Taylor, Thomas - 1894
Source: Crawfordsville Review, 17 November 1894
At Thorntown on Monday evening Jacob Schaffer shot and mortally wounded Thomas Taylor as a result of a quarrel over wages. Schaffer is the superintendent of the Indiana Natural gas Company at that place, and Taylor, who for 20 years was one of Thorntown’s leading business men was working under him. It seems as though Taylor had been paid off and had made the assertion to some friends that Schaffer had failed to square up right and that he yet owed him. Schaffer, hearing of this, went with his brother-in-law, Joseph Arthur to find Taylor, and at last came across shim. Schaffer said, “Taylor, I heard you said I owed you and you know it is a lie.” Taylor said it was so, whereupon Schaffer jumped onto him, but he succeeded in knocking Schaffer down. He then tried to make his escape but was held by Arthur until Shaffer (sic) could pick himself up when he pulled his revolver and fired twice point black at his man, Taylor fell fatally injured, one ball having took effect in his head and the other in his back. Medial aid was summoned, but his recover is looked upon as very doubtful. Schaffer was placed under arrest and was taken to Lebanon for safe keeping as threats of lynching were made against him. Both Shaffer and his brother in law had been drinking and were under the influence of liquor at the time of the affray. Much excitement prevails in Thorntown over the affair, and the citizens generally are very indignant at Schaffer for his brutal cowardice. –