July 14 1868
Assassination In Dyer County
A Well Known Physician Killed By An Old Citizen In The Road
Terrible Developments- Blood For A Woman's Honor
Recently developments have been made in Dyersburg which have caused a thrill of horror to pervade the community. One day last week a well known physician Dr. G. M. Saunders, while riding on the jackson road, near Dyersburg, was shot dead from his horse. Six buckshots pierced his lungs, and he fell to the ground dead. Soon after the horrid deed was discovered, someone found a screen near the fatal spot, made of weeds and logs. Behind this had evidently stood the slayer, awaiting his victim. The next day suspicion pointed to Captain Thomas J. Shaw of Dyersburg, an old, prominent citizen , member of the Presbyterian Church, and a Mason. His sudden disappearance after the tragedy induced the suspicion, and inquiry developed. Stories almost too horrible for belief. These statements were ellcited by Dr. Silth Richardson, of the town, from Captain Shaw's mother. They comprised a story of damnable outrages on two young ladies, relatives of Captain Shaw, obtained from the victims themselves. Captain Shaw's unmarried daughter and a relative from middle Tennessee, also a young lady, visited Dr. Saunder's residence on thursday afternoon. Miss Shaw desiring a prescription. The doctor shook his head ominously, and mean while the others left the room. He at once placed her under the influence of Chioroform, and sought to perpetrate a nameless crime. Although some what stupefied she was still able to resist, and the effort failed. He conveyed her to an adjoining room, and as though nothing happened invited the other young lady to go with him. Both entered the room from which the doctor had emerged, and in a few moments the young lady was completely in his power, the chloroform doing its work.
When she became conscious, and realized the ruin that had been wrought, her grief knew no bounds. He sought to soothe her, offering to abandon his wife, and fly with his victim to New Orleans, where he would marry her. Finally he exacted a promise that the crime should be kept a secret, but upon reaching their home the sad story was revealed to Mrs. Shaw, and by her to Captain Shaw. The next day the doctor was a corpse and the Captain a fugitive. The above is the story as it reached us, yesterday, and was confirmed by the Dyersburg Gazette, which arrived last night. It has seldom been our duty to record anything so horrible.
