The age-herald., 1898-01-08
The Two Were Alone on Banks Of Creek
 When Shooting Took Place.
THE PISTOL HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED
By Relatives as One Which Belonged to the Dead Woman Loved the Man and Threatened to Kill Herself in
 His Presence.


 phis this afternoon. Dr. Shep A. Rogers,
 professor of anatomy at the Memphis med
 ical college, ex-president of the board of
 health, and one of the most prominent phy-
 slcians of the city, was shot by Mrs. Mary
 Sandbrink a widow and tonight lies in
 dying condition at St. Joseph's hospital.
 After shooting pr. Rogers the woman turned the revolver to her breast and sent
 a bullet crashing through her heart. The
 cause of the tragedy is yelled in deepest l mystery.
 The shooting occurred about seven miles
 from Memphis, on the banks of Noncon-
 naes creek. Nobody saw the tragedy, nor would anybody have been attracted to the
 locality but for the noise of the two shots
 that were fired and the cries for assistance from pr. Rogers.
 Doyle Pearson, farmer, and three ne-
 groes went to the assistance of the wound ed man when his cries for help reached
 their ears, and he was lifted into buggy
 and carried to the house of B. D. Echols,
 who resides about one and quarter miles
 distant from where the woman shot pr.
 Rogers and then killed herself. There the
 wounded man received some medical atten-
 tion, after which he was removed to Mem
 phis for permanent treatment. The body of the unfortunate woman lay
 in the exact spot that she killed herself
 until nightfall, when Sheriff Carnes sent an undertaker's wagon for her body, which was removed to the home of her sister, Mrs. Albertine R. Zimmerman. The Weapon Identified. The weapon used by Mrs. Sandbrink ,,ik. tol was double-action one, but was old and rusty. The weapon belonged to the
 woman, being identified by her relatives when it was shown to them. The cause of the unfortunate affair is a
 mystery. There is no doubt but that the
 woman committed the deed. Before laps ing into unconsciousness, in fact, as soon as he was seen by those who went to his aid, Dr. Rogers blamed her for the deed. Every detail that can be gathered in con- neotion with the tragedy substantiates Dr. Rogers in his statement. Dr. Rogers was
 shot in the back, the bullet striking the spinal column.
 Coroner Louis Thompson appeared on
 the scene shortly before dark and empan- neiled a jury which returned verdict
 to the effect that Mrs. Sandbrink was responsible for the shooting The first information of the shooting reached Memphis shortly after 3 o'clock. A telephone message was sent Sheriff Carnes requesting the sheriff to come to | the scene.
 | With the exception of the white man | and the negroes who were in the vicinity when the shooting occurred, an Associated Press reporter and Detective Horan were
 the first people to visit the place where the dead woman lay. She was stretched out on the ground just as she fell after firing the fatal shots. Her clothes were unruied and there were no foot prints or other evidences that any struggle at all had occurred prior to the tragedy. Not a yard distant from her was found the weapon with which the deed was com mitted.
 Took Ample Precauti0n. The right hand of the dead woman was | ungloved, showing that she took ample precaution that the shooting contemplated should not miscarry. Mrs. Sandbrink was stylishly dressed in blue tailor-made
 serge suit. She wore a black felt cap handsomely decorated and also white
 waistcoat. After she shot Dr. Rogers Mrs. Sandbrink undoubtedly placed the revolver against her breast, and, pressing it closely near the region of the heart, pulled the trigger. She was shot through the heart,
 and her white waist was burned on her left side, covering a space four or five inches in diameter. In falling to the ground the woman struck her head on the 1 tree near by, as her face was bruised and full of splinters.
 Every effort has been made by the police and reporters to discover the cause for the shooting but up to a late hour tonight the mystery has not been unraveled. It | is said that the woman was infatuated with the physician and on one occasion l had threatened to kill herself in his pres l ence.
 | At late hour tonight Dr. Rogers is re- 1 ported to be in very serious condition. An operation was performed at St. Josephs hospital and the bullet extracted. Physi- l clans say there Is a bare chance for his
 recovery, but that the entire lower part of | the body will be permanently paralyzed. l The bullet from the woman's revolver pass ed through the spine.
 l Dr. Rogers regained consciousness for a l few minutes tonight. He made state | ment that Mrs. Sandbrink decoyed him to | the fatal spot by writing him a note. He says the woman has greatly annoyed him
 with her attentions and threatened to shoot him on several occasions.
 | The family of the dead woman have not
 as yet made a statement, but 1t Is under | stood that they claim Dr. Rogers was en-
 gagged to be married to Mrs. Sandbrink.
 and for some reason did not carry out his ] part of the contract