The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-07-22

Hmatter Sne SAID Sne q heard Id killed
n man. 1t set me back so that didn't
detain 'er, an she looked scared ever
time I passed whar she was at. Huhl
Talk about trouble, George, yore'n
hain't circumstance! had Jest got
married, an everything looked bright
8 1T was at an election. The feller
was a friend o. mine, but few years
younger. We was on opposite sides
an had sharp words. The lie was
passed, an then we come together.
Some O. the crowd parted us, but was
ragin' demon. was drinkin man
Ethen-that is, took a dram occasion.
ally-an' got full an went home fer
q revolver. Then set out to find i'm.
PIT was about 10 o'clock at night when
run acrost i'm at a livery stable. a
old shack at t'other end O. the town.
He was in the back end with Hank
Williams, the man that run it, an /
heard i'm tellin' Hank good night an
seed Inn a-comin'. didn't know what
/. 1 was a-doin'-as God is my Judge, I
didn't I hated i'm with the hate of
hell, an 1 wanted-I wanted i'm out
! OF the way. 1 drawed as he come
nigh, an l think I cussed i'm. 1 re-
member he was again right at me-
sscared-scared mighty nigh out O. his
senses. He raised his hans sorter
Ike a body will to ward off anything,
tbut the revolver was aimed right, an
cocked an easy on trigger, an it went
(off."
Hiilyer paused. His hands were fold
ed one In the other. and both were
quivering. George Buckley was star
Ing at him with bewildered fixity, his
long, slender hand stayed in his heavy
hair.
Ppm sorter scared at the sound o. my
own voice." said Hillyer. Its like
somebody else was a-tellin' about It.
hain't even whispered it to myse'f.
An in all my prayers in regard to it /
never have spoke his name ur the name
o the crime. / always said, You know
what mean, Lord. Show me how to
unload 1t" Welr'-Hillyer swallowed
"he fell dead in his tracks. / was
sober In second. L heard Williams
a-comin', an when he seed me an the
smokin' pistol an my deed he give q
little cry an started to break an run,
but I th'owed the revolver down an
called to i'm an begged i'm not to
leave. Then l stood in n boss stell
while he went an eXamined-the body.
couldn't fetch it Then he come back
to ME an told me Lynn Hambright
was corpse. Thar was pile o. dirty
hay in the stall, an / remember l lest
fell on 1t, face downward, an begun to
cry an beg the Lord to save me.
WILLIAMS had heart like a child's.
IN q ctr
TO my raVin's of fear an regret till all
1t once he begun tryin' to pacify me.
lie told me I'd come clear; that ii WAS
n self defense; that he had seed it all
IN would go OH the stand an testify
n my behalf. l know now-in fact, !
,nowed when l heard him on the stand
that he was lynn TO save my neck,
'ut L wanted to escape the penalty an
Couldn't "a stopped i'm. The fear o.
aeetln, my fSeH wms awful 4~wasAtu-,-
wen jailed. 1t was in unsettled times
est after the war. My folks was prom
nent, an public sympathy fer me,
young as l was. was high. The hard
,st thing of all to bear was the grief Of
mother. 1t looked like it
ld mighty nigh kill 'er. He was her
an pet. Her other boys new
n amounted to anything an had gone
west an left 'cr. Finally l come clear
in the eyes o the world, but, as God
knows, not in my own. That crime is
before me, wakin' or slecpin'. | often
dream that l never done it, an day
light gives that the lie. Seemed like
everything 1 went into turned ont mon
ey, an / prospered, though | did all I
could to alleviate suffering an help
the different churches. Mrs. Ham
bright jest had Il little farm over in the
that turned out a bare llv-
n, an sent friend To er to offer
.er help, but she Indignantly refused
3. She'd come in town once in awhile.
ut she'd never come nigh whar | WAS
t. Then I heard she was tryn' to git
ipensiOn through congress. Her huS-
Ind had claimed to BE Il Union man,
IA that he was forced into the Con
Herate ranks, whar he fit an was
kled, an somebody told 'er she was
e.itled to q pension. Old Trabue tuck
u the claim an writ on about 1t to
Washington. an one day he happened
toell me that he had had n final de-
cfon an that she couldn't git it an
tn he hated to have to tell 'er the
ouome. Then ] got. him to pretend
to er that the pension was allowed,
an paid the $15 n month. I've been
dol it fer twenty year now, an it
hasept er from sufferin', but Pm in
moll dread o. her findin' out whar
the loney comes from an sellin' her
plat to repay It, She's still In good
heal over thar fin the mountains.
Aut once year, generally in the
fan,he comes in town, but she shirks
meei me. Somehow / always breathe
freewhen she's gone out o town.
Thelght OF 'er fetchcs it all back
IL. L.