The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-08-04
Young Kenneth Kearse, Member
of the Bamberg Company
SHOT in THE BREAST.
The Shooting Is Somewhat of a Mysterl.
ous Affair. Kearse Says He Was
Walking Along on Lower Main
Street When He Was
Shot UnaWares.
Shot Unawares.

Kenneth Kearse, a young soldier
who Is in camp al Columbia with the
Bamberg Guards, last week, was serl
ously shot In the left side by an un-
known negro about IL O'Clock Thurs.
day night. The affair occurred at
the corner Of lower Main and Divine
streets. The bullet penetrated the
chest cavity but the physicians state
that there is nothing to indicate that
1t entered the lungs. The wounded
man was taken to the Columbia hes.
pital soon after the shooting. The
following account of the somewhat
mysterious affair, Is taken from the
Columbia State Of last Friday:
Kearse and Charlie Marshall, a
member Of the Richland Volunteers
were coming up Main street from the
union station and when they reached
the corner Of Main and Divine me-
gro, who 1T Is said was being chased
by persons in civilian clothes, ran past
them and had not gone far when he
turned and fired. The negro was not
known to the soldiers, and after the
shooting disappeared mYsteriously.
Kearse's friend, Marshall, took him
imm diatelY to the Cflice Of DR..
Rice, which is only a few blocks away
from the scene Of the shooting.
When they reached the Cflice Of the
physician the wounded man was suf.
fering considerably aid an anodine
was adniDistered to alleviate his pain.
Both Kearse and Marshall were un-
armed when they reached DR.. Rice's
office At the hospital the physician
probed for the bullet but could not
find 1t. Later the patient was SAID
to be resting very we'll, although suf
feriDg from shock. No definite Opin-
ion as to the result Of the wound can
be given at this time. The ball en-
tered the cavity but there Is no trace
Of hemOrrhaRe nor do the lungs ap
" nearStn he sffented. ,as
Patrolman Ford was on that beat
at the time the shooting occurred.
He stated that he heard one shot and
after an interval Of about a minute
three others. He was then near the
corner Of Main and College streets and
hurried on down In the direction from
which the shots we're coming. At the
corner OF Main and Green streets he
passed a street Car cor ductor named
Martin who told the lf1lcer In answer
to his inquiry that it was some soldi
crs shooting at a negro.
The policeman ran on to the corner
OF Main and Divine one block further
down. Here he met several negroes
who told him that some soldiers had
been shooting at a negro aid that
they had gone down Divine street.
Ford then ran down Divine for three
blocks to Lincoln and did not see any
body but one man who was coming TO-
ward Main street. He was dressed in
civilian clothes and said he had not
seen any soldirs or anybody On that
street.
When Ofllcer Ford returned to the
corner OF Main and Dlvine the negroes
were still there and told him that the
. soldiers were coming along Main
street and met negro who was on
the inside OF tie pavement next to
the fence and that they began to
abuse him and he ran out in the mid
die Of the street and opened fire on
the militiamen. These two accounts
are totally different and neither OF
them explains the series Of shots heard
by the police man.
Kenneth Kearse Is son Of Mr.. An
drew Kearse, a respected farmer wht
lives On the Atlantic Coast Line about
seven miles from Denmark A tele
phone n e sage from Denmark statel
that Kenneth Kcarse has always beer
regarded as quiet and orderly yours
man In that CON munity. During {
part Of the last three years he ha
lived In Columbia, being employed al
first one thing and then another. Fo
awhile be worked at the glass factor,
and subsequently in drug store
Kearse has an uncle at Denmark VIII
was apprised Of the shooting SO tina
he could inform the parcnts at once
Took Her Own Life.