JUST AN OATH AWAY

This story is the fourth in a series of eight stories that Lucille Linton shared with me as told to her by her mother Lila Self Hunt.

Fannie Self married Dutch Summey around 1923, and they moved into a house on the mountain farm of Jim McMahan in the Piney Flats Community. Mr. McMahan had several children before his wife died, and he married Miss Summey, sister of Dutch. Miss Summey had a son named Dick who attended her wedding.

Dutch and Jim had a serious argument one day in Jim's yard. Jim told Dick to fetch his gun. Dick brought the gun, but fatally shot Jim with it instead of giving it to him.

A neighbor, Mrs. Emery Self (Mary) heard the shot and screams and hurried to the McMahan's house. Upon arrival, Mrs. McMahan cried, "Oh, Ms. Self, Dick has killed Mr. McMahan!"

The sheriff was sent for and, during interrogation, Ms. McMahan declared her brother had shot Jim. Dutch was arrested and kept in jail until the trial.

As a witness, Mary testified of what Ms. McMahan had blurted out. Her testimony was the only thing that kept Dutch from being sent to the electric chair for a crime he didn't commit.

As a juvenile who had an accident, Dick was not charged for shooting Mr. McMahan.

Fannie Self Summey was the daughter of John Simpson Self and Mary Tucker Self.

ANOTHER SELF DESCENDANT HAS DIED

Birdie Veal Martin of Tellico Plains, TN went home to be with the Lord, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at her residence. She was a member of Nonaburg House of Prayer. She was 77. She was preceded in death by: husband, Eugene Veal; parents, Jobe and Grace Hollinghead Tucker; brothers, Delano Tucker and Otis Creed Tucker. Survivors include: husband-Joe "Robby" Martin of Cleveland; daughter Jena Bradshaw of Tellico Plains; sons and daughters-in-Iaw Jerry and Carolyn Veal of Coker Creek, TN; Darryl and Cindy Veal of Tellico Plains; stepdaughters Betty Taylor, Shirley Fraizer and Helen Bain, all of Cleveland; brothers Carroll Tucker and Reed Tucker of Tellico Plains; and Truman Tucker of Dayton, TN; grandchildren Josh Veal, Jessica Veal Hamilton, Sky Veal, Caleb Smith, Candy Smith, Lucrisha Best and Tamra Yearwood; great-grandchildren Olivia, Tucker, Amelia, Campbell, Sydney, Garren, Noah, Hunter, Kierra, Chloe and Zack. Funeral service was 8 p.m., Thursday in the chapel of Myers Funeral Home, with Rev. Floyd Burger officiating. Family and friends assembled at 10 a.m., Friday, April 11, 2008 and proceeded to Center Cemetery for an 11 a.m. interment. Arrangements by Myers Funeral Home, Tellico Plains, TN.

Birdie Veal Martin was the granddaughter of Rev. Elisha Tucker and Martha Lavada Self Tucker. She was the great-granddaughter of John J. and Lydia Waters Self.

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THE RAFTER CORNSHUCKING

This is the third story in a series Lucille Linton shared with me as told by her mother, Lila Self Hunt.

After crops had been gathered in the fall, often neighbors would get together to help each other in shucking and thrashing the grain. At one particular meeting of this sort, the men were working at Rafter in shucking some corn. Following a misunderstanding, John Tucker was attacked by three men. He was holding his own in the battle until one of the men stabbed him in the arm with a knife. He was injured so badly that he was completely disabled.

In the semi-darkness, Jim Giles picked up a large, wood shaving and swung it above his head, shouting, "The next man that touches John Tucker, I'll stab with my Bowie knife!" All the other men fled.

John Tucker was the father of Mary Ann Tucker Self and the grandfather of Lila Self Hunt.