The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-06-10
DEFENsE's INNING
Defendant Takes the Stand and Tells
The Story Of the Killing and
Incidents Leading Thereto

: Clinord DOdson, the defendant
took the stand Wednesday morning as
the first witness and told the story OF
the killing and the incidents leading
thereto. His testimony was in sub
stance as follows:
was eighteen years Of age in April
preceding the killing in September.
Have lived in Theta all of my life
with the exception of the first seven
years. Had started to school on the
day preceding the tragedy, having
been kept out of the school the pre-
yious year on account of i'll health.
On Sunday preceding the killing on
Tuesday, l went to the house of Mrs.
Blackburn about o'clock in the aft
ernoon, taking supper there. While
there Miss Allyne Dalton and her
mother and father came. After supper
we started to church, / walking with
Miss Dalton and her father and moth
er and aunt following about thirty
feet behind. When opposite Mr.. Wat
sons house Miss Dalton said, Let
loose my arm. MY dress is unfasten-
ed" She then fixed her belt. The
next day Mr.. watson called me out
and told me about the incident, max
ing a vulgar allusion to the circum-
stance. l said, Uncle Rigg, you
have got to hush that up. That is
nice girl. and you shan't talk about
her in that way" went to a picture
show Monday night, taking Miss Dali
ton, with whom / have been going eV-
err since ] knew her. While we were
on the porch at the Dalton home Mr..
Watson called to me, Come take my
arm" / demonstrated with him and
told him not to say those words again.
/ rode by the store and Mr..
Watson. who was sitting on some wire
in front of the store, yelled to me
take hold of my ARM" using the
phrase several times. l returned to
the store and was standing on the
porch when he called to me Come
down here" and also said take hold
3f my arm" several times. / walked
toward him and he advanced to meet
me. Both of US picked up rocks.
When within a few feet of each other
We both dropped our rocks Inn
noticed that he held a
knife in his hand. We clinched, and
ne cut me across the breast. He chen
threatened to slap me and said II
wasn't boy he would knock my head
III. / pushed him back toward the
wire and told him not to say the
words again. He said, II will say
What please, and immediately called
take hold Of my arm" / had turned
o start toward the store and when
le said the words / wheeled quickly
round. He was just In the act OF
Using with his knife open In his hand.
Immediately picked up a block of
vood and struck him. / did not intend
o kill him. and my only reason for
hrowing the wood was that l feared
oddly harm.
The defendant was good witness :
a his own behalf, showing but little
xcitement and withstanding the cross
of Attorney General Gar
er admirably,
The defense introduced other wit ,
esses who corroborated the story Of
be defendant in all particulars ex- {
ept that both he and Watson had I
licked up rocks at the beginning Of l
he first encounter. :
AS silent witnesses the defense In Z
'oduced the knife held by Watson in
Is hand at the time he was killed and
le clothing worn by Clifford Dodson /.
n the day OF the tragedy. Dodson's
BAT had slit more than an inch long
lst over the breast pocket, and the
lirt contained corresponding hole
though much smaller. Some papers
ere taken from the pocket Of the
'at, and were also cut or torn.
The state introduced the wooden
ock with which Watson was killed.
was about ten inches in length and
,parently was sawed from a AKA a
antling. The defense closed its evil /,
nee in chief at 11:15. 10