State Constable J. Fletcher Bateman

J. Fletcher Bateman

Constable Bateman succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day when he and the chief of the Camden Police Department were ambushed while raiding a still in the Beaver Dam section of Kershaw County about seven miles east of Camden.

The two officers were approaching the still and were walking across a fallen tree, in order to cross a stream. As they approached the opposite side of the stream, they were ambushed by two moonshiners.

Constable Bateman was struck once in the chest. Although mortally wounded, he was able to return fire along with the police chief and mortally wounded his killer. The other suspect escaped but was captured a short time later along with the killer's 17-year-old son. Both were charged with murder. Constable Bateman was taken to a local hospital and then transported by train to a hospital in Columbia, where he died during surgery the following day.

Constable Bateman had served as a state constable for many years and had previously served as a deputy sheriff.