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[September 1, 1879] -
George S. Saunders, a Troublesome Character, Killed in the Bar-room of the Harris House by
W. S. MYERS AND ASHER HARRIS.
(Special to the Courier Journal.)
STANFORD, KY., Aug. 31. -- George S. Saunders was killed at Crab Orchard last night. He was five times shot and once stabbed, and died immediately. W. S. Myers, who did the shooting, went at once to Lancaster and surrendered himself, and was brought here today and is now in custody. Asher Harris, who is supposed to have done the stabbing, has not yet been arrested, but is expected to surrender himself to-morrow. The killing was done in the bar-room of the Harris House, no persons being present except Myers, Asher Harris and Saunders, and the immediate circumstances are not known. There had been ill-feeling between the parties for some time, and during the afternoon previous to the difficulty Saunders is said to have gone to the Harris house and behaved badly, and threatened to kill Myers, who lives at the house, and is a son-in-law of old man Harris and a brother-in-law of Asher.
Saunders has been a troublesome character in this county for some years past. He has been regarded as the worst of the Crab Orchard outlaws, and there are numerous indictments for felonies pending against him. A Rockcastle county jury acquitted him last spring of the murder of Geo. Middleton, of color, when it was the unanimous opinion of every body in the county that he was guilty. He is supposed to have been the ringleader in the robbery of Buchanan's store in December, 1877, and was strongly suspected of connection with the party who set fire to the Harris House last Thursday night and of robbing the post-office at Crab Orchard last Friday night.
Myers was some years ago Marshal of Crab Orchard, later Deputy Sheriff, and for the last few years has been engaged in farming and in assisting to keep the Harris House at Crab Orchard. Myers' trial is set for next Wednesday. [1]