The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-01
The Criminal Breaks Completely Down. and
at Last ConfeSses that He Killed the Men
and Afterward Dismembered the Body.
Another Member of the Hatfield Gang of
DesperadOes Slain by Law Officers.
He Refuses to Surrender, and Succeeds in
Injuring One of His Pursuers-Brief His
tory of One Of His Host Infamous Crimes.
The Victim Fully identified and the Dur
derer Placed Under Arrest.

Inc t1ctm Fully uent1ned ana me olur"
dcrer Placed Under Arrest.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. S1.-The mystery
surrounding the finding of the mutilatedre-
mains of murdered man in East Fair
mount Park on Wednesday last has been
solved, the corpse identified, and the MUIR
derer is in prison. The murder is shown TO
have been diabolical one. The motivefor
the deed was to obtain the money OF the
muydered man, but all that the murderer
is known to have realized by his crime is
$50. The case had baffled the police au-
thorities since the finding of the body, and
many clews have been run out" The
clew which held out the greatest
promise was that the mutilated body
was that of a man who had stopped
for a day OF two at a hotel at Ho-
boken, n. j. In fact, the proprietress Of
the hotel, Mrs. Keller had visited this city
and positively identified the body at tho
morgue as that of her boarder, whose mans
was Kreutzman. Several others who had
seen Kreutzman at Mrs. Keeler's hotel, and
who viewed the body, We're equally positive
In their opinion that kreutZman was tho
man who lay dead in the morgue here.
That the body is not that of kreutzman
was proved last night, as was also the TACT
that the murdered man was not from Ho-
boken. a young man named Keefer, re-
siding near Gillingham and Cadwallader
streets, IN the northeastern section OF the
city, yesterday saw cut of the murdered
man in one of the Sunday papers, which he
thought resembled the features of Ger
man named Schilling, who had lived with
another German, named Jacob SchroOp, at
the intersection of the above named streets.
He impaired his suspicious to policeman
of that district and was taken to the morgue.
where, on looking at the corpse, he i'm
mediately recognized it as that of Schilling.
The police then brought Schroop's daughter
to the morgue, and she also recognized the
body as that OF her fathers boarder. An
tome Schilling. Officers were then sent to
ShrOOp's house and took him into custody.
When the officers entered Shroop's housa
and informed him that they wanted him at
the police station, the German exhibited
the most abject terror, and when taken up
the steps of the station-bouse his trembling
limbs refused to support him, and he fell
Several officers then carried him into the
lieutenants' room. Schroop is about fifty
years of age, and Schilling, his victim, waa
about thirty years old. The two men were
partners in a small grocery and provision
store at GilliDgham and Cadwal-
lader streets. Schroop lived IN
the house with his wife ana
daughter and schilling boarded With With
four months ago. Only small business
was done at the store, the two men going
about the city in wagon, huckstering their
wares. SchrOop, when questioned by the
police officials at the statiOn-ho denied
any knowledge of the murdur. He told
many conflicting statements, and abont
midnight was locked up In cell. Officers
were sent to his home, and Mrs. Schroop ana
her daughter were placed under sufvell-
lance, the officers remaining in the house
all nj ght. 1t is believed that Mrs. Schroop
is an accessory TO the murder and butchery.
Numerous evidences of cleaning and scrub
L. Ill r..lxv
stated that Mrs. SchrOOp attempted 70 choke
herself in the night, but was prevented by
the policeman on guard. Chief or Detect
ives Wood went TO the prisoners cell
shortly after midnight, and when he came
out about 2 o'clock this morning, said the
man had confessed to the murder, but re-
fused for the present TO give the. prisoners
statement To the public. How the murder
sequent removal of the dismenlbered body
to its hiding place in the park, has not YET
been learned, though it is surmised that
Chief Wood has ali this information IN his
possession. The place where the body was
found in the park is three OF four miles dis
tant from SchrOop's house.
The murderer was given a hearing before
a magistrate to-day. He gave his name IS
Jacob SchrOOp, aged SO years, and said that
he was born at ROmanshorn, Canton Thur
gan, Switzerland. A police official testified
to Schroop having confessed the murder of
Schilling, and the prisoner was then form
ally committed TO await Ine acI1O0 Oh slo
coroner. Schroop was then taken TO the
mOrgue. On reaching the dead-hoUse, the
prisoner showed great agitation and trem-
bled violently. He was hurried through
the crowd assembled outside and taken 20
the room where the dismembered corpse lay
on a slab. He seemed to breath easier
after getting safely through the
crowd. The only sign OF emotion
was the tears which trickled down his face.
He stood at the foot of the slab, looking at
the severed legs and the inclined position
of the body and head. Part of the time he
kept his eyes downcast. and once or twice
he turned his head partly away, as If 80
avoid the sight. In reply to questions ~
the officials he then stated that the corpse
was that ofAntoine Schilling; that he had
killed the man and had cut on the legs.
He was then driven TO the central police
station. and a few hours later was taken to
the county prison. Late this afternoon
Chief Wood gave to the newspapers copy
of the confession made by, schroop;. IN
which the latter says he killed Schilhng
about 5 o'clock on the morning OF Christ,
mas day. He SAYS be arose from bed
about that hour and went TO the kitchen TO
get some food for his. wife. who
was sick. On looking in the cup
board he found no victuals. and turn
| ing to Schilling, who was in the
room, he accused him of having, eaten
| what had been left in the closet. Schllling
denied having eaten the food. and Schroop
becoming angered, knocked him down and
beat him to death with a heavy piece Of
wood. He left the bodyin the kitchen until
| s o'clock in the afternoon, when he cut of
| the legs and threw the body and severed
| legs into the cellar. The next morning.
| about O'clock. he hitched up his horse
and wagon, and having placed the DIS
membered body in two bags, he loaded the
| bags into the wagon and drove TO the park
| and placed the bags in the pipe, where
| thew were found late the same day by some
boys who were playing about the place.
Mrs Schroop, the wife of the confessed
murderer, was, this afternoon, removed 10
the almshouse. She is completely pros
trated by the shock, and in addition is sui
will be kept under police surveillance while
undergoing medical treatment at the
almshouse.