Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-02
MRS. SCHMIDT IS INNOCENT
lCf the Murder of Her Sister
Emma Pfitzenmaier.
$50 SAYS THE JURY AT MEDIA
Delaware County's Most Sem
Sational Murder Trial


MEDIA, Pa. March 26-The realistic
methods which have been employed by a
rather bitter prosecution at Media in the
trial Of Caroline schmidt for the murder OF
her sister bids fair TO be outdone by the
defence. Blood-stained knives and gar
ments; together with portions of the dead
girls ANATOMY have been conspicuous
since the trial began, but they will be over
shadowed to-day when the carefully em-
balmed head and neck Of the victims is
cast into the scales of Justice to outweigh
the .cheese-knife and the other bloody
trophies.
After the prosecution had placed its last
witness on the stand and made the declara-
ton that the commonwealth case had
closed, Lawyer Dickinson, the sharp-yoiced
young borrister from Chester, started to
outline TO the jury the intended line of de-
fence The outline, however, was not very
discernable, for Mr.. Dickinson, in semi
pathetic haranguc, long drawn out, de
nounced newspaper detectives and medical
experts who leaned toward the theory of
homicide However, he promised realism
Of the most dramatic character. While he
did not say so in distinct words, he implied
the fact that the head and neck of the dead
girl would be brought into court.
The prosecution did not end in blaze
of glory. The bloody trail it had followed
was plain enough for experts, but a trifle
too indistinct in the minds of many to
warrant the jury in ending the trial in a
gallOw's tragedy The prosecution had
expected that DR.. Formal, the we'll
known murder expert, would firmly
clinch the homicide theory, and at the
same time make the blood-stained gar
mentS tell a story that would convince the
jury of the guilt of the defendant. So far
as clinching the murder theory was con-
cerned DIR. Formal was decided success,
l.,stN Nt,,I ~ r.
Emma were not translated by him.
DIR. Formal created little ripple of ex-
citement when he took the stand by asking
that he be allowed to affirm instead Of
kissing the book, The defence insisted,
however. and the. doctor yielded grace
fully, and reverently pressed his lips to
the book.
When the dinner hour came the prison.
ers parted laughingly with their relatives
and ate their dinner together in the ail
with evident relish Mrs. Walthers, her
husband and brother, together with Frank
Schmidt invaded a nearby restaurant and
talked cheerfully as they dined. 1t was
plain to all observers that an acquittal was
confidently expected.
The afternoon hours, however, were ap-
parently not such happy ones. The de
fendant and her husband, with faces
buried in their handkerchicfs, sobbed and
cried most Of the time, They were Joined
time the mental agony of the two women
caused them to fall into each others arms
and indulge in lingering embrace. This
fearful demonstration was called forth by
the oratorical efforts Of Lawyer Dickinson
in his appeal for the chaste character of
the victim and the life of the accused.
llr. j. l.. ForwOod, who was on the stand
when court closed the night before, took
his place, and q look of stern determina-
ton rested on his face, He had brought
along his 800 diameter microscope, and
was prepared to prove his former asser-
tions regarding the doubted maidenhood
of Emma Plitzenmaier He, like the ex-
pcrts who had testified preceding him, was
asked for an opinion regarding certain
Hypothetical cases. His answers were
quick and clear, and apparently satisfac-
tory, He explained infinitely his move
ments in gathering the material for micro
scopical tests, and told how the tests had
been made. He gave in detail his ideas
regarding muscular contraction, following
knife cuts, and was finally brought around
again to description of the wounds. In
many instances he used the familiar big
knife to illustrate. The wounds which
touched the vertebrae We're explained at
such length that il became apparent to the
dullest man in the audience that an inn
porttnt point in the case OF the defense
hinged upon the hicks which the witness
declared had been made by the knife. DIR.
Forwood swore that the wounds which
had for bases the hooked yertebra would
have produced instant insengibility, il not
instant DEATH
The object of the defence in attempting
to shake the witness from this position
became apparent. DR.. Forwood was the
first medical expert called in by Coroner
Bullock. After careful examination
made on the first day, he arrived at com
illusions which entitled him to be called
the pioneer in the homicide theory. If
his faith in this theory could be made to
wayer in the least then the defence would
have another small opening for the inser-
ton Of the theory of Suicide
DIR. Forinad next took the stand His
testimony was decidedly positive regarding
the question Of homicide or suicide. As
an evidence of his experience, the witness
sworc that he had attended upwards of
14,000 post-mortems.
How were the wounds on Emma
Piitzenmaier regarding uniformity
"Ihey We're not uniform, and had been
made by 4 series of incisions."
Could they have been self-inflicted with
this knife ?"
The doctor took the big cheese-knife in
his hand, eyed it sharply and replied.
The wounds could not have been sef-in-
tlicted with this knife"
"Conld another person have welded the
knife and made the wounds ~
"Yesn
DO you think the wounds were made
with this knife?"
From Careful examination of the
wounds ! draw the conclusion that they
Were
with the jugular and carotid arteries
cut would person have power to inilict
other wounds upon herselfpf
IT would be utterly impossible"
Were any cuts made after life had
ceased"
by the relative contractivity of certain
muscles examined by me, think So"
WAS it homicide or suicideY'
"Homiciden
The witness had examined the bloody
garments. The testimony he gave regard
ing the bloody shirt was of character
that gave certain hope TO the suicide
theorists. He had found blood
upon Henry Gchmidts striped shirt,
but he could not say that the stains were
made by squirting warm arterial blood.
There We're slight blood sprays on the sus-
penders. These stains did not necessarily
Indicate squirt of arterial blood
For the first time the black dress worn by
Mrs. Schmidt on the night of the tragedy
was brought into the case. Dir. Formal
had made q micToscopical examination,
and found blood on it. Although the dress
was not very. good object 10 make an ex-
animation of, he was sure the blood was
warm mammalian blood.
Now, could the blood have gotten on
the shirt 70 minutes after death ?''
"No."
"Could person lie down and cut his
throat with that knifeW
mo"
"Why"
'Because Of its lA~sth and dullaess."