The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-06-29
THE vREELAND DRAMA.
TRIAL and Conviction Of Caroline vresland for
Assault With Butcher Knife on Mr..
f,hrseder- is Sent to the State
Prison for Four Years

Yesterday. In the General Sessions, before
Recorder Hackett, Caroline e. Vreeland was tried
upon an Indictment for feloni0us assault and bat.
terry upon Robert Schroeder. committed In an
examination room In the Tombs Police Court on th
10th or this month. The occurrence Is fresh In the
memory Of our readers, and 1t is only necessary
mention the leading facts. 1t will be remembered
that at the time Of the assault an examination was
pending before Justice Bowling, In which Miss Ada
Myers tthe daughter of Mrs. vreeland) brought q.
charge against Mr. Schroeder for alleged seduction.
The witnesses called BY Assistant District Attor.
ney Fellows for the people were Justice Bowling,
Edwin James, Stephen Hayes and John Landsman,
all Of whom detailed the circumstances Of the asI
sault The substance OF their testimony was that
upon the day In question the persons concerned In
this case were in room taking testimony, Mr.
Schroeder by order Of Judge Downing, having BEEN
removed from the room; that she rushed in with q
large butcher knife in her hand towards Mr.
Schroeder making three staps. cutting HIS coat IN
three different places, but innicting no wounds1
Some gentleman SAID TO her, "What are you about
with that knifef" and she said, ~ got It, and d
mean to DO It," She struck him as II somewhere.
about the neck, but the knife seemed to 60 down
upon his back Justice Bowling was absent from the
room at the time the assault was made, but on hiS
return saw Mrs. vreeland standing In the MIDDLE of
the room with q knife in her hand; he advanced
toward her and took the knife from her hand. q
Mr.. VIM. F. Howe. counsel for Mrs. Vreeland,j
made an effective opening, stating that he would
show, by number Of witnesses. that the accused
was irresponsible for her acts ana that the crlmina4
con duct Of Schroeder Whose absence he commented
upon in terms) In relation to her daughter sol
renzed her as to make her insane VI the time OF the
assault. aNt II
Mrs. vreeand went on to state that two months
before the occurrence she procured the knile "a
frnhfnn fnnpr min Vvtt h0h
books that while she was In the room at the TOmbsI
she heard something said about her daughter. and}
came out; she did not know whether It was a knife
or bfunderbus that she had IN her hand; shd
heard horrd questions put to her daughter and be5
ana s1 HaWe hUs sne ak
about the insanity OF her relatives. She SAID sh9
heard that two weeks before the occurrence heI
nephewIshot himself Ia lit 0fnsanlty; all her aunta
on her ather's side were insane. .fssn1
Colonel Fellows cross-examined the witness who,
stated that her first husbands name was J0nn
Myers, and, after hesitation, SAID her maidei1
name was Caroline E. Kendrick; that sne was marx
band and had been married third time.
MI. Howe then called o most OF witnesses to show
that MIS- vreeand acted strangely anu taat ner COM
Margaret w. Norton sister OIL the prisoner, who
resides in DO ston testined that Mrs. VreeIand did
not become O woman until she was nineteen years
old; at that time and before 1t &C monthly perioda
she would wander out alone and talk TO trees2
flowers and stars she would nave spells OF screan1
ing and would tear her hair; when Mrs. VreelanI
was sixteen she became al actress. 9e lT
wife is sister Of the defendant also stated that she
acted strangely, and about to describe trance
which Mrs. IRELAND had in lo49 when the Recorder
ruled that the evidence was inadmlsslDle. gn
Mr.. Howe offered to prove that she was four days
wholly unconscious and subsequently, TO show by a.
physician that that bodily condition might produce
insanity at any moment uHsr 1
Lydia Wiley from CharIestown, Mass, who had
been acquainted with Mrs. Vreeland for twenty
years, said she often acted strangely. trequentl
imagining herself to be bird IN lS40. .r.
% VT, Of S y ssS
visiting at their house, she got up in the middle u
the night and wanted 10 go 70 Boston to see her little
girl and because man would not take her TO thei
depot she seized large knife and threatened to ki
him; she would often sit up all night and talk
Helen M Cook, of this city, an agent for Phl~
adephia publishing house, testified mat MIS- vreeT
land was sub-asent for her, and that lately snel
afraid to trust her with her business.
Ada Myers, the daughter OF the accused, was thet
next witness. She swore That her mother threaten
tempted to take her life by poisoning herself, andi
that she (Adal was compelled to watch ana follow
her 50 10 prevent her from destroying herself.
MI. Howe offered to show that the witness was
prosecuting Mr. schroeder for seduction, but the
Recorder ruled the evidence to be inadmssible.
In the course OF the cross-examinatlon Ada said9
that her mother brought case against George Vree
ness said she was married when she was fOurteen3
years and seven months old, and only lived three
she lived IN 1868 Tie Court permitted MIR. Howe TOT
let Ada tell '',he stoly OF her supposed wrongs
Downing, which was in substance tnat schroej
der married her. got her IN the family
way said ne wsnted to BRING :her with nm
which had no effect and after considerable persuT}
sion she consented 10 have an abortion produced;a
Schroeder furthermore Ia Ormed her that inInisteH
had nor married them, that she was only MIS- miS3
tress and that he would aovancesher money 10 Keep
q bad house on condition that she would hand tha
proceeds over him; the witness denied that she
had a conversation with EDWIN James In regard TOT
what she SAID she tod her mother In answer TO ana
about The man she married when she was united Io
Schroeder; she was divorced from him III New YORK.
recess was had, after which Mr. Fellows recalled
Mr.. Edwin James, VINO testified That soon a. Mrs.
| stab Mr. Schroeder he had conversation with Ada
she expressed herself as being sorry Tor bringing
the charges against Mr. schroeder, and that she haA
been induced TO do SO by her mother. Justice Dowa
| ling dismissed the case against Schroeder.
| Mr.. Fellows then proved by documentary evidencG
| that In 1858 Caroline f. Shelly was convicted tor
stealing, and WAS sentenced the State Prison fOr
| one year. Mi. Howe was permitted to Introduce a
pardon, which the prosecuting officer conceded re-
MI Howe proceeded IN brief but pathetic speech
to present his case to the jury followed 6y Coone1
| Fellows, who, IN logical, amusing ana eloquent
address. proceeded to show thai the testimony del
| monstrated Mrs. Vreeland to be notorious black
mailer, and that defence OF insanity set up by1
the defence was too udiclous to be entertained Dy
| sensible men.
| maikably clear charge and the jury retired az
twenty minutes past i've to deliberate on their vera
dict AT six O'Clock they returned TO the court ROOM
| and the foreman rendered the verdict, which was
d, equity Of assault and battery with a dangerous
| weapon with Intent to do bodily HARM" coupled
with Recommendation To mercy. 0G
| Mr. Fellows moved for sentence, and Mrs. vreeY
land ON being asked what ste had to say why judge
! ment should not be pronounced, said that she waA
| Innocent Of the charge, ana that she had anotheH
daughter besides Ada, both Of whom were depend4
| ing upon her for support. She hoped the Recorder
would be enient with her. ~
Recorder Hackett sad that he believed there was
not woman in this city VINO could surpass har TN
LnfiSn hat ln hnld fl h1n ef0 nAVE
which set forth that she was haflOt years ago.
Mrs. Xreeand IIterrnnted The Recorder SAVING