The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-04-07
AWFUL TRAGEDY.
A Man Shoots Girl Five Times
and Kills Himself.
NEAR CONWAY, s. C.

and Because She Refused He
Shot Her Five Times With a
Pistol and Then Shot
Himself Also.
A special dispatch to The State
from Conway says one Of the most aw-
full and sickening tragedies which has
ever occurred within the borders of
thfs county took place Thursday
morning about O'Clock, at Homewood
station, on the Coast Line railroad,
four miles north of Conway. AS soon
as the news reached this place the
correspondent secured horss and
buggy and went out to the scene
a peaceful looking one-roomed board
cabin, surrounded by small clearing,
planted in English peas and straw
berries, In the midst Of the pine woods.
In the yard, almost in the spot where
he fell, lay +. o Sessions, commonly
known as "Buddie" Sessions, dead,
with bullet through his brain by his
own hand, and on table within the
cabin, was stretched the prostrate
form. OF Belle Sessions, young girl
Of 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, lived together alone in
the cabin, which Is on the land Of Mr..
George Bray, for whom they worked as
day labJTers. From al that can be
gathered, Sessions had been scout
ing this woman with his attention for
some time past, having threatened on
several occasions to kill her IL she
would not marry him, although she
was the mother OF two illegitimate
children, the yourger Of whom Is said
to be his child. 1t seems that there
was another man In the case, now liv-
ing In Florida or Georgia, who was
the favored lover, aud who had sent
on tickets for her and her mother to
come and lin him; and they were to
have gone Wednesday, and had their
trunks hauled into Conway, but were
unable to leave on account Of some
SS-~>S NJ -A1Sebs~ +tiiC U'Sa
The testimony OF tile mother, at the
coroner's Inquest, was that she did not
know where they were goirg, nor who
was furnishing the transportation; but
that her only idea was to get away
somewhere In order that the life of
her child might be spared The knowl,
edge OF the threats male by the de
ceaied were, more or less, q matter of
common information, and there are
some 1umOrs 10 the effect that they
had even been called to the attention
OF the Dtficials, who, however, had not
taken any action, thinking that the
women were unnecessarily alarmed
over !dle words.
AS neither mother nor daughter
have ever been lawfully married, their
hou@e bore a very unsavory reputation
In the immunity and no one would
nave regretted Their departure had
they gotten away on WeGneS day. just
before the hour Of the tragedy, the
m pther went to the home Of Mr.. Bray
TO borrow a pitcntork for her days
work and after she left the house Ses
sons, who must have been concealed
in the woods, awaiting just such an
: ppurtunity, went up TO the cabin,
entered, caught the girl, who tried to
Iua, pulled her out on the little piazza
and held her with his left hand while
he pulled his revolver OF 38 calibre and
emptied every chamber into her body
at arms length. After releasing her,
she staggered a feH Steps and fell In
the yard, where she was found, with
her two small children Cry ing over
her, by those who first arrived upon
the scene. He then deliberately un-
preached his pistol, reloaded all the
chambers, and, placing the muzzle
just behind his right temple, fired the
shot which penetrated the brain, com.
ing out on the other side OF the head,
just above the left ear. The woman
Was wounded In both arms, they being
broken between the elbow and should
er, once just below the left breast, and
twice just below the right breast. She
was attended by DR.. II Ike Burroughs,
the coroner, and Dr. Joseph S. Dusen.
| bury, b. tn OF Conway, and was still
alive at o'clock, though there Is no
chance whatever Of her recovery.
a jury was empaneled, before
"'iOiL u VI UluIlCbScS, HeI6 GA
amined, both as to the actual facts OF
the tragedy aud also as to the causes
and events lea ling up to it. The
shots were heard by several, all OF
whom testified to the fact that they
Immediately surmised what had hap
pcned upon hearing the firing. The
verdict Of the jury was that the de.
ceased cane to his death by means OF
a pistol wound inflicted by himself.
The wLman was conscious when the
d ctors reached her, and was able to
make q statement concerning the
shooting. Upon her suggestion 3
search was made in the pockets OF the
deceased which revealed a note he
had written, making disposition OF
what little money he had, and provid
ing Tor the payment OF certain small
debts; and which showed, beyond all
question OF doubt, that he went tL
the house with the fully formed pur.
p Sc OF killing both her and himself.
In her statement the woman de.
clared that Sc siOns had on former
occasions threatened not only to xii
her, but also to make an end of his
own life, and that she had seen note.
which he had written in such expecta
tion. He said in the note he left tina,
he mad stood her lies just as long a.
he could; and 1t was brought out II
ln fno