Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1903 — DOMESTIC TRAGEDY AT MONON [ARTICLE]

DOMESTIC TRAGEDY AT MONON

Sanford Thompson Shoots Ollvsr P. Evans, Then Blows His Own Brains Out. The town of Monon was plunged into a fever of excitement Tuesday morning by Sanford Thompsou going to the home of Oliver Evans and, when Evans came to the door, shooting him in the breast and inflicting a dangerous though not necessarilly fatal wound. The tragedy occurred about 6 a. m., and was the result of domestic difficulties of long standing. Thompson is said to have been a quiet, industrious citizen and was well thought of, but his wife’s actions preyed upon his mind and when she finally got a divorce from him last summer and married Evans, he took to drinking. He had been brooding over his troubles for some time and recently took three of his children to Indianapolis and secured homes for them. He returned home Monday and was slightly under the influence of liquor in the afternoon. He went to his former wife’s house, about 6 o’clock Tuesday morning, and knocked at the door. Evans came to the window and Thompson fired at him. Thompson then tried to break down the door, and Mrs. Evans ran to the' neighbors for assistance. The town marshal found Thompson near the house with a revolver in his hand, and as a crowd began to close in on him he placed the revolver to his .head, dropped on both knees and blew his brains out, dying instantly. Evans it is thought will recover.