Obituary
James Vaughn
Submitted by Misty Flannigan
As copied from the McLeansboro Times Leader Hamilton County, Illinois
JAMES VAUGHN, aged 30, who has been a patient in
the local hospital
since February 5th, 1931, when he was shot and
seriously wounded, passed
away at the hospital last Thursday noon. (No date)
Death resulted from effects of poisoning caused
by a bullet wound, alleged
to have been inflicted by Joe Hunt. At a coroner's
inquest held Friday
morning, the jury returned a verdict of unjustifiable
homicide. Following
the shooting on the morning of February 5th, Hunt
was placed under a
$2000 bond and had been at liberty.
Immediately following Vaughn's death, Hunt was again
taken in custody
by the officials and after a hearing was placed
under a $15,000 bond. After
the inquest, Hunt was ordered held without bail
and placed in the Benton
jail to await a preliminary hearing which will
be held this afternoon.
According to testimony at the inquest, the shooting
occurred at the home
of Hunt while a party was in progress. Witnesses
testified that Hunt
disapproved of Vaughn's conduct whereupon Vaughn
knocked him down.
Vaughn then stepped out of the room, and according
to witnesses, returned
and attempted to strike Hunt, who then shot him
with a .32 revolver.
In a deathbed statement, Vaughn is said to have
charged that Hunt and
other members of the party attacked him, and that
Hunt shot him while he
was attempting to get away.
Funeral services for Vaughn were held Saturday afternoon,
at the First
Christian church, conducted by Rev. W. R. Evans.
Interinent was made in
the Odd Fellows Cemetery. He is survived
by his mother, Mrs. Laura
Vaughn of this city, and several brothers and sisters.