Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-08-07
THE EVENING STAR.
CALIFORNIA; LAST TRAGEDY.
An Excitement Equal to That of
the CritIeMden.EairM Murder.

pSneo nnto friendship, ana The friendship into
ioNe. The ticket seller, Schroeder. was invited
oy his sweetheart to call on her at her father ;
mouse. he calls became so frequent that nr
S aa . mad serious talk with his daughter
ne lolu ner That she was too young TO think OF
Iharrlagei that the ticket seller OF a skating
INK was hardly desirable husband and so on
,o SUnr' SS ceased coming 10 the house. The
young lady seemed convinced and obedIent
But The lovemaking went on.
Inc girl seized every opportunity TO steal
away away lIt m nome and meet her lover. Finally
oeSpairlnS OF breaking of In any other WAY an
intimacy OF which he disapprovei ana beitev-
ing IN the maxim. Far from the eyes. far from
dne hearI, the clergy man resolved TO send his
daughter abroad. This resolution, however.
only hastened the catastrophe. The girl lent
herself 10 the preparations for the tourney. on
the DAY previous TO that fixed for her departure
June D, 1872. size managed to obtain leave TO go
across the bay in order TO bid some Intimate
friends adieu. She met Schroeder no longer a
IlekeG seller. but an employe In the London
and San Francisco bank. and a minister AT
san Leandro made them man and Wife. Mrs..
schroeder returned TO her fathers house
alone ana tranquil. On June 6, chaperonad by
an aunt, she LETT San Francisco for New York
whence she was TO sail for Europe. But the
news OF the marriage quickly reached her
Iather S ears. He was very angry. But finally
he recalled his daughter, blessed her and handed
her over TO her lawful husband. Later he gave
them money, and called them his beloved chill
dren. Mr.. and Mrs. Schroeder lived happily
Tor eight years. one child was born TO them,
lovely girl. They dwelt In pretty cottage at
oakland, fashionable suburb OF San Francisco
MIS- Schroeder'S teeth presently began to give
ner trouble, and.Dr. Alfred Lefeyre. the leading
dentist or Oakland, was employed to attend TO
them His rooms were daily crowded with pa
uehtS, many OF them ladies OF the highest re-
spectabillty. Although originally from can
a 9 Dr. Lefevre had lived In the town Il years.
lie was married man, with four children
Every one spoke OF him In the highest terms.
both as gentleman and a dentist Mrs
schroeder called upon DR.. Lefevre several
times on July goth, according to first reports
OF the crime as published In the San Francisco
newspapers Mrs. Schroeder went with her
chlld 10 meet her husband, who was returning
nome IRON San francisco, and told him that on
the previous Saturday afternoon July 24thl.
Whlle she vas under the influence or an an;pS-
thetlc, Dr. Letevre had assaulted her. Schroe-
der, taking his wife and little daughter with
him went straight TO the doctors Office
The dentist was at the moment operating
upon the teeth of Miss Keeny, the young
lady mother and Miss Mary Agnew Lefeyre's
assistant, being present The room is a small
one, between large front room and a smaller
back room, all the rooms having doors opening
INTO the hallway. The dentist was returning
lrom the pack room, when the door open ed
and schroeder, followed by his wife and ca Id,
rushed In. Schroeder was holding a bulldog
Sen-c1ocklng pistol in his hand. He imme-
i arG !o Htea , Twice upon the dentist. Not
Inst ball struck Lefevre in the left side, below
me heart- lt ranged downward passed
skin just above the hip bone. The second shot
grazed the doctors ear as he staggered back.
ward. The two shots and the screams of the
women brought several persons rushing up
STAIRS into the Office, which is In one Of the
most public places OF oakland j. L. Broomley
VINO has an office next door, was among the
nrst to arrive on the spot He assisted Lefevre
rushed In torrents from the wound, and Le-
1evre knew that he had only few minutes to
i've wilma faint voice he dictated the follow
ing declaration.
i, Alfred Lefevre, knowing that am about to
ole, declare. In the presence Of God and these
witnesses, that l was killed by pistol Shot
flred at me by E. S. SCHROEDER, without any
pr0vocaton.
The shooting occurred at O'Clock In the af
ternoon. An hour later Lefevre was dead.
schroeder seems to have been cool and collect
ea throughout After he saw the man fall he
named the pistol 10 one OF the bystanderS and
graveiy said: :. Citizens do your duty. am re-
spohsloie for this act" He was arrested soon
after and taken to the city prison, his wife and
ported to have said: 81 hope TO God have killed
my wife and live"
Oakland has sc dom known such an excite
inent. The young people sympathized with
Schroeder; the older citizens said: "This thing
OF shooting a man down In cold blood for either
real or fancied grievances, must stop" The
precarious condition OF Mrs. Lefevre who had
JUST undergone an operation for Cancer and
whose chances OF recovery have been sensibly
fesitI ny me shoc6 has gone far 10 stir up
the dentists assistants, who emphatcally deny
the possibility OF the assault since 1t was their
duty to be present whenever chloroform or gas
was administered, also have weight Yet
schroeder seems 10 have thoroughly believed
MS wires story, whether true or false. She
also seems TO be thoroughly sincere In it. The
suggestion has been made that il is a case
OF hallucinaticn, the effect OF the chloroform
Such cases are not unknown to medical men or
the courts.
Later evidence modities In an important point
tie first suggestions as to the motives OF the
crime as given by the newspapers. at the ex-
animation OF Schroeder, July 20, the Rev. DR..
StebbtnS testified that on July IL his daughter
confessed TO him and her husband that Feieyre
had betrayed her; that he and his son-in-law
soon afterWard visited the dentist. and he taxed
him with the crime that Lefevre neither al
hrmed nor denied the charge, but was much ex-
cited, and trembled visibly. DR.. Stebb!ns en-
phatlcal'y added that he regretted not having
been armed at the time; If he had had a pistol.
he said, he would then and there have killed the
Seducer, and saved his SOn-1n-law this trial. He
further testified that since June ~ Schroeder
had acted as though out OF his mind. He him.
self had accompanied his Son-in-laW on a trip
through the country to divert hts mind from the
affair, but without success, as the tragedy OF
July &c proved. The testimony would seem to
Indicate that the first reports as to an outrage
having been committed were not well founded.
Notwithstanding the efforts of Rev. Dr. Steb.
blnS and other friends, Schroeder was On Tues
day committed for trial without bail His coun-
sci gave notice OF an application to the superior
court for writ OF habeas corpus.
The San Francisco Chronicle says that all the
medical men who expressed themselves on the
subject Scoffed at the idea OF outrage by means
OF chloroform, as reported. Some OF them
stated in addition some interesting facts bear
Ing on the present case. DR.. Sefredge said that
it was not at all uncommon for lady patients
under the influence OF chfDroform to have very
powerful Authorizations Of a peculiar nature
ana TO act In manner totally different from
Tier 2rd1nary decorum. DR.. Luce. a dentist
said that he once, In T1tusville Pa, admins,
tered chloroform to woman whose husband
assisted him and was present all through the
operation. The next day the man called at his
Office and laugh1Dgly stated that he could
not remove The impression from his
wife's mind that while she was under
the influence OF the drug the doctor had
treated her With the extreme OF imnro
priety. A very similar instance with which
be was Intimately acquainted took place While
he was in Philadelphia. young lady, In the
presence OF another lady and two gentlemen.
was given chlorofOrm while tooth was being
extracted. She went home and soon after her
brother called at the Office and was about to
summary shoot the dentist On the strength OF
his sisters statements. 1t took the persistent
testimony OF the lady and two other gentlemen.
IN addition to that Of the dentist, to convince
him that nothing improper had occurred. DR..
Pope, another oakland dentist states that
lIree nonths since he, aided by his wife, chic
reform ed young Lady to operate on her teeth,
AID That during and after the admlnisNauon
or tie an3sthet1c she had precisely fnallu-
cinaIionS above referred to. All this pears on
the case, supposing that DR.. Lefevre, while alone
with Mrs Schroeder at her house, adminlstere1
chlOrOf( rm, 1t is further stated by 1rlenQS OF