From "Death Notices Abstracted from the Douglas Co. [MO] Herald 1887-1910" by Laine Sutherland (published 1996 by Dunrobin Products) p. 96 25 Nov 1897 On last Thursday afternoon about 4 o'clock, James Parnell, a merchant of Kirbyville, became involved in a diffuculty with Wes Cotteral about a debt which the latter had failed to pay for some time and in some way, the merchant was provoked to open fire on Cotteral and his son, Marion. Wes Cotteral was killed instantly and his son shot 3 times and dangerously wounded. The deceased was an ex-soldier and an old citizen of that neighborhood. Parnell has been in business at Kirbyville for several years. His reputation was that of a peaceable, law-abiding citizen. He is about 40 years old.