The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-10-08
SMALL BOY COMMITS SUICIDE
RATCLIFF'E MORRIS, AGED
TWELVE, SHOOTS HIMSELF
THROUGH THE HEART.
Boy Was Discharged and Is Supposed
He Killed Himself for This Reason
Body Was Discovered in Chair
Seated Before Mirror With Pistol
in His Lap and Hat on Bureau Be-
side Him.

!
/ side Him.
Ratcliffe Morris, the twelve year old
son of Mrs. Ella T. Morris, No. II
Blanding Street, sent a pistol ball
! through his heart sometime Saturday
afternoon, putting a tragic end to his
young life. Although the suicide is
supposed to have taken place between
/ five and six o'clock in the afternoon
the body was not discovered until af-
ter midnight Saturday night, as it
was supposed that the boy was still
down town, where he had been work
| ing up to that afternoon.
When discovered the body was seat
ed in a chair in front Of a mirror,
the boys hat was on the bureau in
front of him and the pistol was lying
in his lap. The bullet entered the
left side of the breast and went
through the heart. The heartending
shrieks Of the mother when she dis
! covered that her boy was dead were
most pitiful and could be heart for
several blocks,
That the boy contemplated suicide
could not be doubted by the situation
in which the body was found and
the other attendant circumstances
The door to the room was locked and
! the windows had been closed prior
to the shooting. The coroner and
doctor were summoned at one o'clock
Sunday morning and made an exami-
nation of the body and the scene.
There was in their minds no doubt
OF the fact that death had been dealt
by the boys own hand and no pre-
paratiOns were made for holding an
inquest, especially as the members Of
the family did not wish to have one
held.
Ratcliffe was just twelve years old
and was in the fourth grade at school,
He had been employed at a store in
town up to Saturday afternoon, when
he 'ost his job. AS he was of very
se dive and intense nature, it is
supposed that he brooded over the
disgrace attached to his discharge and
took his life life for this reason.
The, suicide came as great shock
to- those who knew the boy and to
hiF mother it was like a most terrible
blow. Kind friends did all they
could to alleviate her suffering, but
they could offer only sympathy in her
hour Of bereavement.
The funeral services were ! held
Sunday at the cemetery, when the
body was laid to rest.
After leaving the place where he
had been working about three O'clock
Saturday afternoon, it is not known
where Ratcliffe went, but it is thought
that he arrived at his home sometime
between five and SIX o'clock in the af-
ternOOn, while his mother was out
and there was no one at home. Later
on, as he did not come to supper, his
mother became uneasy about him,
but supposed that he was kept at work
down town. Later in the evening his
brother, Jewell v. Morris, an en-
plOyee of the Sumter Gas Company,
came in and his mother told him that
Ratcliffe had not come in. He did
not know anything about the boys
whereabouts and went on to bed,
thinking that Ratcliffe would come in
later. AS the boy did not come up to
midnight. Mrs Morris, who had been
asleep, went to his room and found
the door locked. She walked her son
who entered the room through a
window and felt the bed, finding it
empty. He then opened the door
and n light was brought, disclosing q
ghastly sight. The body was seated
in the chair, with red spot on his
bosom and blood on the floor beside
him, and the stiff position and blank
face showed that he was dead.
! 1t Is not known where he secured
the pistol with which he shot himself,
but it is supposed that it was a pistol
which his father the late Jesse Mos
ris, had owned when he was super
intendent of the Safe Farm at Ia