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of the hill and said that man
had shot him self and for me to
come quick Mr AB Ridle who lives
right where we were eating diner [dinner] he & I
ran down thair [there] and found Cooper
lying on his Back in a little dream
apparently dead the pick sticking in
the Bank looked like he had mad [made] two
licks his pistol this pistol showing the
pistol lying under the pick handle with
two empty chambers we got him out
on the bank and found he was not dead
he lived two & 1/4 hours my opinion is
that as Mr Cooper was diging [digging] with the
pick as he has avery [a very] short scabard
the pistol droped [dropped] out and posably [possibly] the
hamer [hammer] of the pistol hit the handle of the
pick and the pistol went off ther [there] was no
ill feelings between Mr Copper and
my sun [son] I am the foreman of the chain
gang no 2 my honest opinion is that
this is purly [purely] an accident Mr Cooper
was a good socal [social] aprocable [approchable] felow [fellow]
seemed to be satisfied with his job
WL Ridle

AB Ridle Sworn Say I coroborate
what Mr WL Ridle has said exacly [exactly]
in my opinion Mr Cooper had no
no suasidel [suicidal] intention I think it was
purly [purely] an accident
AB Ridle