The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-01-22
lHE STATEMENT .... .
OF MRS. BLAIR
testimony TAKEN AT HER
81 BEDSIDE.
Avs That Blair Was Drunk and that
RHe Struck Her and Used Threat ,
ening Language-The Evi-
81 dence in Full.

ollowing is the testimony OF Mrs.
b. Blair, taken at her home at
sefI2 Marion street last night by
zs6loner Walker before the jury OF
Saquest:
Blair, being sworn, said: "My
5Iissband came home drunk yesterday
z1lIDut l O'Clock as he had SO often
lf3fie before. AS soon as he came III
Issgaw he was drunk. After while
sSIleE began cursing so asked him to
step, that l had boarders in the house
md they would leave; that the gen-
8eman would take his wife and go.
ith profane language he said let
z|.tgi5 Is,1sIn 60. told him he could not curse
AFbund the place that way and run
silaYss boarders away; I had to make
iiging and support my children; that
@ helped me very little. lie SAID
damn our living, that he could live
shether we did or not. l got so ncr-
aus that went into the dining room.
Get some coffee, but was so ner-
aVtSns | could not drink it. | went into
Meals room and must have
ainted. When I came to, Mrs. Neal
standing over inc. In a few
,iiYlutes Mr.. Blair came. in, caught
hlSid of my hand and jerked me to
fie side. He said did you faintT l
aid 1 suppose did. lie
slapped me Oh The shoulder and
Il will kill you before the sun
Syer sets tonight. I want to be free.
Sd want to spend my money as l
sDlease. Take the children. l
gsaid, "Mr. Blair be careful. He ask
|ssad me if I had paid bill. I said no,
5asyou came and took all your money
Yesterday and knew didn't have
Sent, YOU took every cent. He SAID
YES, he d spent it as he pleased. tie
said he didn't care if I ever had amy
bling, he was going to kill me. with
that I got up and started i'll here and
started too. 1t was which would
Iget here first. I knew if he got to
Ssthe pistol first he would kill me as he
chad attempted to do so on three 9th
sssser occasions.
s "A pistol had been on the mantel
s. since we had been housekeeping,
"a (which has been three years. 1t belong
q ed to my nephew. was by myself ev-
Ksery night and had to have protee-
EWtion.'
g6 Coroner-Who was present when
NEkhe told YOU to take the children and
:ssSSgo? a. No one.
s @. Who was present when he SAID
ssssSshc wruld kill you? A. Not any one.
H@ W said. "Mr. Blair don't put your
ekhands on me, don't strike mo any
more Hc said, Ill kill you.' He
. reached for the pistol but got it
q first.
Il @. Who was present? A.. [ couldn't
q tell you whether my niece was present
q or not. Don't think Mrs. Neal was
q here.
h "Hc grabbed for the pistol too. l
i was standing by the dresser. | said,
'Mr. Blair don't put your hands on
me and TIL not shoot. thought l
could bluff him away with that.
"He caught at my hand ana run
me up in the corner and grabbed my
hand. He pushed me over to the
door and grabbed my throat. I had his
hands and we scuffled over it until
we got to the mantel post.
"After I got to the door and he
had one hand on the pistol and l had
one, the pistol went off. 1t was in
this room.
st"We went through that room. The
por into hall was closed. We went
to the rear room. He had hold OF
>. stol and I tried to get it away from
4. r twisted it in my apron.
g., Ny niece said, Aunt Ethel, my
take it, She had her hand on
trying to get the pistol. took
pistol out Of her hand at the
post, ran and wrhitotue ETA
post, ran and threw it out the.
w into the yard.
49, couldn't tell whether any one
resent during the scuffle. Mrs
p tried to get him away. He threw