The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-04-20
QUARREL OVER YEAR
LING ENDS FATALLY
Lewis Case Kills Johnson Smith
Versions Given of the
Shooting.

old, was shot in the groin by Lew
is Case, about 21, six miles north
west of the city shortly after the
noon hour Saturday. the shot taking
effect being one of three fired at
Smith. Smith was immediately
brought to the hospital here for
treatment, lingering until Sunday
evening at six o'clock when he died
of his injury. Case is in jail charg-
ed with murder, no arrangements as
yet having been made as to a hearing
of the case before a Justice of the
Peace to decide as to whether he
should be entitled to bail or whether
he should be kept in jail until the
September term of court. The latter
event viii apply unless a prelimi-
nary trial is held allowing the young
man his liberty, bail, or the remand
ing back to Jail without bail.
THE CAUSE OF THE SHOOTING.
AS is general in reports of cases of
the kind they are somewhat mix
ed as to the exact occurrences at the
time of the shooting. These reports
generally. concur in the statement
that the homicide was the outcome
of trouble the day previous between
Smith and Case on account Of the
accusation of Smith that Case had
used some high life" on one of his
yearlings. Report also has it that
the shooting took place on a neigh
borhood road leading blythe home of
Rowan Case, father of Lewis Case,
who did the shooting. The statement
is made also that this was not the
road that Smith usually took in
coming to town and that on account
of his being on this road he must
have been on his way to see either
Rowan Case, the father, or Lewis
Case, who did the shooting.
While travelling in buggy on the
road mentioned, Mr.. Smith, accom-
panied by his two sons, met Lewis
Case. One report is that Smith got
out of the buggy to talk over the
differences between Lewis Case and
himself when Case became extreme
-ly angry, at which juncture Smith
told him that he was not going to
talk to him while he was in his pres
ent state of mind, but would talk
to him again when he cooled down.
Smith is said to have then turned
to get into his buggy, and as he did
SO Case began firing. One of Smiths
boys is said to have run when the
shooting began. The other one, ii
is said, started to go to his fathers
assistance, when Case opened up on
him, shooting two are three times al
the younger Smith, who was re-
treating when he saw, he was tar
get also. After the fusillade the
Smith boys managed to get theiI
father in their buggy and carried
him back to their home. from which
point he was shortly afterwards re.
moved to the hospital.
ANOTHER VERSION.
Another version of the direct hap
penings at the time of the shooting
is that in an alteration over the
yearling at the home of Lewis Case
on the day previous, Smith threat.
ened' to slap Cases wife, also prom.
ising to whip Case the first time
that they met on the road. When
they did meet at the place the shoot.
ing occurred, Smith is said to have
been getting out of the buggy with
the avowed intention of whipping
Case, Case warning him that he
knew he could whip him, but that
he had better not try 1t. AS Smith
continued to advance, so it is said
Case began firing.
MEN, WE'RE NEIGHBoRS AND KIN
All of the parties most directly
concerned in the tragedy are near
neighbors and related as we'll. Mr.
Smith was an uncle of Mr.. Lewis
Case, who did the shooting, his moth
er being Mr.. Smiths sister. The
farm Of Smith adjoins that of Lewis
Case and of Rowan Case, the father
of Lewis.
SMITH WELL KNOWN IN