The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-08-07
Blows His Brains Out In the Presence
OF the Coroner
When Confronted With the Proof Of His
Awful Crime
william James RelIand and IRIS. Jennie r
Snyder, Recent Arrivals in the City,
the Notwithstanding Details.
The Coroners Inquest

Upon the slabs in an East Side under
taking establishment lie the bodies of
William James Relland, shot through
the brain, a suicide. and Mrs. Jennie
Snyder, murdered by criminal opera
ton. The little form of child, brought
into this world lifeless and before its
time, is also there. mute evidence OF
one of the most terrible tragedies ever
enacted in this city. The story of the
triple crime Is most revolving in its de-
tails, and but exemplifes the old adage
that he way of the transgresSor is hard
eand that the wages of sin is death.
Relland, youth of &c. of fine physique
and apparently gentle breeding, came to
this city from Seattle with his paramour,
Mrs. Snyder, about month ago. bring
Ing with them her child. Jennie, girl of
II. and they have since resided here.
The woman few days since evidently
submitted to a criminal operation and,
dying from the result of the treatment,
her guilty partner in crime, when he saw
that all would be brought to light in
the course of an investigation, blew out
his brains with revolver, preferring
death to Imprisonment. The story in
detail is as follows:
THE WOMAN'S HISTORY
In the little lumber town of Cadott,
Wis, situated in Chippewa county, about
fourteen miles from Chippewa Falls,
there lived the family of Robert Snyder,
a wood worker employed in the mills
of the Clarke Hub and Spoke company.
60, tt,,I ar AZ.
Snyder, her two sons, aged 16 and ii,
respectively, and the little daughter,
named after her mother Mrs. Snyder
was 81 years old, and her husband some
what older. In the spring of 1895 Sny-
der thought to better his condition by
emigrating to Washington, and accord
ingly packed his household goods and
removed to Seattle with his family.
Arriving there they settled down,
Snyder securing work in the lumber
mills and his wife opening up small
millinery store The husband became
dissatisfied with the Pacific coast for
various reasons, and in August of last
year resolved to go back to Cadott and
resume his former employment He did
50, leaving his wife and children in Sc
attic In the latter city resided William
j. IRELAND, who lived with his parents
beOISc anu carrie f(elldnu, the IatNcf
being employed In the railroad car shops
as mechanic. the son having also learn
ed the same trade. Young Reland be-
came acquainted with Mrs. Snyder and
guilty liason was begun.
Several times Snyder wrote out ask
ing his wife to return to Cadott, but she
put him off. Finally, in June
of this year she sent her two boys back
to their father in his Wisconsin home
Later in the month she wrote her hus-
band letter in which she said she had
decided not to live with him again,
all was over between them. and that she
was about to depart for foreign coun-
try, never to return. If he desired he
could also have their daughter Jennie.
II he would forward money to pay her
railroad fare home. To this letter Mr..
snyder replied, but could not reach the
woman, as she had already left the city.
ON THEIR TRAVELS
In the latter part of June Mrs. Snyder
and her paramount, Relland, left Seattle.
going to Portland Ore, where thew
stopped couple of days. thence to San
francisco and on to Los Angeles, arriv-
ing here on the Fourth of July. The lit
tie girl, Jennie, accompanied them She
mad been taught that Relland was her
step-father. and sometimes called her.
self Jennie Snyder, sometimes Jennie
IRELAND, 1t seems that Relland came
mere in the expectation of securing
work In the Southern Pacific RAILROAD
shops. having been promised job. He
arrived little too late. however, the
position having already been filed. The
couple staid several days at a hotel.
f1nally on July 9th moving into the little
cottage at No 1876 South Water street.
East Los Angeles, where they have since
resided.
IRELAND secured temporary work from
the electric railroad people at the power
house on Seventh street. but this was I'M
satisfactory and he became discouraged.
Mrs. Snyder was also in delicate health,
complaining during the entire month.
She discovered that she was again to
become mother. and evidently de-
cided to take measures to prevent it.
what was done will probably never be
positively known. as the only ones who
can tell lie with their lips sealed in
death, but that instruments were used
Is fact.
THE END CAME
Last Friday morning DR.. Andrew S.
Shorb was called by telephone to the
residence on South Water street to at
tend MIS-. snyder who, it was said by
IRELAND, was threatened with a mis-
carriage. He made calls on Friday.
again at o'clock Saturday morning. n
org o'clock on the same day and on the
following Tuesday when the body of the
dead child was brought into the world.
Mrs. Snyder fingered in great agony un-
til Wednesday evening at Z o'clock, when
she died. The foetus was buried in the
back yard by Relland. When the woman
expired Relland seemed beside himself
and did not apparently know what to
do. The services of Undertaken John
X. Paul were called for and the BODY
removed to his parlors at 419 and 421
Downey avenue.
A telegram was sent by Relland late
Wednesday evening to the husband OF
the dead woman at Cadott, notifying him
OF his wifes death and stating that he
had no money to pay for her burial, ask
ing the outraged husband to either send
for the body or forward sufficient to de-
fray the funeral expenses. A reply to
this was sent not to IRELAND, but to
Mrs Phillips wife of Attorney J. N.
Phillips, who resides at 1856 North Grif-
fin avenue. Mrs. Phillips formerly re-
sided in Cadott and knew the Snyders
well. and her husband Is from Chippewa
Falls. She had no intimation that Mrs.
Snyder was in Los Angeles. although