Kansas City daily journal., 1896-11-05

BRAKEMAN'S DOUBLE CRIME.
ARTHUR l.. SHOCKS KILLS HIS WIFE,
THEN SHOOTS HIMSELF.
She Had Refused to Live With Him
The Deed Committed in n Public
Hallway on West Ninth
Witnessed by Pedestrians.

noon Yesterday in the hallway leading up
to the Belmont hotel, at 1903 West Ninth
street. Then, after coolly watching her die
| and ascertaining by a touch of the pulse
| that her death was assured, he arose from
his place on the stairway, thonghtfully cast
| aside half smoked cigar. and sent two
| bullets into his own body.
Mrs Snooks, who was forced to enter the
| hallway of the Belmont from Ninth street
| by her husband, who seemed bent upon
| quarreling with her, made frantic efforts
| to escape when she saw her husband pull
| a revolver and OWNED his intention. She
| was too slow. Snooks placed the revolver
| to his wife's breast and pulled the trigger.
| She fell without screaming. her body be-
| ing half outstretched across the narrow
| hall. her eyes peering CLASSIFY in the direc-
| ton of the door. Death had been instan-
| taneous. ]. F. Hazel a groceryman at lis
West Ninth street. was passing the street
! door of the Belmont hotel at the time the
first shot was fired and paused to glance
| inside. He saw through the glass panel
| what Snooks had done, but when he tried
| to force in the door. he found it impossible
| because of the dead body of Mrs. Snooks
| flying against it. He turned away for an
| instant to summon aid from the crowd
which was hastily gathering after hearing
| the shot, and when he looked again
Snooks was bending over the body of the
| dead woman, feeling the pulse beats
Open this door," cried Hazel. open 1t,
I say" but his words were not needed.
| Without a tremor Snooks arose, thought
| fully cast aside half smoked cigar, and,
half turning his gaze from the gaze Of the
people at the door, fired twice into his left
| II, rodt
| encompassed by the outlines of the upper
| pocket in his vest. Without groan he
fell across the feet and legs Of his dead
| wife, his body stretched upstairs. his face
| buried in the stairway carpet.
| ]. W. Todd, a Santa Fe engineer, stood
opposite the Belmont hotel, just before
Snooks and fis wife, who were Quarreling
loudly, came opposite the street door. He
says Snooks half forced and half coaxed
the woman inside the door. where. after
| few moments spent in banGying hot
| words, Snooks pulled a revolver. The sight
| of the weapon and the thought of what
| was about to occur made Todd turn his
| head and shut his eyes. He heard the first
| shot, and in an instant joined the crowd
| which was hurrying in the direction of
| the shooting. 81 was paralyZed," said Todd
yesterday, when 1 saw the revolver, but
| am sorry now 1 did not try to help the
defenseless woman" He did not know
| the SnOokS, Dut WalcneQ tneIH pecause
| they were quarreling.
| The shooting, occurring, as it did, at high
| noon, and in such a central location, halted
hundreds of people who were passing the
hotel at the time. and created mild panic
in the vicinity of Ninth and Central streets.
The crowd in its eagerness to see what had
occurred crushed against the door and
would have torn it from its hinges and
exposed the bodies to the street but for
the arrival of Officer Merritt, who forced
his way through and barred the entrance.
Upon the arrival of Coroner Bedford, the
bodies were removed to Wagner's under
taking rooms on Grand avenue, and the
crowd dispersed. Officer Merritt picked
up slungshot after Snooks' body was car
ried out and it is evident had the revolver
failed him he meant to accomplish his
wifes death by beating out her brains.
| The Snooks are little known in Kansas
City, having only lived here about two
months. They came here from Salt Lake,
Utah. where Snooks was a passenger con-
1 ductor and after living a week at the
Waldorf hotel. Ninth street and Broad
way, ,Snooks entered the Missouri Pacific
hospital for treatment for an old injury
and his wife took up quarters at the Glib.
son hotel. 81 West Ninth street. After his
discharge from the hospital, Snooks lived
with his wife until a month ago. wher
: they quarreled, as they had often done be-
fore, and he left her. He was running
. then out of Nevada. Mo-, on Missouri
Pacific freight, and came to Kansas City
to spend the night. twice each week.
Tuesday evening he went to the Gibson
house. and. in company with his wife anG
her 1S-year-old daughter, Miss Myrtle Nc
. Coun, went out to hear the election re-
turns. Miss McCoun said yesterday thai
she noticed nothing unusual in her step
fathers actions. He remained in his wife.
room until midnight and retired to another
part of the house. He arose at 6 O'Clock
yesterday morning and went again to hi:
. wife's room, where he talked with her ant
, her daughter, and tried to persuade hel
!, to again live with him. She fatty refused
from his pocket and handed 1t to her. say
, ing: This is good in case of suicide, OF
anything" and went from the room.
, He returned to the hotel about 11:30 ant
paid for the room he had occupied tn,
night before. He appeared excited ant
when he asked to see his wife Mrs. Cath
, | crime Hands, the proprietress of the place
, refused him the opportunity. He was mucl
worked up and said he wanted to pay he
s. he had borrowed of her. Still he wa.
, refused admittance to his wife's chambe
and turned away. AS he gained the street
Mrs. Snooks, perfectly unconscious tina
: ! her husband was in the vicinity, left he
, room and stepped out on the street to mai
a letter. He accosted her on the sidewalk
having fingered near, and started to wall
east with her. They were quarreling at
high rate when the stree. entrance OF tn
Belmont hotel was reached where Mrs
Snooks was compelled to enter by her irat
I. husband. They had only been in the hal
!. a few moments when the tragedy whicl
5 cost both of them their lives was enacted
3 Snooks was member Of the Order O
5 | Railway Conductors. lodge 227. and carrie
1 an Identification card of the Fidelity an,
Casualty Insurance Company. of Chicago
l A meal ticket he carried in his upper lef
hand vest pocket was pierced by both bul
L | lets that he fired into his own body.
= THE THIEF WATCHED HIM.
. I -