The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-14
SHOT HIM FOR FEAR
He WOULD KILL HER.
Mrs. PEBBLES, in a Rather
DRASTIC Recital, Relates
Details Of Tragedy.
WAS CHOKING HER
WHEN SHE STRUCK
Beat Her With Axhe1ve and
Was Coming Toward Her in
Threatening Manner When
Finally She Used the
Gun-Man Given
Bad Character.
Especial to The Times. Dispatch.

Special to The Times pispatchI
BEDFORD CITY. VA. December 13.
Mrs. lcdmonia PEBBLES, on trial for
the murder of her husband, told the
jury to-day why she shot and then beat
with a rock the man whom she had
pledged to love. honor and obey.
Her plea was self-defense Her voice
trembled with emotion and her eyes |
filed with tears when she told of her |
husband cursing her with such onths
as she would not repeat In court She
likewise shuddered when asked by the |
Commonwealth, on cross-eSanination,
to show how she shot her husband.
On the whole, she bore the severe |
ordeal of rehearsing the details of the
horrible tragedy of August a1st last
remarkably we'll. How her recital inn
pressed the jury remains to be seen.
She was on the witness stand the |
greater part of both the morning and
afternoon session.
Clinton. the sixteen-year- old son OF |
Mrs. PEBBLES. who testified Thursday
night. was subjected to a severe cross
examination this morning. His account
of the tragedy. taken altogether, did
not differ materially from that given
by Mary Sue, the eleven-year-old
daughter. He admitted that he had
erred in test!fying before the coroner's
jury that his father ran after his
mother after he had been shot.
Wife on the Stnnd.
Mrs. PEBBLES told of her marriage u
PEBBLES seventeen years ago. anG
briefly reviewed her married life and
narrated the Incidents of his return
from Lynchburg the afternoon that he
wa, killed He took drink and
poured out a glass of whiskey
for her. which. as well AZ
she remembered. she put aside for
eJi i.ir
getting in an ugly humor she went
from the kitchen into the house. He
became more and more elusive. Finally
She returned to the kitchen for food
for her children and PEBBLES cursed
her outra geouslS. He accused her of
snt slacting yers thi ipg She repl iesisss u
7 fIsswera man I'd give you a good
i'thrashing. but Iycan't beat YOU In
furiated. he grabbed her by the shoul-
der. getting ready to choke her. as
he frequently did. She reached for the
stove-lifter of the range tosprotcct her
self, and gave him Il raking lick on
the forehead. They twisted and scuffled
around the kitchen until they reached
| The cupboard, and he reached for an
Eax-handle He held her with one hand
and beat her with 1t with the other.
He nearly got her down on the floor
! He was not helplessly drunk. but
drunk enough to be furiously mean.
He continued to lamb, her with the
ax-handle. and the children cried.
Mother. he Is going TO kill you." He
struck her over the eye, on the arm.
1 still scar from the blow over the
eye. Clinton still called out franti-
| cal.y. until she believed he WAS going
| to kill her then and there.
Went for the Gun.
/ Finally she got away and went into
4 the house and got down the gun and
! came to the door. Meantime he had
1 gotten water and was washing off; his
face. She called to him. and when
jhe looked up she saw a. vicious look
| on his face, and said to him: do you.
Intend to stop beating me-? He re-
Lplied: You see that, don't you?" point
kept asking him, When are you going
Ito let me alone?' He kept saying,
"You see that. don't Nou?" She said:
.i"You made mo do it, but want to
know If you are going to beat me any
I more lie looked down. and picking
lsup an aS-handle came on toward her
with 1t III his hand. She said: Put
that club down and go back don't
4 come In here" She was afraid he was
going to beat her to DEATH He still
4 came on. and she begged him; Please
4 I8put down the aX-handle. VIII you
4 promise that you won't beat me any.
|lmoreo'' He looked at her. and she
said: II am not going to let you beat
4 nc, with that club I'll shootif you
lsdon't" He said:'I am not afraid of
SI'your d--n bluff"
4 Fired Az He ApprOnciled.
i. Then she fired. He was coming
q fright toward her. She ran down the
u steps into the yard because she was
n ~
;lShe shot and he fell. Very quickly
. he was up again, and she ran off to the
Il left and saw he was up and coming
]. latter her. and she tired again but did
]. not hit him. She was SO trembling and
lswcalt she could hardly gctathe gun up.
I She went on little ways and he
! ovcrtook her, and they struggled. and
q he iinally got the gun away from her
J, somewhere down the road and beat
!, her with 1T. She tried tofget it back,
J. fearing he would load 1t again and
/ l5Ekill her
n They continued struggling down this
t. road near tho gate-posts Whore thsS.
a fought. He got the gun aud she got
) ,}l;nrock. While he struck her With the
4 gun she struck him with the rock and
|. he fell. After he's fell she struck him
lEscyeral orcslicks with ROCKS. SHE said
[ she was weak and trembling at the
Il gatc--so scared sheF hardly knew what
8Ishe was doing, She WAS so crazy She
y .Ihardly knew anything,
4 ~ She testified that before she fired she
) Ecnlled for Clinton several times, tlnnlis
I ho came MP She told him to go TO,
4 Mr. Doping, the maglstrate, Pcch,ea
!, I swore he would kill Joining II he
4 came. and he would see that no horse
Invent out of his stable. y
Il Dragged Him to House.
N ssit .NfterBlier husband died IN tho lane
lIshe5 thought of moving hin1.s aud had
) CLINTON try To help llft him, and thes
IL lifted him all they could. Mr. PEBBLE
s nearly 200 POUNDS. They gat
sacks rrolsl tho house, wrapped all sh,
I could gel around his body and Clinton
!, httehed he horse to lsim,auild they
/. slra gged linn to the house. She got d
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