The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-10-18
r. ". PORTER TELLS STORY.
The- injured Man Relates How He
Spent the Hours of Returning
Consciousness.

.--
Mr.. r. W. Porter, the Kershaw
man who was struck in the head ano
so dangerously injured at the time
Mr.. r. A. Mcdowell was foully mur-
dered. and who was brought to the
.Columbia hospital with his life hang
ing in the balance one week ago last
night, is now regarded by his physi-
clans as being out Of danger and his
recovery is only a matter of days.
For the first time since he has been
here. representative Of The State
was allowed to see him yesterday. Mr..
Porter was eating his supper when
the reporter was admitted. Mrs. Por-
ter was with him and tenderly waited
upon him during the meal.
The wounded man was reclining on
his cot, but was strong enough to
raise himself upon his elbow while he
took his supper. His head was
swathed in bandages that cover it en-
tirely above the ears and eyes There
are still black bruises around both
eyes, which Mr.. Porter thinks were
received when he fell after being
struck
Mr.. Porter is entirely rational, but
was no more able to recall anything
81 the attack than when he awoke at
the Wareree bridge the morning af-
Ger tae tragedy. Speaking slowly and
zoice that sometimes trembled
from weakness, he related how he re-
members as if in a dream that his
arst moment Of memory was when
he was walking along the road to-
ward the bridge He was dazed and
had no pain or sensation Of injury,
but felt that there was something
wrong with his head. He can now re-
call that one of the first things he did
was to take off his hat and look at the
Mace that had been broken in 1t by
4 .he blow. He does not know, but feels
vaguely that some on called his at
tention to the hole in his hat. He mas
no impression Of who this was, it 1t
really happened. He was conscious
then that his face and hands were
covered with blood and all n1gnt
long he could feel the blood dripping
from the ghastly wound in his head
but never once did he reaize what 1t
meant or feel the necessity Of calling
for help.
When he grew faint from the loss
of blood he sat on an embankment
on the side of the road for awhile and
then walked to several trees that grow
in a pea field, bordered by the en-
bankment on which he had been sit
tin. Here he remained until daylight,
when he was slightly more revived
and then went to the house Of the
bridge keeper at the Wateree river
bridge, and was washing the caked
blood from his face at pump when
Mr.. Ammons, the rural mail carrier
took him in his buggy and carried
him to Dr. Dunn's Office in Camden
The hat worn by Mr.. Porter when
he was struck was seen in his room
at the hospital. 1t is new, black
stiff hat. There is a hole about hat
an inch in width and about two inches
long. where the blow was struck
through it, on the right side in front
the brim is broken across the front
and there is also break IN the PACK
that looks as if it had been punced
with a small stick or other jagged IN
: strument. The band inside of the
hat is smeared with blood.
Mr.. Porter will probably not leave
the hospital for another week. He
spoke very feehngly yesterday Of the
kindness that has been shown him by
his friends and even by many here
whom he loes not know.-The State