He then looked me over and wanted to know who I was and where did I come from.  I told him I am here now.  Then he would slowly back away from me.  I kept up close to him so I could look into his eyes in case he should try to pull a knife for a gun out.  Somehow I had a feeling that he wanted to make a big noise, so I turned from him and walked away a short distance.  He began cursing loudly and yelling.  I knew that he was doing it for my benefit.  Suddenly I turned back, but he had now left the crowd and was coming toward me.  I turned around and met him.  I placed my hand on his shoulder and looked him squarely in the eye.  I asked him if he wanted any trouble with me.  He looked at me for a moment and then took hold of my arm and said, "By God, let's you and me paint this town red tonight."  With that he slipped his arm into mine.  Then we both went to the south end of the depot.  But all this time I was watching him closely, thinking he was trying to get me off guard.

There were several box cars near.  He withdrew his arm from mine and climbed up a ladder by the side of the car, to the top and then came down.  It was now getting slightly dark.  Just as he placed his feet on the platform he reached back in his pocket and pulled out his revolver and shot close to my left hip.  I had taken about two steps ahead of him.  I turned around quickly and pointed my borrowed revolver, which I had with me, at him.  In his excitement he dropped his revolver on the floor.  I told him to pick it up, which he did.  He then ran in a stooping position southward.  The sound of the shot brought a crowd of men to the front of the depot.  One man spoke to me and asked me if he shot at me.  I told him yes.  I asked him what the man's name was.  He told me it was MUSTERN.  "He thought you would run from him", he said, "then he would shoot after you; but by you standing up to him, he was the one to do the running."

The train was nearly two hours late so I walked back to the mines, eleven miles away.  The Italians left Williamsburg that night.  They wanted to leave for Cincinnati.  No action was ever taken against the men who were the cause of them leaving the mining camp or against the man who abused them at Williamsburg depot.

In those early years around Jellico such scenes were looked upon as natural.  Such were the conditions in Jellico in those early years.  With me I tried to be friendly with those with whom I came in contact, but so many of them drank and carried guns and would use them at the least provocation.  I thought I would have no more trouble and I went about my work at the mines as mine foreman.  One day a middle aged man asked me for work as a miner.  He said he had been a convict guard at another mine nearby, but convicts had been taken out.  A new law had been passed in Kentucky, and he was now out of a job.  His name was BATES and he would like to have a place on a certain entry where his cousin James CARTER worked.  I told him I would get my tape, and measure off a place there so he could be near his cousin CARTER.  As we went into the blacksmith shop to get the tape, he followed me in and I noticed that he was watching my movements.  I just thought it was a peculiarity of his.  Anyway I went into the mine only a short distance and measured off the distance where he wanted a place to work.

He stooped down and began to examine the thickness of the coal.  Then he began cursing and saying that the coal was thin and that it would be a wet place to work.  I said to him, you asked for this place and if you don't want it you don't have to work the room.  With that he started to swear louder.  He was now working himself into a rage.  He drew out a large hunting knife with a deerfoot handle to it; then in a stooping position took a step toward me with his knife drawn saying that if I said another word he would cut my guts out.  For a moment I thought he was crazy.  I took a step toward him, held out my hands and said, "Go on with your cutting if you have the nerve."  I had stood close up to him.  He was a large man with a heavy bearded face.  He looked like a maniac under our lamp light.  I had not got into a fighting mood because I thought he had a crazy spell.  I began to feel that I should protect myself.  A few feet away I picked up a mining pick with the intention of using it on him.  Suddenly I threw it down, and as I walked past him I said to him, "I will settle with you on the outside."

As I traveled my way to the outside of the mine I began to lose control of my temper.  The more I thought over BATES' actions and his watching me in the blacksmith shop the more I was convinced that he came prepared to make trouble.  I decided to go to my home and get my father-in-law's gun, a cap and ball pistol that he had in California when a gold miner in the year 1849.  With it I hurried back to the mine which I had left a half hour before.  I asked the shop men if BATES had come out of the mine.  They said he had and that he had gone over the hill to get his rifle and come back.  I made up my mind to meet him half way on the road, but he did not show up.  But he did come back to the mine again.  Men about the mine knew there would be trouble between BATES and me.  BATES was looked upon as a bad man to have trouble with.  The next morning early as I arrived on top of the incline I noticed BATES talking with a track layer named RALSTON.  As I walked toward them RALSTON called me.  RALSTON spoke and said that BATES wanted to apologize for the trouble he caused yesterday.  Looking at BATES I said, "I don't want anything from him.  If he ever draws a knife on me again he will not get away with it."