| peat was. After some further words
| Bumgardner began cursing him, and
| party of men heavily armed, burst
| out of the woods, one of them ex-
| claiming:
Damn you, we have you where we
want YOU
Bollinger hastely retreated and the
crowd opened fire on him.
! Meanwhile John Martin, who was
standing in the yard. after calling to
! the crowd in vain to stop shooting,
observed that BUllingerS little girl
was in the direct line of the fire, and
| bullets and shots whiStling about her.
Martin could have made his escape to
| cover, but stopped to rescue the child.
Selling her by the hand he succeeded
in getting her around the corner OF
the house. but was too late to save
himself. Just as he reached the
corner a bullet struck him between
the shoulders and on the back bone
the bullet stopping just above the
spinal cord. Martin dropped like 9
log.
Meanwhile John Bollinger hat
opened fire on the crowd and stopped
their progress, and in the lull the
wounded man was carried into the
house. Martin was seen yesterda.
and approves the performing of ar
operation. He made statemen
about the facts of the shooting. sub
stantially in agreement with Bollin
ger. except that he knew nothing O.
what passed at the spring house
After another consultation, however
the doctors concluded not to perform
the operation.
Martin stated in the most positive
terms that when he was shot he wa.
facing his own men; that the bulle
could not have come from one o
them.
The BoIlingers disclaim any en-
dorsement of the criticism agains
the people of Hudson, and say tina
they simply concluded not to see ;
woman who was a stranger anC
friendless, be subjected to persona
violence.
Such is their account of the trans
action. Martin was worse this morn
ing, and there is every reason to be
lieve that he has received his dealt
wound He realizes his condition
and had long talk with DIR
Gwaltney pastor of the Baptis
church, after which he appeared t.
be greatly comforted.
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