State v. Bryan

The defendant was indicted and tried for the crime of manslaughter, and was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment in the penitentiary for seven years. In this appeal he contends that the killing was done in self-defense and he relies upon two bills of exception, reserved to the rulings of the trial court, excluding evidence of previous threats and hostile conduct on the part of the deceased, Jeff Gilliland.

It is recited in the first bill of exceptions that, while the defendant was testifying in his own behalf, his attorney asked him why he had shot Mr. Gilliland, and the district attorney…