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Early last Friday morning, Sterling Stegall, now of St. Louis, formerly of Bonne Terre, was wounded more or less seriously in a gun fight with Constable Sam Doss, of Desloge, and Shelt Horn, of Bonne Terre. Stegall and Lloyd L. Johnson, also of St. Louis, were arrested following the encounter and, after Stegall had been brought to the Bonne Terre Hospital for the purpose of having his wounds dressed, were turned over to the sheriff of Jefferson County and lodged in jail at Hillsboro.
A new Chevrolet automobile was taken from a Mr. Johnson, at DeSoto, about 2 a.m., and DeSoto officers, tracing the stolen car out of their city, determined the fact that the thieves were headed toward Bonne Terre with their loot. They promptly telephoned John Spence, of Bonne Terre, and Sam Doss and Shelt Horn started out to meet the "night riders." The meeting occurred on top of the hill near Primrose Church and Schoolhouse, Doss and Horn coming upon the stolen car and its occupants while they were engaged in repairing tire troubles at the side of the road. Stegall and Johnson immediately sought refuge in the high grass of a meadow alongside the road, and, when Doss attempted to approach, ordered him to stop. At a counter command to surrender we are informed that Stegall opened fire with a 38 cal. revolver, firing two shots as he attempted to retreat across the meadow and make his escape.
Doss returned the fire with a riot gun and Stegall was pretty thoroughly perforated with two charges of turkey shot. Fortunately for him the shells used were so loaded instead of the buckshot charge with which the gun is customarily charged. Stegall dropped into the high grass and surrendered, an action which Johnson wasted no time in duplicating.