The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-06-16
Shot to Death by I1is Own uop,,,.

Shot TO Death by His Own Hnnds.
On last Friday, 10th instant, at about
half past one O'Clock in the afternoon. Mr..
William Davis, son of Mr.. w. L. Davis.
OF Centroville township, took his own life
by shooting himself through the heart with
pistol. The cause assigned by his family
Tor the act, which scs,rns to have been COM
mitted with delibere,ion and while the de-
ceased was in full possession of oil his men
tai faculties, was domestic infeiicities. pro-
ouced by the consequences of an unhappy
marriage. After living together four or
nve years, he and his wife separated the
latter part of last February, the latter TAX
ing with her the two children TINT had been
born to them. Since that time the deceased
had made repeated efforts to get the chill
dren, but failed, owing to the mothers un-
Willingness to give Them up. This, it seems,
Was the trouble that preyed upon the un-
fortunate mans mind most, and that made
death preferable to life.
as soon as the information of the manner
OF far. Davis death reached the Coroner
Joseph w. Keys, Esq, the Sheriff was in,
stIucted TO summons jury Of inquest,
which was done on Saturday morning.
when the Coroner proceeded to the resi-.
de- Je Of Mr.. w. l.. Davis, the place at
Which the suicide. was committed, and
following testimony was taken:
George Williams, being sworn. deposed
as follows:
went to Mr.. Leb Davis about o'clock.
Before left home heard a pistol or gun
shot in the woods near by. live in about
When got to Mr.. Davis William Davis,
deceased, was citing on the door step, his
mother sitt!ng in the house. He had a
pistol In his hand. I recognize this pistol
lproducing the pistoD as the one he had in
his hand. His mother told him he had
better put 1t away, end he laid it on chest.
said to him we would go to the we'll and
get some water, and we done so. He re-
marked he had to 90 to blowing pretty soon,
but die not start Immediately. He said he
was in heap Of trouble. Before we went
to the well for water, VIM. Davis, deceased,
and his mother were talking about his
children. BE said hc was in so much
trouble chat he had as soon be dead, and
said II he could not get - of trouble one
way he could another. / told him people
could never get out of trouble in this world
He remarked that our Saviour rose on the
7th day. told him no, it was the 80 day.
ana ana a. he aaid yes; that was 90, and we will
to the plow," and went through the house.
Mrs. Davis invited me in the house, and /
went in and sat down at the back door, 1
saw. VIM. Davis stop and sit down in O
chair close to the chest where he had laid
the pistol; His mother was sweeping the
house. He afterwards went out of the
house, and in about three minutesI heard
a pistol fire, and heard VIM. Davis hol-
low, "Oh, Lordy, Mama; oh, Lord!n I
knew 1t was his voice, but could not tell
precisely the direction it came from. I
then went for Mr.. Leb. Davis. / was near
found his son. This was about O'Clock
p. m. on the 10th day of June. After the
body was moved away saw this same pis-
tol lying on the ground near where he was
lying. / then went bacl. home with my
wife. There was no one present about the
deceased. Mrs. Davis and myself hunted
about half an hour for VIM. Davis. We
hunted in the woods adjoining the house.
Found his body behind the smokehouse,
He seemed to be in his right mind during
GEoR0E w. WILLIAMS,
Mira. Leb. Davis, being sworn, deposed as
follows:
was ct home all day yesterday [Fridayl.
Was in the house with Mr.. williams when
the pistol was fred. He was my son, that
Is, the deceased. her.
CAROLINE x DAVIS.
mark. .i
Mr. Leb. Davis, being duly sworn, says ::
was out on my plantation when my
son shot himself. He was in his usual
health at dinner sime, and eat his dinner
as usual. came home from tie field with
Lihis iSit tuS HcuSG tS SOON as i eat my
dinner. / LEFT my son William there to
bring the horses to the field to plow as soon
as the horses were done eating. About one
hour after left the house Mr. Williams
came to the field where was at work, and
told me that he thought William had shot
himself, as he heard him shoot and then
heard him hollow. I caino Immediately to
the house and found my son lying behind
the snokehouse dead. 1t was about q
O'clock in the evening Oh the 10Th day Of
June. saw blood on his shirt.
w. J.. DAVIS
After making a thorough examination of
the wound in the body, OF the deceased, DR..
J. T. McFall, being sworn, deposed as fol-
lows: "
Ssat5Tys UIie iiIiuh nriiuw the
left nipple, passing directly through the
heart and coming out to the right Of the
fourth lumbar vertebrse. The Wound yss
sufficient to cause instant death. Thers
was powder pufn around the orifics OF tho
wound. The pistol was certainly very
y. n. McFALL, NJ.
The jury returned q verdict t'that the de.
ceased came TO his, death by G pistol shot
fired by his own hands"