The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-04-06
Charlotte Cotton Market.
MiddlinS
A MOST HORRIBLE AFFAIR
Young Man Kills Woman and Ends
His Own Life.

His Own Life.
A Conway special to Fridays Colum-
bia State gives an account Of a most
horrible occurrence, as follows:
One of the most awful and sicken-
ening tragedies which has ever occur
red within the borders Of the county
took place Thursday morning about Z
o'clock at Homewood station on the
Coat line Railway. AS soon as the
new reached this place your cores
psHdent secured horse and buggy
nd went out to the scene-a peaceful
looking. one-room board cabin, sur
rounded by small clearing. planted
in English peas and Strawberries, In
the midst of the pine woods. In the
ward. almost in the spot where he fell,
lay F. o. Sessions, commonly known as
"Buddie" Sessions. dead, with bull
let through mis- brain by his own hand,
and on a table within the cabin was
stretched the PROSTATE form Of Belle
Sessions. a young girl Is or 20 years OF
age, wounded in five places by the hand
of the dead man lying outside. She
and her mother Betsy Sessions nVea
together alone in the cabin. which was
on the land Of Mr.. George Bray. for
whom they worked as day laborers
From all that can be gathered. Ses-
sions had been prosecuting this woman
with his attentions for some time past,
having on several occasions threaten
ed to kill her II she would not marry
him. although she was the mother OF
two illegitimate children, the youngest
of whom is said to be his child. 1t
seems that there was another man In
the case. now living in Florida or Geor-
gia. who was the favored lover. and
who had sent on tickets for her ana
her mother to come and join him; tney
were to have gone Wednesday, and mad
their trunks hauled into this place, but
we're unable to leave on account OF
some mistake or irregularity OF the
tickets. The testimony OF the mother
at the coroner's inquest, was that she
Mid not know where they were going,
nor who was furnishing the transpor-
tation. but that her only idea was 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 or less. a matter
OF common information, and there are
some rumors to the effect that tney
had even been called to the attention
of the officials. who. however. mad not
taken any action. thinking that inc
women were unnecessarily alarmed
over mere idle words.
AS neither mother nor daughter nave
ever been lawfully married, tneir
house bore a very unsavory reputation
in the community and no one would
have regretted their departure had tney
gotten away.
lust before the hour Of the tragedy
the mother went to the home OF MT.
Bray to borrow Ditchfork TOT ner
day's work. and after she LETT tne
house Sessions. who must have Deeh
concealed in the woods. waiting just
such an opportunity. went up 10 tne
cabin. entered. caught the girl with his
left hand while he pulled his revolver
2s calibre. and emptied every chamDer
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 cry
ing over her. by those VINO nrst ar
rived upon the scene. He then denD-
erately unbreached his pistol, reloaded
all the chambers. and. placing the muz.
zle just behind his right temple fired
the shot which penetrated the brain
coming out on the other SIDE OF the
head lust above the left ear. The wo-
man was wounded in both arms. theV
being broken between the elDo" anu
shoulder. once just below the lett
breast, and twice just below the rlsnI
breast. She was attended by DR.. Hoke
Burroughs. the coroner. and DR.. Jo-
seph 8 Dusenbury, both Of Conway
and was still alive at l o'clock. thousn
there is no chance whatever OF her re-
| covery