The Nevada County picayune., 1919-06-19
COMMUNICATIONS.
Hope, Ark, June F. 1919

Ficayme:
 Dear Editor and Friends of Nevada
 County:
 I do net wish to attempt to accuse any one of the murder of my brother. but do wish to say few things in behalf of what every ole seems to believe was suicidal death There are q few things that l cannot mz dcrStand and I sincerely trust that some of those who SaW where Jeff. WAS found dead and the condition he was ill at the time. will explain
 First. l was informed that he had seated himself ny small bush and had placed the shot gfn between his feet. cut Il llace in his shirt for the muzzIe of the gun had clasped the upperparf of the barrel win his Jeff hand and had ased small stick with which to touch the trigger. When tue gun fired t rehaunded ur kicked mak= ing a deep print in the ground and at the same time Jeff fell backwards. and the gun fell to his left across his knee the barrel or muzzle being about q foot and half from the body, smoothly smeared with blood for about four l inches down Ief's left hand covered with blood and lying upon his breast also his right hand closed and lying upon his breast Tine stick with which l he was supposed to have touched the trigger wa~ lying hy his side with the little end. or the one fartherest from l his hand. smeared with blood. Now this k what l wish some ole to eX- plain to ne; h he had seated him self hy this bush and placed the mug gle of the gun against his breast. claSped the muzzle with his left hand and did ire the gun and held il long enough to permit the blood to gush forth from the wound and cover four inches of the muZZle and at the same time fell backwards. how was il poSSi- hle for the gun To fall tiff to the left of the dying man. the gun being brae- ed either way by he knees and held in the left hand as he fell backwards !: Why did not the gun fall naturally be- tween the knees of the man: If he did not hold the gun for some time after the shot was fired, how was it covered with blood. as if the bloody hand had clasped il after the shot was fired? If at the instance the gun fired it rebounded back, as guns naturally do. then how was it possible for the blood to be on the upper end of the barrel and no other place on the gun? ? his hand if this is true. then it would have been absolutely possible for the blood to have gushed out and covered Just four inches of the gun barrel. If he held the gun until he fell back and then the gun fell off to the left. why did not the hand go with it as the palm was downward and clasped around the gun harrelE If he held the stick in his right hand and touched the trigger with il, the muscle of the arm was relaxing instead of contract ing. and the dying man was falling backwards immediately after the shot was fired. then how was it possible for the hand to come back upon the breast and rest evenly on the breast with the hand that was supposed to have held the muzZle of the gun at the time il was fred Why did not this hand fall ny the side of the dying man? Why was there no blood on the upper end of the stick or the end that was held in the hand at the time the gun was ticrcd, while there was blood on the other end?
 This man had wife and some chii- dren, why did he not leave note or at least nsinuate a good bye to them :: Nothing of this kind happened. Men usually do those things.
 I.onnie F. DOwd