The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-03-06
A DEPLORABLE AFFAIR.
a school Teacher shoots One OF His
Larger Pupils.

a very dcplorablc affair took place
at 1nman in Spartanburg County the
first Of last week, in which Mr.. Ren-
ben 3: Pitts, the principal OF the In
man school, shot and dangerously
wounded one Of his larger pupils By
the name Of Ed. Foster. 1t seems
that on Monday Pitts had ordered
Foster to Stay in after school was dis
missed, but Foster did not regard the
teachers words. Tuesday afternoon
the request was repeated, and along
with Foster three other Of the oldest
pupils we're kept in. The teacher
and Foster went into the room adjuin-
ing, where the three remaining pupils
sat, and after closing the door Mr..
Pitts stated to Foster that lie would
have to whip him. Foster said moth
ing. Pitts secured switch and be-
gan to strike the student, WHO was
larger and heavier in weight than lie.
About this time the door was showed
open and the three male pupils sur
rounded the teacher. Pitts changed
his hickory from his right hand to the
left, reached with his right hand into
his hip pocket and produced a. 32
calibrc pistol AS he brough the fire.
arm in front Foster struck forward
with his hand, hitting the pistol and
causing the weapon and the arm Of
the teacher to fall. and the gun was
discharged. The bullet entered Eos
tcr's stomach. The wounded boy was
carried to the home OF Mrs. r. L.
Brown, near the school house, where
an operation was performed. Pitts
surrendered to the Sheriff and is now
in Jail. Foster is laying at the point
OF death and is not expected to re-
cover.
FOSTER is DEAD.
Foster died OH Friday morning. Be-
fore dicing he made the following
Statcment
The antc-mortcm statement of Eos
ter was read as follows:
State OF South Carolina, Spartanburg
County.
Personally came e. l.. Foster before
me and made oath that he is a resi-
dent Of this county, and, being badly
wounded by a pistol i'm the hands of
one Reuben Pitts on Feb. "a, 1908,
and realizing that his wound is con
Sldercd dangerous and might prove fa .
tai makes this his ante mortcm lecla-
ration: First, that Reuben Pitts is
principal OF lnman graded school and
that on the afternoon or February
24, 1903, the said Reuben Pitts caused
me to stay in after school was dis
missed: after words he called me up
to him and said he was going to
whip me. He sent three other
boys out Of the room. He asked
me why l did not stay in on the day
before. / said did not miss but one
word and would not take whipping.
lie then ordered me to get up and said
he was going to whip me; brought two
switches from roStrum and laid one on
bench; he gave me two licks / then
grabbed the switch and told him was
not going TO take it, lie changed
switch from right to left hand and put
his hand on hip pocket and drew Il
pistol threw it up in my face. | then
grabbed pistol and tried to knock it
or; he then fired it. 1t did not weaken
me at first. did not know that / was
shot and ! caught him by The hair he
again threw pistol up. / then began to
get weak and fell back on the rOstrum
Fred BalleDger, Jessie Ballengcr and
Raymond Wolfe who were also kept
in, who were in IN adjoining room,
come in when the pistol fired. Pitts
| said us fell down 'Just as expected.
you are all on me-" He jumped up
two or three times saying lie was aw-
fully sorry about it. About that time
Jessie Ballcnger had my clothes un-
fastened. Pitts came up and wanted
to know where was shot. lie then
left the room saying he was going to
give up. There was no one in the
struggle with Pitts but myself
! (SigneO Ed FOSTER
Sworn to before me this February
2lth, 1903. &. II. Camp, V. p.