The Monroe journal., 1910-08-23
CURRAN'S STORY OF KILLING.
In His Testimony Before Judge
Biggs. MIR. Wilson Curran Gives
His Version of the Killing Of
Clifford Thomas--Three Defend
ants Admitted TO Bail.

who are charged with numbering
Clifford Thomas. in Burnsyille town.
ship, Saturday, the 9th inst, had a
hearing Saturday afternoon before
Judge J. Crawford Biggs on a writ
Of habeas corpus. and were admitted
to bail, the bond Of the elder Curran
being placed at $1,000 and that of
young Curran and Rushing at So
500 each. All of the accused per-
sons gave the bond required Of them
and late in the afternoon departed
for their respective homes. The
bonds were signed by the following
gentlemen: J. f. Thomas, B. F. Ed
wards, N. J, Helms, John ". Cur
ran, G. ". Rushing.
All the parties to the tragedy live
in Union county, and had been at
tending the burial of the remains Of
Mr.. Hosea Ross at Fountain Hill, in
this county, not far from the Union
county line, the killing taking place
on the Arson side of the line while
they were returning home.
An outline Of the evidence heard
by Judge Biggs is given below:
Henry Thomas, the father Of the
dead man, was the first witness for
the State. He testified to having OBJ
served at the grave, while the burial
of Mr.. Ross remains was in prog
ress, that there was trouble between
his sons, Clifford and Randolph
Thomas, and Brady Rushing and
Walter Curran. Nothing important
occurred at this time, however, and
he left for his home after the services
were over and did not see any more
of the young men until after the
homicide. Mr.. Thomas also told
about the trouble between his family
and the Currans in regard to the al
legged improper proposals made to
his little daughter by the elder Cur
ran. He stated that, at the instance
of his pastor, he went to Mr.. Curran
about the matter and that Mr.. Cur
ran bitterly denied having said or
done anything of an improper ma
ture in regard to the girl.
Randolph Thomas, brother Of Gilt
ford Thomas, was the next witness,
He also testified to the fact that
there was some cursing at the grave
on the part Of Brady Rushing, his
brother and himself The witness
stated that when he and his brother
left the burying ground they first
went home and then went to Lonnie
Thomas, a distance Of mile and a
half, after cider, both of them drink
ing two glasses. They left Lonnie
Thomas for the home Of Mr.. n. G..
Thomas in Arson, near whose home
the funeral had taken place. Just
as they got to the county line they
met Wilson Curran and his 6-year-
old son. In the buggy at this time
we're the witness, Clifford Thomas
and Ed Traywick. In a buggy a
short distance beyond Wilson Cur
ran were Brady Rushing, Walter
Curran and Ed Little. Just as the
buggy of the witness passed the
buggy of Wilson Curran he called
out that he was as game as hell.
Their buggy went on a short dis
lance and he pulled the lines and
stopped just about the time they got
even with the buggy in which were
Rushing, Walter Curran and Little,
As his buggy stopped the other bug.
gy also stopped and the occupants
Of both Of them jumped out onto the
ground as quickly as they could, and
Clifford Thomas and Rushing went
to striking, or pushing, each other.
Just at this time Wilson Curran ran
up and struck Clifford, the witness
said, whereupon Clifford turned on
him and the two men went off down
the road a distance Of about 80 steps
striking at each other. The witness
said he did not see his brother bill
Curran with brass knucks and did
not see him knock him down. He
saw pistol lying on the ground
which was picked up by Ed Little
This pistol, the witness said, belong.
ed to Rushing.
The clothes of the dead man were
then exhibited. These were The
mans shirts in the coat, cut in the
back and front.
Wilson Little Of Union county ties.
titled that LIE saw Wilson Currar
and son after the killing; that they
came to his house, which is about q
mile from the scene Of the tragedy
Wilson Curran was bleeding and be
asked what was the trouble. Walter
Curran replied that those sons Of
b-s Thomas boys got his father
down and were beating him and he
could not stand it, and that Ed Lit.
tie and Brady Rushing were with