Evening star., 1936-08-25
HUSbANDASU|C|DE
AFTERK|[[|NGMAN
FOUND WITH WIFE
Surprises Pair on Return
From Ride at 1890
This Morning.
VICTIM SHOT IN HEART
SOUTH OF ALEXANDRIA
Slayer Drives on With Body to
King George Court House
to Take Own Life.
Enraged because his estranged wife

Enraged because his estranged wife
was going out" with another man,
Clifton D. Thomas, 20, st. Elizabeth's
Hospital attendant, murdered his sup
posed rival last night, compelled the
terror-stricken woman to ride with
him and the corpse to King George
Court House, Va, and there took his
own life.
The murder victim was Gilmer L.
Snyder, 26, an automobile mechanic.
whose last known address here was
1900 r street. He moved six weeks
ago without leaving a forwarding ad-
dress.
Thomas formerly lived at 769
Quebec place, but he moved recently
TO 314 Maryland avenue northeast.
Mrs. Thomas, described by Virginia
authorities as an attractive blond,
works in an F street beauty shop ar1
lives at 1430 Belmont street.
Separated Year Ago.
She and her husband separated
about year ago. according to the in
formation she gave police. About
three months ago she met Snyder in
restaurant. The latter,s wife, Mrs.
Lucille Snyder, is employed as a
stenographer at the State Depart
ment. It was said they had been
separated about six weeks.
Mrs. Thomas and Snyder went for
an automobile ride last night, return
ing to the Belmont street address
about 1880 am. AS they pulled up
to the curb, Thomas stepped UP to
the car, a rs caliber revolver in his
hand, and ordered Snyder to move
over.
Climbing in behind the steering
wheel, he drove with his right hand,
according to the wife, and kept the
gun pointed at Snyder's heart with
his left.
Shot Snyder Through Heart.
About 6 miles below Alexandria, on
the Washington Richmond Highway.
he shot Snyder through the heart
without stopping the car.
With the dead body of his rival
propped between his wife and him.
self, Thomas drove on into Fredericks-
burg. There Mrs. Thomas begged
him to take Snyder to hospital, but
the husband refused.
Refusing to talk to his wife, Thomas
drove on to King George Court House.
% miles east of Fredericksburg, where
he stopped the car.
Getting out Of the machine, he
turned to his wife and said: I'm
going to end all of this now"
Mrs. Thomas jumped out and ran
to the house of a sister -in-law, Mrs.
Elmer Morris. Thomas walked about
so yards down the road and shot
himself through the head. dying in
stantly.
Oficers, hastily summoned, found
Snyder's body sitting rigid in the
center Of the automobile seat. He
apparently had not moved after the
bullet was fired into his heart, accord
ing to Commemorative Attorney Jo-
seph A. Billingsley.
Wife Questioned Two Hours.
Mrs. Thomas, questioned for two
hours by Billingsley and Trial Justice
B. Wyatt Walker. said she thought
Snyder was unmarried. After relat-
ing details Of the tragedy, she was
permitted to return to Washington by
train this morning, and county au-
thorities issued a certificate of muir
der and suicide.
Their investigation disclosed that
only two bullets had been fired from
the revolver. Snyder's automobile, a
small coupe. was ordered impounded
by Justice Walker. who said there we're
only few blood stains on it.
Thomas formerly lived at King
George. The bodies Of both men
we're turned over to an undertaken
there.
Thomas had been employed at the
hospital about II years, while his
wife had worked at the beauty parlor
ab0lIt tuo vears