The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-10
THE SCHROEDER TRIAL.
A HEART-aENDING STORY OF sHAMl
Edward Schroeder's Testimony that Stir
red San Francisco.

Nothing has so excited the social circles of
San Francisco for many yearsIas the shooting of
the Oakland dentist Lefevre, by Rev. DIR
Stebbins' son-n-law. The preliminary exam
nation of the murderer lasted several DAYS,
and on Friday, June 80, the testimony of Ed
ward T. Schroeder, the defendant, was taken.
As he commenced his voice was firm and un-
wavering; as he proceeded to unveil the dis
coyery of his wife's infdelity it became brok
en-, and tears which he could not repress came
into his eyes. When he told of the night in
the chamber with his children, and of the
scene that took place, he broke down entirely
and not a few in the audience, disinterested
spectators, but men with children like him.
self, cried as women do over an emotional
drama. His enuciation was very deliberate
from necessity, as it was at times hard for him
to speak, and each word fell upon court
room, despite its packed audience, as still as
death. He testified as follows
My name is Edward f. Schroeder. Up to
the Goth 1 was exchange and bullion teller in
the London and San Francisco bank. I enter
ed the bank on October &c. 1871. I was first
assistant note-teller, and was afterwards pro-
NOTED to my last position knew DR.. Lefevre
from having gone to his Office at times with
my wife; met him on two or three occasions
outside of that; was on no social relations with
him. l called on him one Sunday morning
My wife had been suffering with iinflammatory
rheumatism all night He had. previously in his
otficeIbound up finger of mine swith iodine,
relieving the pain, and that caused me to 90 to
him on that occasion. On the 18th of last
June was in my accustomed position at the
bank L left home that day at the usual hour
about $40. L returned about Q O'Clock p. m
perhaps five minutes later. I entered the
house with my pass-key, and as l stepped into
the hall heard the door close at the back of
the house. placed my hat ON the hat-rack
and walked on. AT the end of the hall, which
is probably u or 15 feet in length, met my
wife coming toward me through the door lead
ing into the stting-room. She put her arms
around my neck and 1 kissed her. l always
did so when l entered or left the honse. l put
her gently on one side and kept on. walked
into the dning-room, next to the sitting -room
picked up goblet off the table and stepped in
to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
noticed the gas burning in the kitchen. re-
turned to the sitting-room. pulled up the chair
usually sat in and sat down. I had said
nothing to my wife i'll the mean time that
remember. may have asked her how she
was; if she was we'll. ShA sat down near me.
picked up the evening Paper and held it for
few minutes: Then said:
"My dear, who was it that went out of the
back door as came in the 'front.'"
cit was Sarah.' she said.
"Are you sure it was Sarah?' said l.
"Yes.'
said nothing. 1 looked at the paper, per-
haps five minutes, before 1 again spoke to her
or she to me. She OWNED my mind and knew
that did not believe her, and was waiting for
Sarah to return. She said: Darling, it was
not Sarah who went out" I said: II know
it, why not tell me who it wasp She said :
1T was a man who came to see Sarah, and
when you came Sarah ran up stairs and the
man went out" "Why?" asked l. '.Be-
cause she didn't want you to know" L said:
81 don't care if man comes to see Sarah
Are you sure it was any one to see Sarah?"
Yes, said she. / said: "My dear, my wife,
for the first time in my life am suspicious of
you Who was it that left this house?" cit
was man who came to see Sarah" she ans
and said, Lets go to bed" We went up
stairs. said nothing more and we retired. /
lay in bed, my mind full of coniectures, though
had no thought of wrong. 1 did not want
to think SO. said: "My dear, who was it
that went out of this roomo 1t was no one
came to see you. Am not right" She burst
into tears and said eyes" 1 said, 81 knew it
and felt it. Who was it,"
She said, Don't ask me, beg of you
pray don't ask me-" You must tell me,
said 1. mo one can come and see my wife
and I not here, unless / know it. No one shall
come here who does not dare to show his face.
Who was it?" She said nothing. She kept
on crying and begged me not to ask her. I in
sisted. and told her she must sooner Or later
tell. Tell me at once" said I, ''Who was
it," She answered CDR. Lefevre. 1 said,
'Great God, do you tell me that man has been
coming to my house when l am not here?"
She said, 'sYes." jumped fron,the bed. My
mind was filled with terrible alarm and sus-
picion. 1 walked to and fro few minutes
Then T wa1Lnd nm tO no cida IF no bad
which she was lying, and said: my wife, has
that man dishonored your" She said, mo"
said, 'Tell me the truth. want to believe
you; | must believe you. Do you tell me the
TRUTH" She said, yes" I said, 81 want to
believe you, but tell you can't. No mar
ried woman will permit married man to come
to her house in her husbands absence but for
one purpose. Did he accomplish that purpose?'
''No, he did not" she said. L left herI and
walked about the room. 1t was then about 10
o'clock IAN hour since I came into the house. I
went into the other room where the children
were lying asleep. [ stood over my children
and said, 'My children, what has your mother
done to us?" threw myself ON the bed with
them and wept tears of agony. arose and
returned to the room where my wife was.
told her to get up out of bed. She did. 1
said, "Come with me-" and took her into the
room where the children were. said, "Look
at these children, and tell me, in their pres
ence, if YOU have wronged them.' She said.
ed to the window, sat down and buried my
| face in my hands. She came and knelt down
beside me. Isaid, "My wife, on your knees,
in the presence of your children, tell me the
truth. Has that man wronged you?" With a
shrek of agony she said, eyes,
The testimony was suspended for few mo-
ments, the witness being unable to proceed.
He then renewed:
I was paralyzed. I could not comprehend
it. "Do you know what you say?''
said 1. where did this occur? In
my house-under my roof" She said, eyes. !"
"With my children here?'' eyes," she said
What occurred between that and daylight 1
do not know. 1t was simply whole hours Of
agony, grief and tremorse. 1 told her to go
back to her room. She begged me that |
might forgive her. 1 said "No." asked her
| if she knew what she had done to me; that
she had deprived me of all had in this wor Id
recalled to her-I charged her that she knew
how loved her; that 1 never gave her any &C.
casion to wrong me. 1 told her she knew we
had been eight years married, and there had
never been cross word between us. She said
she knew it; she felt it, She wished sthat she
| might die. l spent the night walking the
floor, till day, when l dressed myself and said
was going out. She asked where. I said,
'To you father" She begged that l might
| not tell him. She said, Don't tell papa. 1t
will break his heart if he knows 1 have
wronged you. Don't tell him.