The story of Christine Sweetin's life did not end with her death in September of 1910. Her husband Richard Shannon never emotionally recovered from his wife's death. In July 1911, he traveled to Cuba, MO to visit his father-in-law William Sweetin. He returned again at the end of August. On Tuesday, September 5, he met with Sarah Herzog and told her he was returning to St. Louis. Sadly, an our and a half later, Sarah and her sister Gertrude were passing by the cemetery and saw Richard's body. He had committed suicide by taking carbolic acid, a chemical used in some medicines but extremely poisonous on its own. Richard died on his wife's grave. His body was taken back to St. Louis and buried in St. Matthew's Cemetery. No tombstone was ever erected.
From The Cuba Review, August 31, 1911
From The Cuba Review, September 7, 1911
Richard Shannon Death Certificate
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