The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-04-05
Awful Tragedy Near Conway.

Conway, $. c., March 3O.-One of |
the most awful and sickening trage-
dies which has ever occurred within
the borders OF this county took place
this morning about O'clock, at Home
wood station, on the Coast Line rail
road, four miles north of this place.
AS soon as the news reached this place
your correspondent secured horse
and buggy and went out to the scene
Il peaceful looking one-roomed board
cabin, surrounded by small clearing
planted in English peas and strawber-
ries, in the midst of the pine woods.
n the yard, almost in the spot where
he fell, lay +. D. Sessions, commonly
known as "Buddie" Sessions, dead,
with a bullet through his brain by his
own hand, and on table within the
cabin, WAS stretched the PROSTATE form
OF Belle Sessions, young girl of lS or
70 years of age, wounded in five places
by the hand of dead man lying outside.
She ana her mother, Betsy Sessions, liv-
ed together alone III the cabin, which is
on the land of Mr. George Bray, for
whom they worked as day laborers.
From all that can be gathered, Ses-
slOns had been prosecuting this woman
with his attention for some time past,
having threatened on several occas-
ions to XIII her ii she would not mar
ry him, although she was the mother
of two illegitimato children. the
younger OF whom is said to be his
child. 1t seems that there was another
man in the case, now living in Florida
or Georgia, who WAS the favored lover,
ana who had sent on tickets for her
ana her mother to come and Join him;
and they were to have gone yesterday,
and had their trunks hauled into this
place, but were unable to leave on nc
count of some mistake or ir-
regularity. i'll the, tickets. The testi-
moDy OF the mother. at the cOroEer's
inquest. was that she did not know
furnishing the transportation, but
that nor only idea wds to get away
somewhere in order that the life of
her child might be spared. The
knowledge OF the threats made by the
deceased were, more OF less, u matter
or common information, and there are
some rumors to the effect that they
hnd even been called to the attention
OF the officials, who, however. had not
taken any action, thinking that the
women were unnecessarily alarmed
over mere idle words.
As neither mother and daughter
nave ever been lawfully married, their
mouse bore q very unsavOry reputation
IN The community and no one would
have regretted their departure had
they gotten away on yesterday. just
before the hour of the tragedy, the
mother went to the home of Mr.. Bray
to borrow pitchfork for her days
work and after she left the house Ses-
sioDs, who must have been concealed
IN the woods. awaiting just such an
opportunity, wentup to the cabin, en-
tered, caught the girl, who tried to
run, pulied her out on the little piazza
and held her with his left hand while
he pulled his revolver of 3S calibre and
emptied every chamber into her body
at arms length. After releasing her
she staggered few steps and fell in
the yard, where she was found, with
her two small children crying over her,
by those. who first arrived upon the
scene. He then deliberately unbreach-
ed his pistol, reloaded all the cham
bers, and placing the muzzle inst be-
nina his right temple, Tired the shot
which penetrated tho brain, coming
out on the other side of tho head, iust
above, tho left ear. The woman was
broken between the elbow and should
er, once just below the left breast,
and twice just below the right breast.
She was attended by DIR. Hol1e Bur-
IOughs, the coroner, and DR.. Joseph
5. Dusenbury, both OF Conway, and
was still alive at l o'clock, though
there Is no chance whatever of her
recovery.
In her statement the woman declared
that Sessions had on former occasions
threatened not only to kill her, bnt
also to make au end of his own life.
and that she had seen notes which he
had written in such expectation. He
said In the note he left theG he had
$1,000 her lies just ns locg aS he could;
and it was brought out in the testimony
that some time ago he had met her in
the public road, and, aG the point Of q
pistol, forced from hev a promise of
marr.H.9 70 under threat OF Immediate
death-a promise which che had O in
tention OF carrying out.
The scene was certainly n pathetic
and bizarre one. with the body of the
deceased lying on some boards, his
face sheltered from the burning sun by
an lmprovised shelter of pine tops; a
few feet away the quilts upon which
che had been laid; on the other eide of
the house the fire around the black
iron washpOt, from which water was
being carried to the physicians dress
ing TIE wounds; the jury hearing the
testila 0ny seated upon the woodpile.
surrounded by the usual crowd of gap
ing, starlng spectators, many of whom
had gone out from Conway in buRgies
and on wheels; add to this the repeat
ed moan of the mother, "Oh, ! lust
wanted to get away to save her life.N-
Special to State.
The best Is elweyR the chsapast uFir.