The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-06-20
DRAINED WITH A GUN
An Old Feud Wiped Out i'm.
Blood.
JOE EATON KILLS MALACHI PITTS.
They Fuss Over Land Line, the Lie
IL Exchanged, Then One Brains
the OthCr.

Mr.. Joe Eaton killed Mr.. Malachi
Pitts near Nickajack in this county on
last Saturday afternoon by breaking his
skull with gun. Both own adjoining
lands and are well known farmers in that
section. For twelve years there has
been bad feeling between them, origi-,
mating over dispute as to the dividing
line between their farms
Eaton contended that his land took in
the road and several feet Of ground be-
yond. Pitts commended that the road was
on his land including several feet be-
yond. 1t is said that Pitts went 80 far
as to employ County Surveyor Ward to
run the line and that the survey placed
the road and some three feet beyond on
Pitts land. Eaton refused to abide the
survey and placed some logs across the
end of the burrows, where Pitts was
blowing on Saturday, to indicate that
was the line and that Pitts must not 90
beyond that. Pitts felt that Eaton was
tresspasing and removed the logs on
Saturday morning. Pitts plowed all
Saturday morning on his own land in
fifty or sixty yards of Eaton's house
Pitts, at noon, with his little boy, went
to dinner. In the meantime Eaton ar
rived home and found out that Pitts had
removed the logs and it enraged him.
When Pitts returned from dinner and re-
sumed blowing he found that Eaton had
replaced the logs. He removed them
again and Eaton came out and high tenn
, per precipitated quarrel. The lie was
passed. Eaton was furious and he went
in the house and got his double barrel
shot gun. He came out again and went
. where Pitts was, who had left his pillow
and was standing near the logs. When
he saw Eaton with his gun, he sent his
little boy, Chester, to his house after his
son, Homer
J Eaton's daughter, the only witness to
: the killing, says she started to go to her
! father. She commenced screaming ana
stopped and turned to go back into the
house. She looked back and saw Pitts
# PROSTATE on the ground. She did not
i. see the blow given. Her father came
i back to the house with the shot gun
: broken in half and left it and went off.
: Mrs. Eaton and daughter went to Pitts.
S. He asked them to lift him up. They
did so. Pitts tainted. They let him
gently down again, bathed his face in
camphor, and in a few minutes he
'S DroaUIe0 MS laSU.
n Mr.. Eaton went to his neighbor's house,
10 Mr.. Davis, and told him to go up there
quick-that he had struck Pitts with
his gun and he feared that he had killed
Is him. Davis went to the field and arriv
ID ed just in time to see Pitts gasp a few
~ times and die.
o In obedience to a telegram, Sheriff
P. Davenport, Coroner Lyon, w. II. Power
II, Gpic oil 1oft
ts Marietta and went Immediately to the
w scene of the tragedy. An inquest was
y held. The facts elected were in accord
OF ance with the above statement. 1t was
ks found that Eaton had broken his shot
10 gun over Pitts head. The hammers o.
: the gun had been driven into Pitts skull
o just above the right eye, making two in
s. dentures, while cash was in the bacl
es of his head. There was no weapon il
90 Pitts hand or about him. Eaton haC
!. disappeared.
~ Mrs. Manner testified that when Pitts
la found the logs, it made him mad anC
Ia during that morning he used rough Ian
guage to the women at the house, but
that they didn't tell Mr.. Eaton about i
~ when he came home. 1t was furthe
r. stated that when Eaton appeared will
es his gun that Pitts told his boy Chester
7 to go to the house and bring him hi
gun. The little boy says his father die
&c not tell him to bring the gun, but to tel
rs his son, Homer, to come there. Before
= the boy returned, the fatal lick was
- struck by Eaton and Pitts was corpse
= 1t is said that Pitts was killed on his owl
y land.
Il Mr. Pitts first marriage was to Mr.
: Jack Delk's daughter, who died and left
i him nine children. Pitts married the
: second time, the marriage was an UNI
happy one and they separated, the wife
D is now suing for divorce and alimony.
8 He was about 65 years of age and was a
brave Confederate soldier and belonged
to Company NJ. Phillips Legion.
Mr.. Eaton was also Confederate sol
: der, and was second Sergeant in Com
e |. eth Georgia Regiment. He has a
wife and five children. He is a brother
in-law to Mr.. j. V. Stanback and Mr. j.
II. CantlGll.
Sheriff Davenport returned Sunday
morning without finding Eaton. Sunday
and Sunday night the Sheriff and Depu-
ty Sheriff hunted for the fugitive with
out surcess. The hunt was resumed
7 again Monday, but our sheriffS return
q ed without being able to learn anything
of the whereabouts of Eaton.
The tragedy is deplorable one and
. shows as a general thing how these old
e fueds, long nursed in hate, are wiped
S out in blood The small contention over
y a few feet of land, has caused one man
to lose his life, placed another mans
) life in jeopardy, plunges two families in
, the deepest sorrow and anguish and one
in sad bereavement. If Mr.. Eaton is
tried il will cost him not only a few feet
of land but all the land he has to escape
C the penalty of the law, with probabli-
: ty of losing his liberty or his life.
Where these old boundary disputes
exist ii Is better for one or both 10 sell
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