The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1944-12-22
Bond Denied
Mcleod In
Sioup Case
Self-D efense Is Pleo
Entered BY LuwYer
AT Hubeos Corpus.

o. L. Pete" Mcleod. Pascal
goula attorney charged with the
murder Of Owen Stoup Nov. %.
was ordered held without bond
for action of the grand jury at
habeas corpus hearing before
Judge L. c. Corban Thursday
morning.
Defense counsel sought 10 es-
tabIish the grounds of self de-
Tense for the fatal shooting
which took place just outside of
the Stoup apartment after Nc
Leod had accompanied Mrs.
Stoup home. Under questioning
by state attorneys Mcleod adj
mitted that he saw no weapon
in the hand of Stoup at the time
but testified that as Stoup
charged him outside the apart
ment just after he had taken his
departure the deceased threat
ened to beat him to death Tor
stealing his wife. Defense stress
ed the fact that Stoup was a
large man, being more than six
feet tall and weighing between
i80 and 200 pounds against Me-
Leeds five feet, seven inches
height and 145 pound weight.
In denying bond, Judge Cor
ban explained that in view of
the testimony no alternative was
left him by the laws.
The only person to take the
stand who had seen the meeting
Of the two men on the fateful
night was Ethel Stepp, 14-year-
Oh neighbor Of the Stoups. TIM
shaken IS cross examinations. 4
tkaAs sstxspp tNztfxiea nat she was
sitting by her open window on
the night Of November rs when
she saw Mrs. Stoup and "a man.
60 TO the door of the Stoup
apartment. In a few moments
she said the man left and start
ed across and up the street. He
had proceeded about so feet
when Stoup emerged from his
front door and walking just
like he always did" started in
the same direction. She told
the court she heard no inter-
change of words although Stoup
was only a short distance from
her window and that as he
reached the slight ditch between
the sidewalk and the road, later
found to have been SO feet from
the Stoup doorway, the other
man turned and fired.
Widow Takes Stand
Wearing a black suit with
white iabot at the neck and a
small, yelled black hat, Mrs.
Stoup, a pretty brunette, took
the stand and testified with visi-
bic emotion. On two occasions
she wept and the taking OF tes-
timony was delayed while she
regained her composure.
She told the court she and Nc
Leod had a p~rearranged meet
ing at the Municipal Beach Park
restaurant after she got off from
work at the Country club on the
evening in question and that af-
ter a cup Of coffee the proprie-
tor of the restaurant, James Veil
cich. offered them a ride because
OF the rain.
we got out of the car near
the house." she said, "and when
we got TO the door of our apart
ment ! told Mr.. Mcleod to wait
until ] could go upstairs and see
whether my husband was there
because ! wanted to have a bus
mess talk with him and there
was no reason for my husband
to be present. ! had filed suit
for divorce the day before and
the agreement between my hus-
band and me was that he would
not come back to the apartment
but I wanted to make sure
She testified that when she
reached the kitchen Stoup and
two friends whom she had pre-
viously invited to spend the eve
ming were IN the kitchen and af-
ter greeting them she said she
went back part way down the
steps and told Mcleod to go on
that her husband was at home.
when l came back up the
steps my husband met me in the
Continued On Page 8 See. u