The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-23
MISSING WITNESS
 IS HEARD FROM Man Who Saw Meridian Shoot
 ing Writes a Letter WILL RETURN TO TESTIFY Another Tragedy Is Reported From kemper County In Which Former Meridian Man Kills His
 Brother-in-Law.

Meridian, Miss, October 22.-(Special)- J. D. Currie, one of the witnesses to the sensational street duel last Sunday night, in which Conductor Eugene Chest mutt was killed and Lee Henderson nor tally wounded, but who disappeared i'm mediately following the tragedy, has been heard from. A letter was received in Meridian yesterday afternoon from MT. Currie, in which he gives an account of the shooting as witnessed by him and it coincides with the statement made by Clay, following the shooting, with one ex- ception. Currie states that Conductor Chestnut fired the first shot and that then MT Clay pulled his gun and shot simultaneously with the second shot fired by Conductor Chestnut. This is the point on which the two men differ for in his statement Clay maintains that Conductor Chestnut fired two shots before he him. self shot. In his letter MT. Currie makes the following statement:
 'The other fellow fired the first shot and at Clay. but which likely is the one which struck Henderson in the abdomen. The second shot fired by the fellow who
 
 Clay, both shots seeming to be fired at the same time; then the others were shot for shot, until the guns were emptied. heard C1ay's gun snap and also the other fellow's'
 It is known that MT Currie is not far distant from Meridian and it is expected that when the proper time comes be will be on hand to give his testimony. His whereabouts has not been disclosed. In his letter he gives as his reason for leaving Meridian that he didn't care to be locked up in jail and held as wit ness and for that reason he thought it best to leave until he was needed.
 The preliminary hearing of Abner Clay, who is now confined in jail, charged with the murder of Conductor Chestnut, will be held Monday morning at 10 o'clock before Justice T. G. L. Keene.
 At that time an effort will be made to secure his release on bond. It is under stood that the district attorney will re- sist this move stubbornly.
 Details of another sensational murder were received in Meridian this morning from Kemper county, in which man who at one time lived in Meridian killed
  which the brother-in-law cut and badly wounded a brother of the man now being held for the murder. The principals in the case were Mark Stuart and Joe Vaughn. Stuart is now confined in the Kemper county jail at DeKalb
 Early Wednesday morning Penson Stu art. a brother of Mark Stuart, was badly cut with a knife in the hands of Naughn during a fight. Later in the day Marks Stuart. armed with a shotgun. went to see Vaughn and when the two men met the shooting followed, Vaughn being in stantly killed, the charge taking enect n his side.
 While the Stuart family live in Ala bama. just across the line from kempef county near Giles, Miss, the shooting 's said to have occurred in Mississippi, ana for that reason the prisoner was confined in the Kemper county jail. Not much Is known of Vaughn in Meridian asice from the fact that he was of good famlly and that he was well-known in the neigh borhood in which he lived. Marks Stuart, however. at one time made his home In Meridian and was in the employ Of the Mobile and Ohio road. He has many rel atiyes here and is well thought of. The Stuart family has always been highly re- spected.