The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-09-23
REUBEN PITTS
INDICATED.
Promptly Acquitted by
Spartanburg Jury.
INTEREST GREAT.
Defendants Testimony
Striking Feature.
INTEREST GREAT.
Large Delegation Of Leading Laurens
Men and Others Testified to
IrreprOachable Character.

Reuben Pitts, charged with killing
ed Foster, an Is year old pupil Of the
Inman School of which Mr.. Pitts was
principal, last February, was acquitted
in Spartanburg Saturday, the jury re-
naming out brief time. The trial
began Thursday morning. Solicitor
Sease was assisted by Messrs. John
Gary Evans and ID. e. Hydrick and
Messrs. Stanyarne Wilson, Simpson s.
Bomar, Nichols " Jones and Fergu-
son & Featherstone conducted the de-
fense.
The feature Of the trial was Mr..
Pitts lucid, candid and straight-for-
ward testimony. Tt carried conviction
of truth to the jury. It's main point
was that after he had struck the boy
Foster with the switch twice, Foster
seized him and was bending him down.
AT the same moment he heard crash
in the adjoining room where were
three other boys, all Fosters friends
and each of the four including Foster
stronger than he physically. Believing
that all four were attacking him he
managed to draw his pistol from the
holster under his clothes and strapped
on his back, intending to fire it in the =
air or on the floor to frlghten his as
sailants. Foster seized the pistol and
had it more in his power than Pitts
had. In the struggle the weapon was
discharged and Foster was shot. Pitts
had no intention whatever Of SHOOTING
Foster. He did not pull the trigger,
the theory being that Fosters hand
pressing on his pulled it.
This statement the jury evidently &C.
cepted as the whole truth and nothing
but the truth.
Indeed, the states evidence did not
on the chief matters necessarily con-
illct with that of Mr.. Pitts The state's
attorneys made hard fight but it was
hopeless. They simply could not make
out case and but one verdict was ex.
pected from the start. That verdict.
by highly intelligent jury of first
rate men, was promptly rendered In
spite of vigorous speeches of the solicit.
tor and his assistants.
Probably the most representative
body OF prominent men that ever went
out from Laurcns County for any pur-
pose testified to Mr.. Pitts reputation
Tor peacefulness and truth telling.
lhelr testimony was fortified by that
OF nearly all the professors of Furman
University, number of Furman stu
dents and such leading citizens of
| Greenville as Col. Nj. T.. Donaldson.
The list below of Laurens men who
testified includes officers of each of the
1our banks here, nearly all the minis
tiers OF tue gospel, lawyers, most of
the prominent county officers, manu-
| iacturers, farmers, merchants doctors
ana editors. The Solicitor is reported
| to have remarked that he had never
heard so fine character established in
| a court room. 1t was a most imprH4;
slve spectacle, these leading men iofry
| neylng from Laurens and Greenyille
| ana In some cases even further to testi-
| fy to the uprightness of this youth. 1T
was highly creditable to this commu-
nifty that 1T stood by its young fellow
citizen so unanimously and unseliishly
though OF course 1T was no more than
| he merited. When ore of the Oldest.
most respected and beloved mon in the
county, with the weight Of n years on
his shoulders. the president of a bank,
| (Dr. Barksdale), goes to Spartanburg
| and spends three days to swear that a
youth OF II has an nirreproachable char
ac.er, his presence must speak more
eloquenuy than even the oratory of
great lawyers. Had it been deemed
necessary 200 Laurens men would have
gone to the trial as willingly as those
Il oil tlno, L. ~.
were deeply interested in his behalf.
The following were smoug the wiz
nesses as to character:A.
| DR.. Jno. "A, BarkSdale, president of
the National Bank OF Laurens: w. A.
Watts, president Peoples Loan and
Exchange Bank, Iiaurens; j. w. Ian
ford, Eev, w. B. Duncan, pastor of
First Methodst Church, Laurens; Rev.
j; Il. Parrott, of Clinton, Col. j. ID. M.
Shaw, Rev. w. s. Holmes, pas,or
Episcopal Church Laurens: CAPT. w.
E. Lucas, Col. j. III. Traynham, Clerk
Of Court Jno. f. Bolt, Sheriff Il. j,
Ouckett, Mayor G. b. Gray, Hon. r. A.
Cooper, Editor w. w. Rall, Banker j.
j. Pluss, Probate Judge O. G. ThomD-
son, DR.. w. O. lrby, Mr.. G. b Bobo.
co. J. X. Wha1ton, Capt. w. A. Nc
Clintock, Prof. Martin Of Furman Uni
Yersity; Prof. Watson of Furman; Prof.
-. ~ oeer Oh tUrman; Rev. ID. w. j.
Lancaster; CO... nj. l.. Donaldson, of
Greenville and Rev. Lewis Roper of
spartan onrg, Prof. Haynesworth and
Prof. Cook of Furman.
Mr' Fltts testified that for several
years he had frequently carried pis-
tol because he was fond of target
shooting. This was corroborated bv
several witnesses.
Mr.. Stanyarne Wilson'S examination
OF the witnesses was most admirable.
lie mad every feature OF the case at
hls inger's ends, he was cool and all
ways ready. When he had cross ex-
mined the states witnesses "in re-
Ply" the states case was weaker than
IL had introduced no testimony In re-
ply Mr.: ;. j. Simpsons argument