The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-25
MRS. SN0WDEN'S
DOUBLE CRlMI
Mothsr-in-Iaw Blamed in Letter
Left by Dead Woman.
PATHETIC STORY REvEALE
YOUNG WIFE SOUGHT DEATH a
RELIEF FROM UNHAPPY LIFE.
Especial to The Heraid-)

Especial TO Inc 6eralQ-l
Mt. Pleasant, Utah, Oct. 24--Audrel
Snowden killed her child. Morreu Snow
den, and then committed suicide, viii
a 41-calibre Colts revolver.
This was the verdict OF the coroner
jury this evening. The verdict is signe|
by J. L. Hansen. c. E. Hansen and 4
G. Madsen. and attested by Justice q
the Peace Peter AIatson-
After the jury had examined all wit
nesses the following letters were ID
trOduced. they had been found durinl
the day between the leaves of a bOOi
lying near the body. the first one wsl
directed to Mrs Eliza Keller. Mra
SnOwden's mother at Richheld. an
was as follows;
Dear MOther-Forgive me for what
am about to do. L have been very, verl
unhappy since have been here Ned
is always kind but he expects me to Il
put on by his mother and Jim and
can't do it. There is no way out of
only this. Good bye
The second was addressed to her hus
band. tread Dear Neal-Please toI
give me for what j am about to do
can stand it no longer. Since L hayl
been here I have been very, very uiI
happy and viii end it all now Remen
Der me as your own devoted wife, ID
fore your mother came If I leave baIl
take good care of her and keep lad
with you If ever you should marrl
again don't let your wife live with I'd
or your mother. Your own sad, hear
broken Audrey"
Talked About Suicide.
The crime was committed a few mid
uteS after . o'clock last evening Mr.
SnOwden had been alone nearly the ell
tire day in the house with her mOthe /
in-law, Mr.. SnOwden's mother It
told now that her appearance thrcugi
out the day was one of depression al,
she had talked of suicide, and ha'
asked if il was a disgrace for chi
If its parent took her own lie. She va
told that that would be a very dia
graceful act and that the child's mani
would suffer. She then made the I'd
mark that if that was SO, she Won
] first take the life OF her little one Id
fore taking her own. But little atteI
ton was paid to these remarks by Id
mother-in-law, TO whom they wei
made, as she says she did not think I'll
young woman meant theWs
Just a few TnOmSnss before the ssfS5|
ing the elder Mrs Snowden left III
house, becoming aggravated with Id
daughters talk OF self-destruction- ST
started on an errand to a neigh Dor
/ a short distance away and had on
/ gone a few yards when she heard I'll
.
missed the matter of the suicid.
! threats from her mind entirely. as ST
went on to the neighbOr's, attending
/ her errand. and went back to the nous
She entered a rear room, took her I'D
and cloak and went UP town. She weI
directly TO her sons Office and infOrme
Jimmie Snowden, a grown son OF I'll
| doctors. that she feared something wa
/ wrong at the house.
The young man ran TO the house an
/ entered. Everything was quiet IN III
! parlOr and he passed to a closet ad
] joining this room. While standing
! the door Of the closet he heard a groa
at his feet and. after procuring a high
discovered the little child lying On I'll
/ floor in it's own blood. with the hideou
wound in its forehead. 1t was moanin
/ piteously as though in pain
How Crime Was Committed
DR.. Ray was then called by the DO.
1 who had not yet discovered the moths
of the child. When the doctor Went
I pick the little one UP ne turned an
/ discovered the mother lying in a cOrne
/ of the closet with her head and shOu
/ ders on a trunk and her body on I'd
/ floor, where she had evidently falie
after firing the fatal shot. She va
/ dead and had evidently expired imma
diately after the ball had pierced I'D
/ head The doctor sent for help an
/ turned his entire attention 10 the chils
! but his efforts were of no avail, as
! breathed it's last in about an hour.
! The mother had evidently shot I'd
| child while it was standing or sittirl
/ near her in the middle of the floor an
/ il had fallen over backwards. TT
! child's head was badly powder burnel
/ showing that the gun had been within
! a few inches when the shot was frei
/ The mother had then sat down on til
| floor in the corner and fired the ba
/ which pierced her own brain. The ali
I had been unerring and the result dead
/ ". The child received the shot SQUARED
/ in the forehead a little above the GER
! ter, and the ball passed through I'll
I head. The wound in the mothers hea
| was about two inches in front of ID
right ear. the bullet passing throug
and coming out of the head behind I'd
/ left ear.
All necessary help was soon at han
| and all details attended to. DR.. SNOW
( den arrived in a couple of hours afts
/ the awful occurrence and went directl
! TO the house, but was not allowed (
/ view the body until this morning, ats
it had been properly cared for. He SAY
| that he knows Of absolutely no reaso
/ why the terrible deed had been con
mitted. He had left the house as usu;
that morning and had no suspicion
anything of the kind.