Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-28
EVIDENT SUICIDE.
BODY of WILLIAM SAUNDERS, OF
MARTINS FERRY, FOUND YES
TERDAY AFTERNOON
FLOATING IN THE RIVER,
The Case Being Investigated by
Coroner Beetham-It is Thought
the Man Jumped in the River at
u Point Above the Ferry Landing.
Supposed Cause for the Rash Act.

Yesterday afternoon about fifteen min
utes of three o'clock, four boys in skin
near the ice breakers, above the ferry
| landing in Martins Ferry, saw the head
| of man floating in the river. The boys
were frightened and Immediately pulled
/ into shore a distance of about thirty
feet After they landed. one of the boys.
Brady SnodgrasS, called to John Riser,
! who was coming down the wharf, and told
/ him what they had seen Riser secured a
! piece of rope from another skiff. and he
| and young Snodgrass rowed out. Riser
caught the body with the rope and they
pulled it to shore, where it was recog-
nized as William Saunders, of Martins
| Ferry. Coroner Beetham, of Bellaire. was
notified and he ordered the body to be
| taken to an undertaking establishment
/ The body was taken to the establishment
/ of w. L. Noble, on Hanover street. The
/ coroner soon arrived and examined the
witnesses. The young Snodgrass boy said
the boys went over the river to take a
| swim, and as they neared the Ohio shore
saw the head floating above the water,
and that he had called Riser. Riser cor
roborated the boys story and told how
he landed the body on the shore. Watt
McDermott was called, but had not seen
Saunders and knew nothing about the
I case.
| Earl (Hunchey) Porter stated he met
Saunders between four and five O'Clock
J yesterday morning near the Ferry land
| ing. He said they sat down and talked
| a while, and Saunders asked him if he had
any whiskey, and he told him no. Saun-
| ders said he would go up to his boarding
house, Mrs. Chambers's, on Second street,
and get his breakfast, and would soon re-
! turn and they would have a drink.
Porter said all right, and sat watching
the old man until he had got to Huskinss
! grocery. He then went home and that
/ was the last he saw OF him. No one
| else could be found who had seen him,
and this was all the evidence taken. Cor
orner Beetham gave no verdict last even
| ing. 1t is thought by almost all that
/ Saunders committed suicide by jumping
into the river some distance above where
! his body was found, and Aoated down to
! this point. 1t is said that he had
/ trobule with his wife of late, and twice
she had him locked up; that lately
/ they We're not living together and his
| family trouble was his chief topic of con-
/ of drowning himself and for several days
/ had spent much time on the river bank
/ looking into the water from which his
! dead body was taken. He had been drink
! ing much of late and was distracted in
both mind and body.
He came to this country in 1888 from
! Wales and worked in the Aetna-Standard
| mill He prospered and saved his money
and soon bought a home and several other
| pieces of property. AS he was getting old
| he quit the mill, and for some time had
a shoe store on Broadway. About three
years ago his first wife died and then he
| became little reckless. Later he mar
! ried again. During all these years Will
liam Saunders was a highly respected cit
| izen of this city and had a host of friends
| Some say that the last marriage did not
prove to be a happy one, and to cast aside
| his troubles he took to drinking, which,
with troubled mind, is supposed to have
| caused him in his old age to do this rash
act.
! On his person was found $3.50, a silver
watch, pair of spectacles, a cap in his
| coat pocket and one sock. This was ALL
! 1t is not known whom he will be buried
| but most probably to-day. He leaves a
! wife, but no children.