The New Era

CRUEL, COLD BLOODED MURDER.

The trial of a man by the name of Watt takes place some time in April next, in the State of Mississippi, for the murder of Thomas Shannon, formerly a resident of New Albany, Indiana.

The circumstances attending Mr. Shannon's murder have never been made public; but the annals of crime cannot present a more cruel fate than he suffered. His family connections—a widowed mother residing in New Albany, also brothers and sisters there, and in Jeffersonville and this city—are all highly respectable and well to do. Mr. Shannon had resided some two or three years in Mississippi, in the Yazoo Country, some sixty miles east of Helena, Arkansas. He had amassed considerable property, and at the time of his murder he had converted it into money, preparatory to returning to New Albany, to comfort his mother in her declining age, and settle down in his birth place. He had been married to a confiding and interesting lady of Mississippi only two months.

On the day of his murder, a man living in the neighborhood, who had worked for him, requested Mr. Shannon, through a third person to call at his house on particular business; he did so, not dreaming of the foul intent which he was so soon to encounter. He entered this fiend's house unarmed: the door was closed, and three men simultaneously drew their bowie knives on him.

Finding himself thus assailed, he clenched with the ruffians (he was a man of great strength) and, throwing one against the other, he kept them from stabbing him vitally for three quarters of an hour; but at each turn he was cut and hacked by the weapons constantly aiming at his heart.

While this desperate struggle was progressing the alarm was given, but too late: before assistance came, one of the villains succeeded in severing his hand from the arm, at the wrist, when he could no longer resist successfully, and fell fainting by exertion, pain from his numerous gashes and loss of blood, to the floor, when each plunged his knife into his body, and all three fled.

Just as he fell, Mrs. Shannon having heard the alarm at her residence, came running terrified into the room. Seeing the situation of her husband, she seated herself upon the floor, and drew his head into her lap, while from his severed arm and unnumbered wounds the crimson gore was streaming; wiping it from his mouth and eyes she heard the dreadful particulars of his cruel fate as life ebbed away. Shannon lived some fifteen minutes—the anguish of those two hearts during that time may be conjectured, but it never can be told. The intent of the murderers was money, and the deed was done in presence of the wife and daughter of the man Watt, who are witnesses against him. The others fled. We knew Shannon personally, well, and a braver, better hearted man we never knew. His loss is deeply deplored by a young wife, a widowed mother, relatives, and numerous acquaintances.

We hope the law will avenge his death by bringing condign punishment to each of his cruel murderers.—Cin. Com., March 31.