Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-01-13
cumstances as near as you can, and
the facts surrounding the killing.

cumsCanceS as near as you can, and
the facts surrounding the killing.
A. Judge, to tell the truth as far
as | can remember it, Mac I. Smith,
just as Mr.. Olmstead said, when he
IN in the car, he came in and had a
drink, and then Mr.. Olmstead went
home. | was perfectly satisfied and
was preparing supper; | had one pot
with stew on, and one with a rabbit
cooking that Mr.. Olmstead gave me
and one pot with rice and meat. Mac
|. said, Il am hungry, | want some
thing to eat" | said Il have put the
rabbit on and it won't be ready for
sometime" | said Il have some cold
rice and meat ready, let US eat that"
And he picked up the rice, and we had
little drink, and he had a little
drink, and had big drink, and then
we kept talking about one thing or
another, and Mac l. said, Il don't care
about that supper" and l said, "Wait
until the rabbit is cooked and we will
enjoy our supper" And in the mean
time | had another drink Then these
two old black cats came in, and one of
them was little cat l had when I
worked to the west, l was about half
mile to the west of Mac l. working be-
fore l came to work for Mae l. Smith.
And Mac l. said you poor little cat
poor little cats, Jimmy don't give you
enough to eat; he don't feed you at all;
Jim, damn you, you don't feed these
cats" And | said "Mac l., we sit down
three times a day and eat and there is
always plate put under the table for
the cats every time we sit down, you
know | feed them" And he said, I'll
be g-d-if you do, you are starvin the
cats and I know it," and he waited
for few minutes, and he said, Damn
your soul. Jim, you are starving those
eats, and if | get that gun | will kill
you" | said, "You WON'T" and | grab
bed the gun, and he was sitting down
on the nail key in the northeast corner
of his bed when 1 shot him. Then
when | seen him shot | said Jim,
what have you done? Jim there is a
good friend, you killed" didn't know
what to do. | took another drink of
whiskey, and | said Jim, you have
to do something; you must bury him,
you must" | didn't know what to do.
| was IN such a state from fright and
drink; | had been arrested in Palm
Beach for being drunk the week before
and that was my fault, liquor | never
had quarrel or bad word with anyone
can remember, and / am long enough
in Florida and New York for that, and
| knew didn't have a shovel to dig a
grave; and | knew they had one at
McNab's camp so | went down and [
found shovel and hoe with a short
handle. | brought them up and had
another drink before | attempted to
make the grave; | was in such desper-
ate straits | didn't know what to do;
there was nobody nearby to tell me;
had killed my best friend. | dug the
grave, according to what judged was
doing right, and put the poor unfor-
tunate man in there, and his arm
would not go down and [ took a short
little ak and knocked the arm until it
went down, and where | hit is all / cut
him; and then buried him; and built
the camp fire where we would sit there
nights to enjoy a pipe of tobacco, and
then that is all [ remember; there was
big chair we sat in there; and Sun
day morning when I woke up | was in
the big chair-we had two chairs there
to sit around the fire,-one is the kind
you put your feet on and extend it,
and can sleep on it, and on that chair
[ found myself Sunday morning with
a quart bottle of whiskey alongside of
me. [ tell you | am heartily sorry for
what | have done and if | had the same
thing to do again | wish God would
turn me and kill me instead of him.
and I ask the mercy of the court; and
that is all I know.
Q. Where were you standing?
A. Right here and Mac I. here, the
shot was fired within about two feet.
The trunk set right here and Mac |.
right here; he started to get up to
catch me; he was very tall man, six
feet; he was on the way getting up
when | shot. I couldn't tell where |
shot him, whether in his forehead or
the back of his head, or where it was;
[ knew I shot one shot.
Q. What did you do with the gun?
A. threw it outdoors; the gun will
testify itself; it was full of sand where
had thrown it out Sunday morning;
[ was in desperation and didn't know
what was doing. Sunday morning
there was the quart bottle with two
drinks out of it laying alongside of me.
If had the same thing to go through
again [ wish to God that He would
take me instead Of Mac; he was the
best friend had in this world; | never