fficulty to amount to
anything before this time. He was an old soldier and served his country
faithfully and bravely for four years. For some trivial cause he and
one of his neighbors had a little difficulty, but it was thought nothing
would ever come of it, as each of them had been advised by their friends
to bury their animosity before it should lead to graver results. Lopeman
seemed willing to do this, but his irate neighbor would not meet him
half way. One day a calf of Lopeman's, worth but a few dollars, got
through the fence and over into his neighbor's pasture. Word was sent to
the owner of the calf that if he would come over and pay damages for the
trouble of penning it up he could have his property. This had a tendency
to arouse a bad feeling in the heart of Lopeman; so, placing his
revolver in his pocket, and asking his grown up son to accompany him,
they went to the house of the neighbor and directly to the lot where the
calf was shut in and commenced to lay down the bars to let it out, when
the neighbor came from the house with his son, and Lopeman was ordered
to leave the bars alone. The neighbor, who was a strong, muscular
man, proceeded to chastise Lopeman; the two sons also got ready for an
encounter. Lopeman, being by far the smaller man of the two, began to
retreat slowly as his enemy advanced brandishing a club. When almost
near enough Lopeman to strike him with the uplifted club, Lopeman, in
self-defense, as he claims, drew his revolver and shot him. He fell
lifeless to the ground. The son of the murdered man perceiving what was
done, ran quickly into the house, and getting a double-barreled shotgun,
came out and fired twice at Lopeman and his son. The shots did not take
effect. Lopeman fired two shots at him. At this the son retired into the
house, and Lopeman and son taking the almost worthless calf, which had
been the cause of so much trouble, went to their home. Lopeman then went
to the county seat and gave himself up to the authorities. As soon as
the news spread over the neighborhood, excitement ran high and there
was loud talk of lynching. The murdered man was very popular. His old
neighbors smelled blood, and it was with some difficulty that they were
prevented from taking the law into their own hands. Better judgment
prevailed, however, and after six months the trial came off and the
murderer was convicted and sentenced as aforesaid. THIS MAN WAS MY CELL
MATE. He is something over sixty years