Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-12-26

L4efeVre Was DeaG-Eesurne OF the Tes-
timony in the Case.
OAKLAND, Cal, Dec 13.-The trial OF
Edward F. Schroeder for the killing of Dr.
Albert Lefevre was ended to-day by q
verdict of acquittal, after the jury had
been locked up for three days and three
nights. 1t is said that upon the retire
ment of the jury on Friday last @ poll
was taken, and ten were found to be for
acquittal and two for conviction. These
two held out obstinately for seventy two
hours before yielding to the majority.
DR.. LefeVre, dentist, of this city,
WAS KILLED IN HIS OWN OFFICE,
at Eighth street and Broadway, by Ed
ward F. Schroeder, the exchange teller of
the London & San Francisco bank, at
about O'Clock on the evening of Mon
day, July 26. On that day Schroeder re-
! turned from his business in San Francis
co on the boat that reached Oakland
Point at 4:40P. NJ. He was met at the
cars by his wife and little girl, and upon
| the arri val Of the train at the Broadway
| station he insisted on going to DR.. Lee
| fevre's Office, which is within a stones
| throw of the station. Mrs Schroeder tried
| to prevent him from going there, but he
forced her and the child to go along with
! him. Lefevre was operating on the teeth
| of q Mrs. Keeney when he was called to
| the outer room and confronted by Schrod-
er and his wife and child. 1t is said that
| Schroeder accused him of seducing his
| wife, but no testimony was given on the
| trial, except that within four minutes
| after Lefevre left the operatingroom he
| was shot by Schroeder. The murderer
was arrested, and his victim died within
| an hour.
The trial began in the superior court
of Alameda county, Judge Green presid-
ing, on Wednesday, Dec. 1, and occupied
| eleven days. Schroeder is the son-in law
| of the Rev. Horatio Stebbins, q very
popular Unitarian clergyman of San Fran
| cisco, and the dramatic features of the
trial was the testimony of DR.. Stebbins,
| who STAN ped his daughter
AS A CONFESSED ADULTEREss
in order to save the life Of her husband.
| The court room was crowded daily, and
the case will take its place in the crimi-
nal records as one Of the most famous of
the cause celebres which the history of
this nation presents. The verdict was
given on the ground of Schroder's tenn
porary insanity. 1t was surprise to the
public, and the general sentiment ex-
pressed is not favorable to the jury, al
though there are many citizens on this
coast who believe that, sane or insane,
Schroeder was justified in shooting the
man who ruined his home His counsel
made strong appeal to the prejudices of
| the jurors On this point, and it was not
without its effect. The defense admitted
the killing, and relied for acquittal en-
tirely On public sympathy for Schroder's
wrongs, and on the theory that he was
| temporarily insane when the deed was
committed. The story of the murder, as
| given on the trial, is an intensely inter
esting one.
Tho first witness produced by the pros
ecution was Miss Mary Agnew, the as
sistant OF DR.. Lefevre She had known
Mr.. Schroeder for some time, and was
positive that he was the man who killed
her employer on the evening of Monday,
July 26. DR.. Lefevre was engaged just
before in filling "a tooth for Mrs. Keeney.
He was called from the chair and passed
out into the first operating room, and
almost Immediately Miss Agnew heard
the report of pistol. After the report,
| DR.. LefeVre opened the door and stag
gered into the room, closely followed by
Schroeder with pistol in his hand. Lee
fevre fell with his head against the wash
| stand, and as he was falling Schroeder
fred another shot. The dentist was car
ried into the other room by Dr. Brooks,
while the ladies present were screaming,
and s. scene of the widest confusion was
being enacted. He was bleeding from a
| wound in the LETT side, and
! DIED IN VERY SHORT TIME
| after being removed to the outer room
The witness went to see him before he
died, but cid not hear him say anything
| about Schroeder. He suffered greatly, and
seemed to he choking to death Upon
cross examination by Mr.. Foote, Miss Ag-
nevis testimony was not shaken. She
said that she thought DR.. Lefevre was alb
sent about three or four minutes before
she heard the pistol shot. She noticed
Mrs. Schroeder, but not her little girl, in
the room at the time of the tragedy. Mrs.
Schroeder began coming to the office to
have dentist work done about a year ago,
and she came very often. Mrs. Keeney
and Mrs, Mary Jane SPOTS, her mother,
| who were present at the time of the
| shooting and saw the second shot fired
after DR.. Lefevre had fallen, gave SUBJ
stantially the same testimony as Miss
Agnew
The Rev Horatio Stebbins, one of the
most popular clergymen of San Francis
| co, and the father in-law of Schroeder, oc-
cupied very nearly the entire fourth day
OF the trial. DR.. Stebbins succeeded to
the famous Starr King, and has hosts of
friends all over the Pacific coast, and as
the old man, with his head bowed with
! grief, told the story of his daughters
shame, in defense of the man who had
avenged her honor, the silence in the
| crowded court room was intense At
portions of the fathers story tears were
forced from the eyes of strong men, and
even the lawyers for the prosecution gen.
orally treated him with unusual consider
alton in their cross examination. The
| jury listened with breathless attention to
his story, and there is no doubt that he
alone is to be credited with
| SAVING Els sON-N-LAW's NECK FROM THE
! HALTER,
He told plain, straightforward nara
tive Of the troubles which had led to the
crime, and which he honestly believed
had temporarily unsettled the reason of
his son-in-law "The first knowledge that
| had fof this trouble,'' he said, s'was
on Saturday, June Y, when Edward came