James A. Snider/Snyder

James A. Snider who committed suicide in the alley,back of Dr. C. F. Riseling's barn at 3:30 Fiday afternoon had been despondent for some time because of ill health, and while he had not indicated in the presence of his family that he comtemplated violence to himself, there had been some uneasiness on their part.  Miss Carrie Sides who had made their home with them the last 15 years said the Republican Era.
  She said that M.r Snider had been kept at home two months by illness up to three weeks ago, said that he left home at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon saying he was going down town.
  He entered the Stoelsie & Bros. Hardware store not more than 15 minutes before he killed himself, the dealer states, and puchased a sixteen double gauged, single barrel shot gun. Joe Stoelsie making the sale. Then Mr. Snider asked for cartridges, was told price was $1.19 a box for black powder, and said he would take two and try them, and if they worked alright, he would return and buy a box of shells.  He started out of the store and then turned back and said I guess you better wrap up the gun. The weapon was wrapped and he took it and left.
  As stated in this paper Friday, he went to the Riseling barn, hardly more than a block from his home, and placing the butt of the gun on the ground, and the muzzle against his chest, pressed the trigger with a stick and fell dead.
  The sound of the shot attracted Mrs. Riseling and she investigated and found the lifeless body and called to Abe Roberts, living across the intersecting alley. Mr. Roberts cleaning the automobile heard the shot and looked and  saw the smoke wafting around the corner of the barn. He was not over five feet away. They notified the authorities.  This was the third nerve wracking experience of Mrs. Riseling in two weeks. Just two weeks ago today, she witnessed Lineman Floyd Stiver's death from electrocution as he was belted to a telephone pole across the street from her home. And just last Wednesday evening she was in the car with her husband  when the machine struck and killed little Jimmy Albon in Carbondale in what all agreed was an unavoidable accident.
    The funeral for Mr. Snider will take place from the residence at 609 N. Fifthteenth Street at four o'clock Sunday afternoon.
Services will be conducted by Rev. W.T. Mathis at the first M. E. Church South and the body will be buried at city cemetery. The Odd Fellows will have charge of the funeral.
He was born at Campbell, Dunklin Co. MO.  He was born Feb 25, 1857 and at the time of his death, he was 62 years, 6 months and two days. He lived in Murphysboro 35 years. In Union Co. he married Matilda? Sides. They had no children. Mr. Snider has a brother, George Snider of 507 Lucifer street, and a sister, Mrs. Will Underwood of Mt. Carbon,  and a half brother John B. A. Snider of DuQuoin.

Source:  Daily Republican  30 August 1919

Submitted by Ruby Porter
 

Note: James had an older brother Obedias and a brother Rice. And another half brother Daniel Snider.  James's parents were Dr. James W. Snyder and Elizabeth Umphrey Mutchlar Snyder. Half brothers John B. A. and Dan's mother was Martha Pitts.

Obit: JAMES A. SNIDER, ILL FOR MONTHS, TOOK SHOTGUN AND KILLED HIMSELF
LEFT NOTES IN BOOK FOR WIFE
Murphysboro Contracter  Bought Shot Gun 15 Minutes Before Suicide

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