Opinion ID: 1093284
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: George Harris

Text: George Harris's testimony was essentially the same as the version he gave in his statement to the law enforcement officers. He was 24, and had been employed at Anderson-Tully for four years. He reminded Johnny that he owed him a bet, and Johnny denied owing him anything. They were arguing and Johnny slapped him. He grabbed Johnny. When they were pulled apart, he ran around the pool table. Johnny came around to him, put a pistol beside his head, and led him around to a post, where he could go no further. Wiggins and, he believed, Clara knocked the gun out of Johnny's hand. George seized the opportunity to run out into the street. He went up the street near a car. He saw Johnny come out of the cafe. He did not run, saying he was afraid Johnny would shoot at him. He ducked under a car. He heard the crowd hollering and talking, and then they left. He got out from under the car. While he was standing in the street he saw Johnny's car return, and back he went under the car. He saw Johnny's group go back into the cafe. He said that he was not ready to go because he had to collect some more bets. Some more guys was supposed to come around and pay me. (R. 467) On the other hand, he did not want to go back into the cafe. Larry Porter walked up; he reminded him of the bet, and Larry paid him. The two shook hands. Then Johnny came back out of the cafe, and told Larry that he (George) had slapped him, or something. Larry and Johnny then started doing a lot of talking. George said nothing. After that, he [Larry] just hauled off and popped me. (R. 467) Larry was attempting to make him fight. A crowd circled him, and Johnny dared him to run, saying if he did he would shoot him in the back. Robert arrived and the crowd circled him, also. Johnny threatened Robert with the gun, but left Robert alone and came over to George with the gun. Johnny backed him up to Younger's car, and Johnny told Younger, I oughta kill you. Younger just mashed on his car and went on around the street. As he and Robert were backing up the street, Freddie Porter, the father of Johnny and the Porter boys, told George and Robert to just go ahead on, cause I can't tell them nothing. So he and Robert kept retreating. They had almost reached a stop sign. The crowd turned back to the dave. George guessed the crowd had cooled off. He continued: Anyway, after that, all the rest of 'em was going back, Clara was going back and they headed Johnny, and he just broke loose from the crowd and ran and jumped and kicked me against this car and put his gun right there. Q. And what did you do? A. I was, I didn't know, I just got ... I just shot. (R. 470) George had a .22 caliber pistol in his pocket. He did not know how many bullets were in it. He was not sure how many times he fired. He said when he shot, Johnny was right up on me... . We was skin to skin. All the shots he fired were fired before Johnny broke and ran. Q. Where did you go ...? A. I ran up the street, 'cause see it was so many of them I wasn't gonna go straight up the street, so I cut around through these little bushes, you know, down around Miss Henrietta's so they would not catch me. I went around through there. And, uh, I went through there and I had, uh, I say it to myself, I say, Ah, man I think I shot that guy, and it depressed me. I don't know did I shoot him or not at that present time. I say, I think I had shot him, so I went through these bushes then, nervous like I was and everything. I took the gun and I threw it away and I went on. (R. 472) He went to Robert's house and it was there that the law enforcement officers arrested him. George said he shot Johnny to keep Johnny from killing him. He said that he had the pistol in his possession all day, in his right jacket pocket.