Teal Wilkin sworn says . . . the deceast John Wilkin was my Brother was in the woods with Nelson Smothers and Bill Smothers making shingle about 12 oclock am Nelson Smothers came to John Wilkin home and told that John Wilkin the deceast had shot him self I went in the woods to wheare John Wilkin and the Smother Boys was when I got to them the dead was dead. Nelson and Bill was the only ones that was with the deceast . . . said the deceast was fooling with Nelsons pistol and the pistol fired of and hit John and killed him the pistol that the Smothers Boys said that John killed him self with was ling down whear John droped it it was about 12 Steps from wheare the deceast war ling ded . . . Nelson told me about 2 or 3 months ago that ther war something Between him and the deceast and if the deceast Bothered him he would hurt the deceast John Wilkin yet John Wilkin told me that Nelson Smother had had a fuss about a plow a year or so ago
W. H. Smothers sworn says me and my brother Nelson Smothers and the deceast John Wilkins ware in the woods . . . making shingles . . . about 11 or 12 oclock to day we all . . . put on our coast to start home the deceast picked up his ax and taken Nelson Smother pistol from wheare it war hanging on a lim and commensed messing with the triger and pulling it Back and it fired off the diacest picked up his as and started of down the hill toward hom the deceast went about 5 steps and me and Nelson Smooth . . . walked one on each side of the deceast & walked about 11 or 12 steps the deceast said to me let me down Boys I am gon we let the diseast down . . . the diceast Begain to spit up Blood & lay over on his side . . . he died in about 15 or so minutts . . .