John Virden

Clarendon, Sept. 7: Sam Derrick, former marshal at Brinkley, shot John Virden shortly after noon today. Three bullets passed through Virden’s body entering his abdomen. He died at 11:45 o'clock tonight. M. O. Maramar, an Iron Mountain engineer, was seriously hurt. Two of the .45 caliber missiles from Derrick’s gun lodged in his left arm, after passing through Earl McCullough’s shirt and a wood partition between a soft drink stand, where the shooting occurred and a restaurant where Maramar was eating dinner. McCullough, whose shirt was perforated, escaped with a slight scratch, where one of the bullets grazed his side. Derrick is in the county jail. Virden, a prosperous farmer of the Park settlement community seven miles from Clarendon, was drinking soda pop when Derrick approached.....It is said the pair were old enemies until this morning when they are alleged to have met and agreed after shaking hands that their troubles were settled.