Sophia Malinda Driggers' Statement 

                                

Mrs. Driggers being sworn says:


My name is Malinda  Driggers. I live about 11 miles south from Bonham. I saw difficulty between Defts and Suddereth. Me and the two boy-Dfts went over there to plant corn. We found fence down-Suddereth drove up to fence, Suddereth said Mrs. Driggers what in the hell does this little trick mean. I showed him where he could get in that I had left a place where could get in.

Suddereth called Dfts Driggers a God damned stuttering shivering sons of bitches and called Driggers a damned  ________ son of a bitch. Dft Driggers never spoke to him. Suddereth picked up a pole and came over the fence said for me not to make my threats to big about coming over the fence. When he came over the fence he stood and cursed a while then he struck


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at Dft Driggers with a pole but did not hit him. When he struck at Driggers he went back for his gun which was about 25 ft away by a tree and brought  his to where all us and stopped to set his gun down on the ground.  I told Dft Driggers not to use the gun and to set the back of the gun on the ground. Mr Suddereth cursed converted around and struck Driggers on the shoulder then  Dft Driggers shot  him -he Suddereth then turned on Dft Fulfer. Just about this time the negro jumped over the fence and collared Ed-they scuffled around there ever so long. In the scuffle the negro got Ed down the gun fell between them the negro got on top

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I went up and first tried to pull the negro off and circled out and I took hold  of the gun and pulled it out from between them. I hit the negro 3 times.  He turned loose the gun.  While this was going on he Suddereth  moved on Fulfer and struck him  3 licks. When Suddereth struck Dft Fulfer Dft then shot Suddereth--he was striking Fulfer and Fulfer was shooting. When they got through fighting one went one way and the other another

Dft Driggers went as hard as he could with Fulfer -Suddereth went throught the fence Monday moring and left it down and Chain Lynch put it up.

I saw Suddereth on Monday morning go over the fence with a pole-I saw the pole


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I saw him go up toward Dft Driggers with a pole, Driggers backed down and rolled up his sleeves and heard them cursing but could not hear what they were saying. Monday at 12 oclock I sent him a note an dsaid in it. Please dont go throough my field with your wagon and horse anymore.

Suddereth went throught the field Monday evening nd left the fence down again--I called to Mr Suddereth  I wanted to tell him they hd left a place for him to go throught but he did not stop. When he come up Tuesday morning I tried to tell him about the place we left for him to go in but he said it was a damned lie. Dft Fufler began to clean up the liettle strip of land that was fenced about the 1st of Jan working at odd times. Chain Lynch ws going to cultivate it. I h dpromised Chain if he would clear it he might have it for a cotton patch.
Mr Suddereth would not on Monday or Tuesday allwo me ta chance to talk with him.



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I never cursed Suddereth Tuesday morning. When Suddereth came up I told him not to come over my fence any more. He said not to talk to dam man about it and got a pole and came over. The land that was fenced is my land.  My land goies west of the fence.

CROSS EXAMINATION

I am the mother of Ed Driggers-Mr Fulfer is my son in law. When I got to the gap Tuesday morning I was the first one there and was kindling a fire when Ed Driggers and Fulfer came. Chain Lynch is gone I do not known where he is gone-he is a bad boy and I told him the Sunday after the difficulty if he could not hehave himself he had to  leave and he is gone.


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Chain Lynch had been living with E J. Driggers about 3 months and when Ed was put in jail his wife and baby and Chain Lynch came over to my house to stay. I was going to thrash him and he left Ed Driggers.

Keeps his horse at my house his corn crib is there. On Monday Fulfer was fixing a plow. Plowed some and went in the evening to Willl Driggers if ______ some corn and oats that he had bought- ws after night when he got back.

Ed Driggers was preparing his corn ground planted some in the evening-Dfts do not work together each one works his own crop--I had not been up to gap long when Dfts came up.  We had been there about 15 minutes when Suddereth came up.

I saw my son on Monday and told him to have Chain Lynch to put the fence up.

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My son Ed and Mr Suddereth were plowing in hollowing distance I went to see Suddereth Monday evening about the fence but he left before I got to him.
The gun belonged to Ed Driggers I never saw Fulfer with a pistol before he does not own a pistol that I know of- I do not allow a pistol kept in my house. W. R. Fulfer has been living with me sometime over 5 years-If Fulfer had had a pistol then I would have seen it I think , we all keep our clothes and things in trunks together.

Suddereth struck both Defts before either of them shots him.

I knew the gun was there before it was used but never asked any questions about it.

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I do some times very much when I _______ curse but I did not curse Mr Suddereth. I have 5 sons Eldest Wm Driggers, James Driggers, George and Edward, and David Driggers. I went down to where Ed Driggers was plowing Monday morning after I found the fence was down. Mr Suddereth was there plowing in hollowing distance. Ed told me about the fence being torn down there and Monday morning---Chain Lynch had told me before I went down to the field.

                                        SIGNED
                                   HER   X  MARK
                                   Malinda Driggers


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