The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-01-22

when the shot was fired. DIDN'T
know. Couldn't tell whether pistol
went off after we left the room. l
knew that if he got it into his hands
I would have to die. Know nothing
about pistol and had never shot
one but once. Yesterday was not
first time he had tried to kill me.
Never saw him take IL drink yesterday
but smelt it OH his breath. He had
brought whiskey home with him every
day and kept it in the bath room.
Witness recognized bottle shown by
coroner. Saw it in his hands. While
lying III Mrs. Meals room he went
in bath room twice. Bottle was full
when 1 saw it first yesterday. Mr..
Blair was not drunk every day. One
day he would be sober as judge
and the next day he would stagger.
Never drank until he got off duty. If
I went to depot to meet him he would
come home sober but if he came alone
he would come drunk. Made a round
trip every day. Came III 1890 in
morning and left at $50 in after
noon. He took Chamberlain s collie
and diarrhoea cure ever since he
came from Knowlton' infirmary
three years ago. have seen him take
too many drinks of that but it was
certainly different from whiskey
drinks. He would be down and go to
sleep but when whiskey drunk he
would try to take it out on me.
"No gentleman was present. No
| one was present. No one else could
have drank the whiskey but Mr..
Blair.'
By Solicitor-Why did your. hus-
band want to 1lill you9 A. Because
he said he didn't love me; he wanted
to be free. Pistol was my nephew's,
Claude West.
Solicitor-You and your husband
were in Mrs. Meals room and it was
race to get the pistol. You started
first7 A. No; he started first and l
got by him: I knew the one that got
the pistol first would be tie lucky
one. If he got it first he would kill
me, but didn' It inteud to kill him.
@. Where was he standing when
you got pistol7 A. BY the stove.
Q. What were you doing with pis-
tol9 A. Nothing.
@. Don't you remember your hus-
band sitting on this trunkq A. No,
Sir.
@. If your niece said she saw him
OIL the trunk would you say he was
not A. l didn't see him.
O. Wasn't he shot sitting down 7
A. No, sir; most emphatically not. He
pushed me to the door.
Q. Didn't you shoot him sitting
down and then he grabbed you and
you scufflcd to the door? a. No, sir.
Didn't I tell you it was while we
were scuffling7 l didn't say shot
him at all. The fatal shot was fired
when we were scuffling. He was try
ing to take my hands off the pistol
and get it away from me. We had
/ our hands below the waist. Don Y
know how many shots were fired.
QPistol produced and identified.)
Q. DO you know where any balls
took effect in room9 a. | do not. l
have been on my bed ever since.
@. How did you know half-pint
of whiskey was IN bathroomY A.
When he left the room he went into
bathroom with it, It is like the bottle
he had in his hand in here.
Q. 1t has been testified he said you
we're fussing about man named Arms.
A. The man Arms was not mentioned.
We never had any words about him.
There was brotherly feeling between
them.
O. Was Mrs Neal in room when you
all we're over here. A. Mrs. Neal was
in room only once that | know or,
when he threw her one hide and said,
"Damn you, shoot" Mrs. Neal was
standing at side Of me and Mr.. Blair
in front. My niece was not in the
room at that time as I know. Mr..
Blair came home about l o'clock and
this happened after dinner, l sup
pose half past 2 or 3 o'clock.
! O.. DO you remember when Mr..
Woodward came i'll here. n. Yes, sir.
@. Where was the pistol. A. In our
hands. ~.