Oscar B. Sawyers
OSCAR B. SAWYERS, son of NANCY JANE BEATY and CALLIER FENNER SAWYERS, was born in August, 1854 in Alcorn, Corinth, Mississippi,566 and died December 3, 1893 in Palestine, Anderson, Texas.548 He is buried in Palestine City Cemetery, Anderson County, Texas.456
He married (1) MAGGIE JONES on September 11, 1879 in Rusk County, Texas.101 She was born October 17, 1861 in Texas,456 and died September 26, 1880.456 She is buried in Graham-Hall Cemetery, Henderson, Rusk, Texas.456
He married (2) CARRIE B. JONES on May 9, 1883 in Rusk County, Texas.3616 She married (2) Guy Boyd Sawyers November 27, 1895 in Williamson County, Texas.3616
Obituaries
Galveston Daily News, December 4, 1893548
SHOT WIFE AND SELF
O. B. Sawyers of Palestine Put a Bullet Through His Brain
After Seriously Wounding His Wife—Could Not Face Some Trouble He Confessed Was Coming.
Palestine, Tex., Dec. 3.—This morning between 1 and 2 o'clock, one of the most horrible tragedies that ever occurred in this section took place at the residence of O. B. Sawyers, No. 69 Sycamore street. Mr. Sawyers shot his wife twice, one ball taking effect in the left breast above the nipple and ranging downward toward the hip, inflicting a fatal wound, and she now lies at her residence in a precarious condition with very little hopes of recovery.
Immediately after the act O. B. Sawyers placed the smoking pistol to his own head and fired two shots, each taking effect, and resulting in instant death.
A near neighbor, Mr. W. M. Lacy, ran across the street and ascertaining the trouble, hastily summoned Dr. Jameson and some neighbors. Mrs. Sawyers' wounds were dressed and the flow of blood stopped.
Mr. O. B. Sawyers was one of the most prominent citizens of this city and a member of the Knights of Pythias, Knights of Honor, Knights and Ladies of Honor and Woodmen of the World, besides being secretary of several loan and building associations of this city.
Financial trouble is supposed to be the cause of the rash act, as the statement of Mr. Lacy will indicate.
Mr. W. M. Lacy says: "I was lying awake and heard the shots, which were not very loud on account of being in the house, they sounded more like something dropping than anything else. I lay for a minute or so listening when I heard a scream and sprang up immediately, and putting on my clothes, hurriedly ran into the street toward Mr. Sawyers' house. When I got to the gate Mrs. Sawyers, who was at one of the windows upstairs, called out to me that Mr. Sawyers had killed himself and her, too. I ran to Dr. Jameson's, Mr. Dilley's and Mr. Gorman's, and in a minute pushed open the downstairs door, rushed up the stairway to the bedroom, where we found Oscar Sawyers lying in a pool of blood dead, with the revolver clutched in his hand. Mrs. Sawyers was standing by his side with blood oozing from her breast. We placed her upon the bed and stopped the flow of blood from the wound which entered her left breast above the nipple and came out in the small of the back. The suffering woman, thinking she was dying, told us the cause that led to the tragedy. She said: 'Pray for me and my poor husband. He told me that he could not face the disgrace sure to come upon him and could not leave me it after he was dead, and before I could move or utter a word he shot me in the side. I sprang from the bed and he shot again. I then knew that he would shoot himself and sprang toward him to take away the pistol, but before I could he fired two shots at his head and fell upon the floor.' "
This is the brief history of the tragedy as far as can be learned.
The funeral of Mr. Sawyers will take place from his residence to-morrow at 11 o'clock a. m.
Mrs. Sawyer's wound may prove fatal. A further examination by physicians shows that the ball entered the left breast, randing downward below the heart, but punctured the left lung and came out near the kidneys. Her condition is still precarious to-night.
Census Records
| Date | Location | Enumerated Names |
|---|---|---|
| August 7, 1870513 | Corinth, Alcorn, Mississippi | |
| October 11, 18703617 | Rusk County, Texas |
|
| June 28, 1880516 | Palestine, Anderson, Texas |
|
