Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-04-03

} DEATH IN A CLSTERN.
SUICIDE or Z wELL-To-Do FARMS X
H DosormiDod EmsHss st SELF Dsstru stion.
Tries Paris Green UnsuccessfulIy
and Then browns Himself.

~ Dot0rm1DO0 E00tt8 ut SELF D0Stru 0tfOn.
Tries Paris Green UnsuccessfuIIy
and Then browne Himself.
Yesterday morning the people of Quar-
ryville and vicinity were startled by the
report that Jacob, Snavely, wellknOwn
and well-to-do farmer, living in Drumorc
township, about mile and half south
Of that village had committed suicide. A
representative of the INTELLIGENCER i'm
mediately repaired to the scene of the
tragedy and the following facts were
gathered Mr.. Snavely has for sey-
eral years been melancholy, and twicesb
fore has attempted to take his life, once
by trying to drown himself in Raub &
Edwards dam some five years ago, but he
was discovered in time to prevent it, al
though he { vas slreaoy IN the
deepest part of the water. Last summer
he took dose of Paris green, but took
too much. Since that time he has seemed
to be better, and although he refused to 60
from home at all, his relatives had little
fear of any further attempts on his life.
In fact they thought him as we'll as ever.
On Saturday night he retired at a late
hour, telling his wife that she should not
be alarmed at hearing him get up during
the night, as he did not feel we'll and
would probably have to get up. Some
time after midnight he got up without any
one hearing him, and when Mrs. Shavely
awOko i'll the morning she was not
alarmed, as he generally got up and
made the fire and put on the kettle, but
when she came down stairs and found none
of these things done, she became alarmed,
and went to the farmhouse and made in
quiries of I. N. Keen, the farmer. As he
h0d nQIy hnr hoo ri onukhipv of
him, search was made in all the buildings
and in every nook around the farm with
out success. After some two hours search,
about seven o'clock, Cassius, the eldest
son of Mr.. Keen, discovered that u small
trap door of the cistern at the wagon
shed was not shut down as closely rs usual.
Thinking it strange he looked in, but saw
nothing he went and told his father about
it, who looked in but saw nothing. He
then took a pole, and stirring around,
found something on the bottom, and sue
ceeded, after much difficulty, in getting it
to the top with the assistance of his
two sons, when much to their horror they
found it to be the body of their landlord.
They Immediately took it ont and sent for
some of the neighbors, among whom were
John Warden, esq.,, deputy coroner, who
held an inquest, with John Croft, Daniel
H. Eckman, c. NJ. Hess, Abram Lefever,
G. w. Artus and Henry Keen as jurors.
They rendered verdict of suicide, in &C
cordance with the above facts. DR.. Thad.
NJ. Rohrer, Of Quarryville, officiated as
the cOroner's physician.
Mr.. Snavely was about seventy two years
old and was a bachelor until some three
years ago, when he married Mrs. Ann
Croft, widow of Benjamin Croft. She is
left with one child about two years old
and much sympathy is felt for them. Mrs.
Snavely's former husband, Mr.. Croft, was q
dead in his hog pen some ten years ago
whilst feeding his hogs.
Mr.. Snavely's remains will be inferred at
tho Mennonite church, NeE Providence,