After Little Bill Howard had been convicted of killing Ben Ross and had escaped from jail, my maternal great grandfather, George R. Center, was bitter about the killing of Ben Ross, his step-father.

His bitterness was not aimed at Little Bill, however, because he was convinced that Big Bill Howard was the person responsible for Bens death, never mind the opinion of the court.

Even though George and Big Bill were first cousins and in childhood had both lived at one time or another with their grandfather, Stephen Center, there was some bad blood between them.

George had a falling out with Big Bill and with William Moon over the reporting and cutting up of a still.&bsp;&bsp; &bsp;

In December, 1890, George and Big Bill confronted each other near the fork of a road. George told Big Bill, I hear you been trying to hire Little Bill Howard to kill me.

Big Bill answered, Thats a damned lie, but Ive got a good mind to do it anyhow. Then he put his hand in his pocket and jumped down from the mule he was riding.

As he was getting down, George shot Big Bill, thinking he might make good on his threat.

Big Bill lay wounded in the roadway.

William Moon heard the shot and came running. He was the first person to reach the scene. He saw George with a 22-calibre, breach-loading Remington rifle standing over Big Bill.

I had to shoot him in self defense, George said. Look in his pocket and see if hes not got a knife in his hand.

William did, and found a closed up, one-bladed Barlow knife clenched in Big Bills hand. Thats when he discovered that Big Bill was still alive. He sent immediately for Dr. William Mooney down in Gowensville.

Before Big Bill died the next day at his home, he told William that he and George had been over at Shack Howards earlier. George started home and you know I stopped by your place for a few minutes. Later, I overtook George near the fork of the road, and when I got up to him, George leveled his rifle on me.

As soon as I seen he was going to shoot me, I reached in my pocket for my knife and threw my right leg over the saddle to get off and screen myself. Before I could dismount though, George shot and I fell off.

William Moon was the only witness at the inquest. George Center sent word to Sheriff Gilreath that he would surrender to him on a certain day and time at Glassy Mountain Church at the foot of the mountain.

When the Sheriff arrived, George was not there. Big Bills three brothersJack, Steve and Holwere hunting for George to kill him.

The Sheriff later found George who surrendered after being assured that he would be protected from harm. George gave the Sheriff his rifle and remaining bullets.

George was taken to the Greenville County jail from which Little Bill had escaped but was shortly moved to a new jail just a few feet away. &bsp;

In March, 1891, George R. Center was indicted for the murder of Big Bill Howard but was found not guilty by reason of self defense.

* * * ***

I will be touring a very special group of folks around the Dark Corner on Easter Sunday afternoon, April 4. Nineteen young adults from Ulster, Northern Ireland, are here to visit the mountainous area of South Carolina where their ancestors settled back in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

On Saturday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Blue Ridge Christian Academy at 424 Highway 101, Landrum, will have a mountain Heritage Festival. E-mail brcaheritagefestival@gmail.com or visit their websitewww.brca.us for information.

Dean Campbell, a native of the Dark Corner, has become its most prominent and energetic historian.