Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-04
CALIFORNIA.
The schroeder TriaI-Fifth Days Proceed.
iuos.

ward L. Schroeder, indicted tor the murder OF
DR.. Lefevre, entered upon the fifth day this
morning. il Department No. z OF the Superior
Court of Alameda, before Judge Green.
This is, however, the second day on which
testimony has been taken, the first three
DAYS having been employed In securing d
Tury. The Courtroom was again crowded
with spectators. The defendant and his
father.in-law occupied seats, as usual, along
side of counsel for defense. Schroeder showed
signs of fatigue and mental anxiety, bet was
nevertheless calm and self-possesse1.
Couns ! for prosecution announced that they
ha4 QUE mole witness to call-Dr. Draper
but he was not able to attend. 1t was ar
ranged between the lawyers for the defense
and prose cution that DIR. Draper might be
called hereafter.
Hall McAllister then made the opening
statement for the defense, quoting freely from
reported cases wherein the relations of men
tai criminal responsibility were defined and
discussed. Moral insanity and mental in
SANITY were compared AS to the question of
moral insanity, Mr.. McAllister said that is
disputed territory We rely here on men
tai mania Of transient or temporary character.
1t was clear from the remarks of MIR. Nc
Allister that the defense will rely in many
respects on the decision in the case of the
Commonwealth Of Massachusetts, VS.. Rogers
IN 1914.
FIRST WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE.
Sarah J. Gallagher was the first witness
called She was questioned by Hall Nc
.Allister on direct examination, and testified
AZ follows: [ was employed at Mr. Schroder's
house, on Alice street, near Fourteenth. In
june and July, 1880, was the only person
employed there. | recollect of some trouble
on the night of June 11th That morning
Mrs S hroder came down for breakfast but
Mr. Schroeder did not come. He returned
about u o'clock that day. / heard DIR. Steb-
bins voice in the house several times that day.
[ knew Dr. Lefeyre; knew him for fourteen
months previous. He had done dental work
for me. l saw DR.. Lefevre about s P. NJ. the
next day, June 18th. During that day |
heard DR.. Stebbins, Mrs. Schroeder and Mr..
Schroeder talking, and DR.. Lefevre was the
subject of conversation. | was very friendly
with DR.. Lefevre, and | started right away
10 go to his house to tell him that
there was some trouble in which he
was concerned | met him on
Alice street and asked him if there
WAS any other DIR. Lefevre, and he said
$'No Sarah, l arn the man. Good gracious,
Sarah the first time | was ever in Schroder's
house was when | extracted your tooth. He
asked me il | would come out the next even
ing and tell him what was going on | asked
him what they said to him at the house the
evening before and he said Sarah, they
called me every name that one man could
call another, and l said nothing" On Mon
day evening l saw DR.. LefeVre and he said
then 81 am sorry for the trouble L have
brought on this little woman, but you should
not blame her, as she could not help herself"
I saw him often shortly before his death. l
always met him on Alice street near Ninth
ae lived on Alice, between Sixth and Sew
cath. If 1 was a little late he walked up
70 Eleventh street. These meetings were
at his request, except the first, when /
went to tell him about the trouble. As l
was friendly to him, l generally told
him how matters stood at the house.
I. finally ascertained what the trouble
was from Mr. Schroeder, and advised DIR.
Lefevre to tell his own wife, and leave town,
As his life was not safe while Schroeder was in
that condition of mind. He said g think l
will leave tomorrow morning, but my wife
Is sick and | cannot well leave my business"
j gave him the number of my sisters resi-
t5ence 10 Fifteenth street, and told him to
write to me there to let me know where he
had gone. On Thursday | found letter
from jackson. He only said in the letter,
q Here am, and what has become of you?"
The letter was not signed. He sent me an
other letter, saying that the first good sleep
he had was on the cars going to jackson
On Monday following went to DR.. Lefevre's
Office and met Miss Agnew. She said the
doctor had gone to the country, but his wife
bad heard from him. In the second letter to
me he said ne would be home the first of the
week / saw him Tuesday night following;
Shat was the 18th of July, after his
return / went to his office the day
before. but did not see him. The next night
/ saw him, and told him that DR.. Stebbins
and Mr. Schroeder were in the country. He
asked me to find out if Schroeder carried
pistol OF had one in the house. l told him
what was going on. l saw him again at the
same place on Alice street. He offered to
pay me for my trouble, but l said, " No,
doctor, am poor but proud" looked all
over the house but found no pistol. The last
time / saw DIR. Lefevre was 2:30 P. NJ, July
26th-the day of the shooting. That day
Mr.. Schroeder went to the city, and Mrs
Schroeder asked before he left if she could go
and meet him; he said, Eyes" | went to
see Dr.. Lsfevre and told him that Schroeder
had gone to the city and she would meet her
husband on the o'clock train. | was afraid
In his state of mind that he would go to
the doctors offices and give the whole
thing away. Lefevre wanted me to go
to Mrs. Schroeder and keep her from
meeting her husband. l asked her not to
go; bnt she said, 81 must go, as | have
made an engagement to meet him" Before
June 11th Mr.. Schroeder was as loving and
kind man to his wife as | ever saw. After
that he was changed man. On the night of
! July Sd he broke great many vases and
costly ornaments. Mrs. Schroeder came rush
ing into the kitchen with blood Oh her face.
/ was shaking like leaf He followed her.
and said. "Why do you abuse your wife in
This way" He replied, "Sarah, she has
been defiled" He seemed miserable. Some
times for 2 whole day he would be calm, and
at other times he would walk the floor or so
Go the street | was afraid he would kill his
wife, and had to watch him. | was with
Mrs Schroeder /; had to protect her. He came
once and said, Sarah, will you let me come
in and kiss my wife," [ said, Yes" He
went up to the bed and struck her twice in
the face, and the blood gushed ali over the
bed.
The defendant buried his face in his hands
when the witness told of that scene.
SARAH GALLAGHER's CROSS EXAMINATION.
The witness was then cross-examined by
Zach. Montgomery, and testified as follows:
I was at home at Mr. Schroder's house when
the preliminary examination took plsce. l
was not examined then. The prosecution
sent for me, but did not call me TO the wit
NEWSSTAND | did not tell the Prosecuting
Attorney the facts | have Just now told. |
first saw Lsfevre about fourteen months ago.
He filed two teeth for me last March. 1
was there about thirty times before had my
teeth 6iled. He was nearly year prepar-
ing the teeth to be filled
Q-How did this friendship grow upg
A.-When I heard the man was in trouble l
went and told him. My friendship began
then. / started after o'clock to go to DIR.
Iefevres house. / know the gas was lighted
on the streets. I met him on Alice street.
After we said ''good night l said: doc
Cor, what is the trouble about you being to
zIr. Schroder's house last EVENING" l then
fold him of the loud talking and the mention
of his name in the conversation. 1t took me
about ten minutes to tell him how things
were going on in the house. I wanted to
keep peace in both families.
LEFEvREs CONFESSION.
He told me he was the man who was there
the Eight before. / asked him then what he
Uert there for, and be said he went on bust
pess. In after interviews be told me what
go business was Our regular appointed