An inquisition having been this 25th day of December held upon the remains of A.L. Beardon the following sworn testimony was taken viz:
O.J. Rogers being sworn made the following statement viz:
On Sunday the 21st Inst. I was at the store
of Portch Bros at Sherman W.T. there was
present at the time Light, Frank and Henry
Beardon, R.C. Welch Howard & E. Portch
and Bud White. Four of them were playing
cards and as I stepped to the store Bud
White stepped aside and got into the middle
of the floor and he then asked Frank Beardon
when did you get in? Frank answered a
few days ago. q by Bud are you
going to pay me for that revolver you
got of me answer by Frank yes when
I get the money I have not got it now
Bud - you agreed to pay me in 30 days
and you did not do it you then wanted
30 days more and I let you have it out
instead of paying me you went on a spree
at the cost, have you got the revolver with
you? F. No
Bud- Where is it? Answer I left it below " Have you any other? " I have " Let me see it: Frank then gave him a large revolver when Bud said I guess this will do. will do in place off the other it was I think a Colt revolver. Light then stepped up and said what in the Hell are you trying to get through you Bud. Bud answered what are you trying to get through you. Light then got between Bud and the door and said Bud you are not going to take any advantage of the Boy meaning Frank give him back his revolver and I will see that you are paid for it Henry also said the same to Bud then there was considerable swearing by all of them Light again said give him back his Revolver and I will stand good for it Bud said no I wont do it Light said he would not take it out of the door they again commenced to call each other names Bud then stepped into the middle of the floor away from Henry and stood facing Light Light shook his fist at Bud I saw Bud draw his revolver and said to Light of you dont back off I'll shoot you. I believe Light stepped toward Bud and then I heard the revolver go off Questions by the Jury Bud said he had seen him over long enough but would not have it any longer. They where tusslin after the shooting. Bud Light Henry Frank Light doing the most of it then they were trying to take the Revolver from Bud
one of them said shoot him and another said cut him I saw Frank go up to him and with a knife saying god dam him cut him all to pieces. I saw Bud with his head to the counter Bud said he would take it all back to let him up I then heard Light say Boys I am shot. Light then said I wish I had killed him he then started to go out of the store. Frank came out with a revolver in his hand saying shoot the son of a bitch and run down towards Shermans before he got to Shermans Henry got Bud into the house In the beginning and before the shooting Bud had the only revolver.
E. A. Portch being duly sworn made the following statement. I was in the store at the time of the shooting Bud ask Frank when he had come back and Frank told him about 2 weeks ago. He ask him when he was going to pay for the revolver that he had bought off him and Frank said as soon as he got the money. Have you got a revolver with you? Yes. Let me see it and then Frank gave it to Bud who said that will fit the bill and I guess I will keep it. Frank said you need not get on your ear about it I'll pay you for your revolver. Light then said give the
Revolver back to him. Bud said he would
not do it P Light said I will stand good
for the $9.00. Henry also ask Bud to give
Back the revolver saying he would also
go searching for the $9.00. Bud stepped back
saying if you run over me I'll shoot you
and the next time I heard a shot.
Frank stepped back into the corner and pulled
out his pocket knife I'll cut him all to
pieces. question by the jury Bud
Light did not
take a hold of Light
Bud until after the
shot was fired. Frank had a small
pocket knife it was a common pocket
knife. Light grabbed a hold of the revolver
I think Light was trying to defend himself
by Bud I mean Bud White by Light
Light Beardon also Frank Henry
Beardon.
H.S. Beardon being unduly sworn made the following statement
The row commenced as follows. Bud White ask Frank when he had got back. Frank said about two weeks ago Bud ask Frank when he intended to pay him the money he owed him on a Revolver Frank said I have been sick all month and unable to work and could not raise any money and will pay you as soon as I can, Bud ask have you got the revolver away then.
Frank said he had Bud ask to look at it Frank gave it to him when Bud said I guess this will settle it Light then got up and said give him back his revolver and I'll see that is paid. I also said the same to Bud telling that we would make it all right He put his hand into his right hand pocket and the revolver he took from Frank into the left. He then turned his head towards me and told me to step back. Light stepped toward him Bud jumped up right when Frank had said stand back. Light stepped towards him about 3 steps Bud then shot. I jumped on to Bud I wanted to take the revolver away from him and get him Bud out of doors I then took Bud to Sherman's house
Question by the jury I did not notice Light attempt to strike him I saw no knife used
Frank Beardon being duly sworn made the following statement viz
The first of the quarell was this way
Light said we dont want any trouble
about this revolver Bud give it back to
him and I will make it all right Henry
also said that they would make it good
Bud said god dam you I dont want
any thing out you Light said give the pistol back
and we will settle this like men ought
to settle any thing. Bud pulled out his
Pistol making motions towards Bud Light
and at the second motion (describing the
motions) he fired at Light I went to take
the pistol away Henry he stepped in between
Light and Bud Henry and Light also tried
to take Pistol away from Bud I saw he was
trying to get the other revolver out of his pocket
when I struck him on the head before he threw
the last revolver I had a knife open and in
trying to take the revolver away, the knife
went into his hip at the same time I drew the
revolver away from him, Henry then took Bud
out and took him down to Sherman's
Question by the Jury
It happened last Sunday on the 21st Dec at Portch's store at 2 o'clock P.M. I struck him but once with the knife When he shot Light Bud had two revolvers one 32 cal and one 38 cal he shot him with the 32 cal and was trying to get the 38 cal out.
Question by the coroner did Light make any threats at Bud before the shooting. Ans No, none at all
I took the 38 cal Revolver from him
R.C. Welch was duly sworn and testified as follows.
Light Henry and Frank were advancing towards Bud and began tussling and while they were tussling I heard a revolver go off. I saw the revolver in Bud's hands before the shooting and Right after the shooting I saw the Revolver in Light Beardon's hand I grabbed Light and tried to take the revolver away from him and while I was holding him Bud and Henry got out of the door after they got out Light pulled up his shirt and said he was shot he showed me where he was shot.
Question by the Jury.
It happened on Dec. 21st last Sunday at Shermans in Portch store question by the Coroner. Did Light attempted to strike him before he was shot answer yes
Q. by the Jury Ans. Frank and Henry were holding him I did not see Frank strike Bud with knife or Pistol. I saw two (2) Revolvers he shot him with the small one.
Howard Portch was sworn and testified as follows.
Last Sunday at our store in Shermans
Bud White asked Frank Beardon when he
got back he told him and Bud ask him
when he was going to pay him for his
knife Revolver he said as soon as he got
some money he asked him if he had anything
with him meaning a revolver. Frank showed
him one Bud took it and put it in
his pocket saying that this will do and
would fill the bill. Light got up and said
You are not going out of the door with it
you better give it back. Bud told Light
that he had better keep himself alone or
he would get hurt Light said the same to
Bud Light was backing Bud up to the
window when Bud said back or I'll shoot
you he told him twice to keep back when
he shot Light. Light keep going for him
and Frank took out his knife kill the
son of a bitch and then went to stabbing
Bud in the leg. Bud & Light were in the
middle of the floor Light was trying to
take the revolver from Bud.
Question by the court. Ans. I do not know if Light struck Bud before he shot. Question by the jury. He shot him with the pistol it was in his right hand I saw two Revolvers after the shooting No one had a hold of Bud before the shooting I saw the wound after the shooting He shot him with a 32 cal Revolver. I did not see Frank strike Bud on the head with a revolver he struck him more than once with a knife The stabbing was after the shooting.
Filed March 5th 1885
Kate W. Feuerbach
Clerk
