The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1909-12-01
Jesse V. Fuller, Well Known
Farmer, Meets Violent
Death
SEQUEL TO SERIES
OF FAMILY STRlFES
Terrible Tragedy Enacted Early Fri
day Morning at The Fuller Home
Following the Fathers Com
duct the Day Before.

ait DaulS sHOt-l DelleNe III
killed; can't you do sometning-wont
you pray for me?'
These We're the words and the pite.
GUS appeal that greeted John l.. Whit
lock as he rushed almost breathlessly
from his cottage in the early dawn
OF Il new day to the side of his brother
n-law. Jesse w. Fuller who, in his
ugonHing helplessness, was struggling
70 raise himself from the hallway
'.oOr ~ his home where. mortally
wouuHeG he huN collapsed only mo-
mcnt OF 20 before
That cowardly boy, lrb, shot me
ana I'm going to die" continued the
death-stricken man as he was SUPPORT
ed and led back into his room and
placed on the bed by Mr.. Whitlock.
This was shortly after five o'clock in
The morning, and a little ever four
f0ups later ,Tesae Fuller breathed his
last, the victim of terrific gunshot
wound inflicted at the hands of his
eighteen year old son, John lrby Full
Ter. The boy used cheap shotgun
and he claims that he fired on his fa-
ther to save the life of his mother,
The former elegant country home
of the late l.. w. Ramage was the
scene last Friday morning of n terri
BILE family tragedy, the enactment Of
which resulted in the untimely death
Of Jesse V. Fuller, substantial and
hardworking farmer who with his
now owned by Mr.. r. b. Bell, since
Thanksgiving day 1908.
This unfortunate affair was, it
seems, the elimination of series Of
domestic troubles, invariably precipi-
tated, it is claimed, by the head of the
family himself, who possessed vi
olent temper and when aroused ap-
peared to have little or no control of
his passion. The beginning of Fri
days fatal clash was on Thursday the
Fuller, the father, brutally assaulted
his eldest son, Ben Tillman Fuller, out
in the field where the latter, together
with others was engaged in plOwing.
The father found fault with Ben's
work and upon receiving from the
youth the reply that he was doing the
best he could in such rough ground,
Jesse knocked the boy down and 9TH
erwise cruelty assaulted him. Ben
was sent from the field and put to
iplyi yi,,t In In,. ~ $50 I,D
farm. That night Ben told his mother
he was going to leave, that he was
20, and that he could not longer stand
his fathers treatment. He carried
out his intentions without the fathers
knowledge, it seems.
Somewhat earlier than usual, Jesse
arose Friday morning and aroused the
entire household, giving orders that
everybody get busy. He appeared to
be in an extremely irritable frame of
mind. After getting Irby and Wash,
the second and third sons, off to the
barn to feed and water the stock, Jesse
returned to the family living room to
finish dressing. AS Mrs. Fuller was
about to leave the room for the kit
chen. Jesse brought up the subject of
Bcn's disappearance during the night,
having discovered his absence, and
charged his wife with encouraging
the boys leaving home. She denied
the accusation, whereupon the hus-
band flew into rage and after using
language that cannot be repeated here
he struck Mrs Fuller several blows
on the head with his shoe. inflicting
one or more ugly wounds which daZed
Mrs Fuller and caused her much pain
afterward.
About this time the boys, Irby and
Wash, returned TO the house. having
heard the screams OF their mother and
tho cries of some of the smaller child
rem Wash stopped in the hall while
Irby rushed mp the stairway, got a
shotgun that he had left the night be-
fore at the head of the steps, and re-
traced his steps to about half way the
staircase. Beholding his father -four
ishlng a pistol and i'm the act of level
ito it on his mother with the threat