Saunders, Thomas 1862-1891

SAUNDERS, LIDSTER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/17/2011 at 20:52:08

Alton Democrat
May 16, 1891

NEWS FROM LE MARS.

SUICIDE AND ATTEMPTED MURDER
A very exciting time was witnessed Monday, when the news came to the ears of the inhabitants of the city that Thos. Saunders shot his mother-in-law and then committed suicide. There seems to have been considerable rangling and dissatisfaction in the Saunders family for a long time caused by the ever dreaded mother-in-law, as this end leads us to believe. Mr. Saunders’s wife has lately been living in town with her mother and from all indications, was on the eve of applying for a divorce. Saunders, as a man with common sense, knew that it didn’t take long to go through a small fortune when a person goes fooling with the law. He came to town Monday with the intention of making a settlement. He attended to some other business and then proceeded to the house of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Lidster, in the south part of town. There was where the trouble commenced by a quarrel and in his passion he pulled a 38 caliber revolver from his pocket and opened fire on Mrs. Lidster. He shot three times. The first shot missed the target, the second hit Mrs. Lidster in the shoulder, when she staggered and fell. He, thinking she was dead, put the revolver in his mouth and fired, the ball coming out at the top of his head. The coroner was sent for, then the body was removed to Beely & Fissel’s undertaking rooms, where an inquest was held. The verdict was as follows:
STATE OF IOWA, Plymouth County
An inquisition holden at LeMars in Plymouth County, Iowa, on this 11th day of May, 1891, before J. C. McMahan, coroner of said county, upon the body of said Thomas Saunders lying here dead by the jurors whose names are hereto subscribed. The said jurors upon their oathe do say that Thomas Saunders came to his death from a pistol shot fired by his own hand on the 11th day of May, at LeMars, Iowa, while temporarily insane. In testimony whereof the said jurors have here unto set their hands the day of the year aforesaid.
~B. Love, James McCartney, James Mohan.
J.C. McMahan, Coroner.

The deceased was one of Stanton township’s most enterprising farmers and was in good financial circumstances and has many warm friends in that neighborhood, who were grieved to hear of such a death. He has relatives living in this county and his father lives in Union county, S.D., near Calliope. The funeral took place Wednesday.
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NOTE: Thomas C. Saunders is buried in Blk 8, LeMars City Cemetery. He died May 11, 1891.

Death Record
 

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