Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-02
ALL FOR A BANK BOOK.
FULL DETAILS OF MRS.
SCHRETVERS MAD WORK.


Four of the Children Found al Home
With Their ThrOats Cut From Ear to
Ear-The Other Child and Its Mother
Found Beside the Track, Where She
Had SDrang Before Train.
The mangled bodies of five little child
rem and their mother, says an Albany IN.
Y special Of the 30th May to the New
York Times, are the CHASTITY evidences of
the desolation brought in one night to the
home of Christopher Schreiver by the
frenzy of a suddenly crazed woman.
Thursday evening abOGt 1880 O'Clock,
Schreiver, who is an industrious German
blacksmith left his house on Third street,
in the upper part of the city, after a quar-
rel with his wife over the loss by her of
their savings bank book. When he re-
turned, two hours later, there was no
light in the rooms and no answer came to
his calls to his wife and children. Sur
prised at the silence, he went and felt in
the bed for the children. His hand touched
blood-satuPatedsh sheet, and he ran horror
stricken into the street to arouse the neigh
bors. The sight that met their eyes made
their blood run cold. In the cradle was Will
lie,aged 9 months, with his throat cut from
ear to ear and his head hanging to his
body simply by piece Of skin. In au
adjoining room in single bed were three
other children, Henry, Annie, and john
ny, aged respectively :, .. and years,
each with a bloody streak across the
throat. The mother and the oldest
daughter, Mary, aged years, were not
to be found. Underneath the bed was
Schreiyer's big, coarse razor, made bv
himself, the instrument Of the horrible
murders. Searching parties Immediately
began hunt for the missing ones. Down
by the New York Central Railroads
tracks they came across the unfortunate
mother with her head almost severel, the
legs and arms broken, and the body
frightfuliy mangled. While engaged in
gathering the remains together they heard
the means of the child, who was still
alive. She called to them to take her
home. One arm and one foot were ampu-
tated, and she was otherwise terribly
bruised. She was cared for at the hos
pital, but died this afternoon.
Schreiver, the only one who can give
any clue to the cause Of the terrible deed,
is well-nigh crazed by the horrors. He is
about 40 years old, and his wife was 33.
He says: 81 have been engaged for the
past ii years as a blacksmith in the West
Troy Railroad shops until day before yes
terday, when l LETT there to engage in
business for myself. | was to purchase a
business of II. Streyell, and had promised
to pay him the cash, $225, for horse,
wagon and rag route. My wife told me
there was $295 in the bank, aud she was
to draw out the required amount. Last
night was to pay Mr.. Strevell $125 and
close the bargain, but my wife said she
had lost the bank book, and that they re-
fused at the bank to give her the money
without The book. She said she informed
them that she was the person who de-
posted the money and that they knew
her. She said they told her they
did know her, but they could not give
her the money. Carolina had gone down
town the day before TO draw the money,
! supposed, but returned without it, Then
she gave as a reason for not bringing the
money that there was such large crowd
In the bank that the doors were guarded
by two policemen, and she was not per-
mitted to enter. When came home yes
terday afternoon L asked her about the
money. She said she had had bad luck.
said, what do you mean? She said she
had lost the bank book. That was the
first | knew of it being missing ! was
angry, and we had quarrel. l came into
the house and she and / had more hard
words; finally Iistruck her across the side
of the head with the fiat of my hand. l
supposed the money was gone because
wife said when she came from the bank.
After this l went out to the house of a
friend of mine."
The theory is that after Schreiver went
out his wife performed her evening work as
usual. She put her children to bed with
the exception OF Mary, the eldest, and
then sat down and medita ted over the first
trouble that had arisen between herself
and her husband. The more she thought
tho If worked bol ~ 1Tr,4iI
crazed by what she supposed was the
death-blOW to her husbands hopes, she
resolved upon desperate deed that
would end her own and her chidren's
troubles at once and forever. The sight
Of the razor on the mantel in the room
probably suggested the means Of accom-
plishing her object, and, finally grasping
it. she cut one after another the throats
Of her fOur Youngest children as
they lay on their cOuches. Then
throwing the razor beneath the bed.
she entered the middle bedroom, seized
the eldest child, and hurrying from the
house through the front door across the
fields, passed Tiyoli Lake to the railroad
tracks, There the frenZied woman waited
until the train leaving here at 1925 was
due and flung herself upon the track, and
endeavOred to retain her child with her.
But Mary, recovering probably from the
fright which had possessed her while
being FASTENED along with her mother,
struggled to free herself as the train came
in view, but could not entirely break
from the grasp of her mother. The child
was sufficiently conscious when picked
up to moan out that she had tried to get
away, but her mother held her.
This afternoon it was ascertained that
Mrs. Schreiyer was enceinte, fact which
partially accounts for her sudden and ter
rible insanity. The victims of this un-
paralleled seXtuple murder will be buried
together on Sunday.