“Yes, sir; it wuz lak dis: I’d been in de pulpit about two minutes, gettin’ ready to preach de eight o’clock sermon, when I seed a commotion in de grounds, about two-hund’d yards away, an’ twuzn’t long ’fo’ I heard a pistol crack, an’ dere wuz a scatteration of people.”
“Who used the weapon?”
“I heard ’em say it wuz dis here Jim Parks—dat boy over dere.”
“Don’t tell what you heard,” said Col. Calvin Tedder, attorney for the defense, “but what you actually saw.”
“Yes, sir; well de moist dat I seed wuz folks runnin’—gittin’ away frum dere.”
“Did you hear more than one pistol shot?” asked the solicitor.
“Yes, sir; some several shots. In fact, sir, dey come so fas’ dat I couldn’t give out de hymn fur hearin’ ’em.”
“You were pretty badly frightened, were you not?”
“’Cose I wuz, sir, an’ I ain’t shame to say it. I felt my legs trimblin’, an’ I couldn’t keep my eye on de book.