The Onslow County News And Views

John Meadows Held Under $1,000 Bond After Slaying Marine Here

Cpl. James Shaw, young Brooklyn Marine stationed at Tent Camp, was shot and fatally wounded by John A. Meadows, Jacksonville, in rear of his residence here Saturday night shortly after 10:30 p.m.

Meadows is being held under $1,000 bond pending a coroner's inquest.

The Marine, in company with three others, received a shotgun charge in the pit of his stomach and died about 20 minutes thereafter. He was about four feet from the back porch steps when the shooting took place.

Sheriff B. Frank Morton and Police Chief W. B. Hurst said during the week end that their investigation had not shown whether or not the shooting was justifiable

Investigating officers stated that Meadows and the Marines, both, had been drinking during the evening. How much they did not know.

The investigation by both military and civilian authorities had not been completed early Sunday; therefore, there were varying accounts as to what actually took place. One story was that the service men had left the photo shop and gone into the rear of the Meadows residence, which is on Court street, to relieve themselves It was said that Meadows came to his back porch and ordered them away, but that they did not go soon enough and that he fired. Another account had it that the group had been in rear of the residence sufficiently long to annoy Mrs. Meadows who sent for her husband That story was to the effect that he ordered them away, that they argued and cursed and started to go into the house, that Meadows went in and got his shotgun and fired into the group.