The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-02
is CAPTURED
Murderer Of Mrs. Cloud Caught at
His Daughters Home.
Says She Tried to Shoot Him and They
Struggled Over the Revolver
Where He Wandered.

ly at times. He is a heavily built man and
shows no indications that his life has been
one of dissipation. His hair, closely cropped,
is abundantly sprinkled with gray. Nearly
fifty years old, a causual glance at his face
through the cell bars. naturally dispels the
idea that he was a sentimental lover. How
ever, he loved the woman he killed with all
the fever of youth. He does not hesitate
to own it and proclaims the fact in a man
ner that denotes his true feelings.
THE FUGITIVE CAUGHT.
Snyder was placed under arrest at IL
o'clock yesterday morning. Detective Frank
Wilson found him as he was leaving the
door of his daughter, Mrs. McNaught, on
East Ohio street. snyder carried an over
coat on his arm and was about drawing it
on when the detective walked up to him.
The fugitive detected the officer in the act
of drawing his pistol preparatory to an
emergency and informed him that the
weapon was unnecessary. Further he said
that he was then on his way to police head
quarters. Detective Wilson with other Of
fcers were out early yesterday morning and
the former stationed himself at the corner
Of Washington and State streets. two
squares from the home of Snyder's daugh-
ter. A few minutes before IL o'clock the
detective was furnished with the informal
ton that the fugitive was at that moment
in his daughters house. Wilson went at
once TO the locality and found his man.
Snyder was perfectly cool until a crowd
began to gather. Then he grew a bit ner-
vous and appeared anxious to get away from
the place. The detective did not use the
handouts, but walked at the prisoners side
until a car could be secured. Both boarded
the car and i'm five minutes had eluded the
following throng and were at police head
quarters. Snyder was at once taken to the
private office Of Superintendent Powell. In
a half hour he was escorted over to the jail
and located in cell So of the mems depart
ment. This precautionary measure was
thought advisable by the chief.
Snyder in his story Of the killing declares
that Olive Cloud was murdered while en-
gaging in a life and death struggle with
her lover; that he killed the woman to save
his own life. Whether this statement is a
truthful one or the plea Of a craven coward,
there is none to say. The lips of the unfor-
tunate woman nave been sealed by death.
Her lover alone has the secret of the
tragedy in his possession. He scarcely
speaks a sentence that he does not declare
the love he had for her. Why he killed her,
he does not know.
SNYDER'S STORY.
W were both drunk" he declared last
night, land that is the cause of the trouble.
Had been sober, 1 should have done what
1 did many times before. taken the revolver
from her." He does not hesitate to talk of
the woman and his crime. His story is told
in a straightforward and open manner. He
says that he has nothing to conceal and
wants the truth known.
II am very sorry it happened" he con-
tinued with a tremor Of the voice. "for |
loved Ollie better than any woman in the
world. She knew il and I'll tell you the
affection was returned. She was passionate
and jealous. All these about her
trying to get rid of me are false. She was
never satisfied while 1 was out of her sight.
/ did not dare speak of another woman and
she was constantly accusing me of infidelity.
L knew that she was not true to me. l was
in possession of the fact that another man
was lavishing money and presents upon her,
but she assured me that she did not
Mrs. Cloud wanted me to marry her, and
numerous times asked me If | cared enough
for her TO legalize our relations by mar
riage. Invariably l told her that ] did.
but at the same time / explained to her
that | had not money enough TO support
her. She was eXtIaVagant, and spent q
great deal of money on herself, and L felt
that we could not live happily on the sal
airy / was receiving as q bartender. l spent
much of my. time az her home because she
said she was never happy unless l was with
her. She watched me closely at all times,
and we have had many scenes on account
of her jealousy. I'll admit that / was also
jealous of her. While | owned the saloon
at the corner of Washington and Oriental
streets, she was almost a nightly visitor
a. the place. She would come down just
before l closed, and l always came home
with her. When angered she was very VIC
lent. She always kept a pistol in her bed
rccm, and l remember scores of times when
she has sprung up, grabbed the weapon
and swore she would kill me. 1 was sober
then and managed to get the revolver out
of her hands before she could do any harm.
This was all right, for l knew her dispo-
sition and always forgaVe her.
My real intimacy with Mrs. Cloud began
q year ago last June, when / met her at
the Cleveland Club picnic at Blue river.
She had separated from her husband, ana
soon after this date secured a divorce
from him. Since that time We have been
pretty constantly together. All last week
| worked upOn her new house and spent
my leisure time with her. After supper on
Saturday night we prepared to come up
town, ollie telling NE that she wanted to
do some shopping. We left the house by
the kitchen door, and while passing through
the room L remarked that l would leave my
revolver. | took the weapon from my
pocket, handed il to her and she placed It
In the safe drawer. We spent part of the
evening with one of her friends, and
started home about 10 o'clock, stopping at
ScCdder'S dry goods store on Washington
street 10 purchase gloves. We next visited
the restaurant and saloon or Ferris Y
O'Brien, corner of East and Washington
streets. We took q seat at a table in the
restaurant and ordered supper. Up TO this
moment there had been no trouble between
us. During the meal both of us did con-
siderable drinking. At an adjoining table
sat one or two women, and while we Were
there Ollie got the idea that l was paying
too much attention to the other women.
Once she remarked, If you want to talk to
these people you had better go and sit with
THEIR ALLEGED QUARREL.
81 had done nothing that she could OBJ
ject to, but her jealousy got the best of her.
She upbraided me, and of course / replied.
4 few minutes before II o'clock we started
home. The quarrel was renewed, and when
we reached the house the woman was furi-
Gus. We stepped into the kitchen and had
Just closed the door when she exclaimed
that she would shoot me. At lelst l think
iris was what she said. She jumped for
Here is where / made the mistake that was
fatal, and if I had been sober l should have
dCne differently. 1 caught the pistol with
one hand and attempted TO hold her with
the other. She was Il strong woman ana
I could not disarm her. Then a struggle
the muZzle OF the revolver toward her. We
both had hold Of ii, and / don't know
whether l pulled the trigger or not. / heard
the shots and heard her scream. | think
the shot in her wrist was made While she
bad hold Of the pistol. l don't know how
maAy shots were fired. l saw her stagger
into the sitting room, and / started TO so
out IT the door. l turned back and walked
into the dining room. Here l met her son
and asked, Where is she?'