Telegram-herald., 1889-09-04


taat Mr. osee1 Was insane 4Do that ~
f2El b have t4zen him away ~ tl3l tle par
tclL4fs ~ h-s ia ADJ sAAl .not DC Auo~l
A l.ls rulaor rs gained currency oa tne
street, TIC OgIeel " this article = ~ give a.
exact account II what really happened u
NJ Suee1, and put end 70 the damaging
runners which may have eject on The bans
iuz business " Tie nrA or Sneed & Bran
vel. lld only say what every ciisen in
Detroit kuows, lh4t the commercial staud-
ing OF tae 1rm IS as secure a. that Of tue
bank OF Engl4nc
Those who knew Mr. sneed know that be
was mau u business. Although ne was
80 wealthy ae did NOT keep a steam yacht
nor even ~ extra nAe carriage. These
e - Wslch show tnc lnostentati0usness a
81 Saeca character, have been sad ny
his enemies 70 denote meanne.s Bus there
was nothing nle-n about Mr. sneed. a. his
liberal donations TO Tue SuecO College Of
Technology showed. Those who did no.
know Mr. sneed intimately have been heard
to remark that he was a man who had never
been a boy. IL is true that he was very
serious man ana that with HIM business was
business and never was intermlxed VITA
any frivolity. The fact that Mr. Sneed
could never see the point OF Z joke and
never tolerated one only shows that be had
not y frivolous mind. and besides, there are
very few jokes nowadays that are worth
toierating anyhow Mr. Sneed has been
taken for man sixty-fivo or seventy years
OF age, but ia reality was only hfty-nlne al
the time the incident happened which gave
rise 10 the rumor OF his insanity Mr. sueed
had remarked 10 his family that morning
that he was beginning 10 feel very Old, and
ne spoke 20 his son, who Is employed IN
Sneed a. Brlmwslrs bank, OF the possiDil-
ity OF young John Sneed soon being the
head OF the house.
The first symptoms that any thing was
wrong was noticed by John Sneed "a ne
stood a the cashiers desk that afternoon.
II was bis fathers custom 10 leave the bank
about four O'clock, and he used 10 walk out
Of the bank 10 a very dignihed manner,
never noticing the salutation Of mis- EN-
ployes as he passed them. This PECULIARLY
gave Mr.. Sneed the reputation OF being
naughty towards those whom he employed
but such an imputation was al just one,
as every one who knows NJ. Sneed person
ALLY is aware. On the evening In question
John SBeed noticed his father, as he said
afterwards, sneak out OF the bank. He
seemed 10 De trying 10 elude observation
the public part of the bank ne suddenly
stopped down so that his head was not
visible above the counter, and ran swiftly
out close beside the counter so that nobody
on the other side could have noticed his
exit.
The cashier, however, who had seen his
strange actions before be got into the pub
lie part Of the bank, leaned over and
caught sight Of bis fathers back as he
dashed past the cashiers window. This so
alarmed his son that, calling young Mr..
Bramwell 10 take the cashiers desk, he put
on his nat and started in pursuit Of his
father. II was a couple OF hours before
John Sreed saw his father, and then ne
found MIN in an alley of one Of the back
streets playing baseball with lot OF bows
who seemed in high glee 10 have the old
man with them. When John Sneed ap-
peared in the alley be heard one OF the
boys shout:
Mr.. Sneed, here's your son" And in
stantly Sneed, who was at the bat, dropped
the stick ard ran. The boys scattered
all over the place, and Sneed was seen 10
climb fence in the rear OF Mr.. William
Smiths residence, ana, dashing through
the shrubbery, escaped bY the front gate.
When Johu Sneed reached Mr.. Smith )
house no trace Of the old man was 10 be
found
Young Sneed did not know what to do.
He did not wish TO call IN the aid Of the
police for fear Of the publicity which such
an action would cause. After an ineffect-
usl search, lasting till dark, John Sneed
went home 10 his residence on Woodward
avenue aud consulted with bis brother,
jacob Sneed. Jr., as 10 what il was best 10
DO. 1t was agreed not 10 alarm he family,
but after supper 10 cont ntinue the search and
call in the aid OF a detective il thought
necessary. After supper, while John and
jacob, Jr., were in the hall, the cook came
through from the back and told John in a
whisper that their father had appeared at
the door few moments before and had