The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-02
DEAD IN A CELL.
Tragic End at San Quentin of
Burglar Schmidt.
He Was Seen to Swallow Something in the
- Prisor-Yard- Celimates Thought He
- Was Dying His Career.

buried in a corner of the penitentiary grave
yard.
/: He died by his own hand. and. from the
evidence adduced at the Coroner's inquest
Yesterday. there can be no doubt that il was
an act OF eo0lly premeditated and deliberate
suicide.
The burglar almost made good his boast
that he would never live to go to prison. lie
died within twelve hours after being locked
up in the cell that was intended for his
home for the next fifteen years.
b. Morphine was the cause OF his sudden and
unexpected taking off. How he got it is
question that the County Jail officials may
have to answer.
THREATS ON THE WAY.
Last Saturday afternoon Deputy Costello
took Schmidt from the County Jail TO San
Qnentin Prison to begin time on his fifteen
year sentences. On leaving the Jail in this.
city the prisoner said to the officer: I'm
never live 10 see the inside OF San Quentin
Prison"
1t was all he vouchsafed, becoming eX-
. ceedingiy tacturu and morose on the jour
ney across the bay. The convict. in fact,
appeared 10 be drunk The prison was
reached at o'clock. and fifteen minutes
Later Costello had left his prisoner in charge
Of the renitentary officials,
Evervbo at the prison noticed SchmidtS
condition. He appeared to be dazrd and
staggered as lie walked. One of the guards
rs the prisoner passed by remarked to Eel
low-guard: I'D like to have about half OF
his lag" AS prisoners frequently are re-
teived at the penitentiary III a drunken con-
.dltion, no particular attention was given to
SchmldtS case.
" He was taken to the clothiDg-rOom where
lie left his CitiZea's clothes, ard was then
marched over to the photograph gallery to
Ia io4., do tai- Tho
man was liz such helpless and stupid con-
dition, however, from drink, as was then
thought. thai the operatl was postponed
until the next morning.
:. CRIED N 4 MAUDLIN FASHION.
e.. As soon as lie reached the gallery Schmidt
dropped into chair, bowed his head upon
his knees and began crying in maullm
fashion. \ fellON-tOnVict asked hin, How
long he'd gotY and Schmidt mumbled.
Fifteen years
= On leaving the gallery to be returned to
the clothing-roem to don his conyiCt's garb,
Schmidt WAS observed 10y a convict to slip a
piece of paper in his mouth The convict
WIKI him thought It was piece OF cigarette
AT the ciOthing-roOm Schmidt called for a
glass Of water. and he gulped it down W th
sil effort. -
. After putting on his eonvict's clothes the
new arrival was taken TO Cell % and regis
tered, No. l4,704 being assigned TO him.
end OF the top tier IN the front cell-houSe,
facing Captain Cigars office and looking
directly upon the prison Hover garden.
Sharing the cell with him we're two other
c1ny.ctS. W. ID. COvine and Richard Tanner.
Schmidt was still suffering from the effects
of what was believed TO be too much drink,
= anu sta gered so that ne had to be helped
I'D the stairs and into his cell. He fell upon
6pe OF the upper hunks, Of which there are
four, TWO on side, in each cell and stretch
iUg himself out began breathing stertori-
> CIrSly, ike man in drunken sleep.
=, HE'S DEAD.
:. His ceTmates remarked his condition and
talked. To one another about it, and also to
the guard saying that Schmidt was dying
. l4au.
II: About o'clock yesterday morning, when
: lis CeilUajeS awoke, the new occupant lay
;NeTy still and his labOTed breathing had
ceased; They did not 90 near the PROSTATE
:+bQdYy but-Said 10 one another, " He's dead. -
:. = nd dead he was, when. few minutes
= later Convict William Williams, Il. cell
: tender: unlocked the cell door and found the
:. body ana notified the officers.
- HE body was removed TO the Prison
:, ALjIgua. by DR.. Mansfield, and Coroner Ed
/; Ward Eden. Of Marin County notified at his
-: 6ttlce at SAN. Rafael. The Coroner reached
II lie: prison al. o'clock, bringing with him
':ille folEf wing men, all Of San Rafael. TO act
las jurors: Charles i. MallGn. Henry Bass,
:. Charles BukeT, Louis Peter, Herman kell-
':nier; Lot Smith, William Robinson, Thorn as
j. lapd and stephen Richardson.
=: Dr=F White was present and assisted
=: 'hy Dir. Mansfield, the prison physician, made
an autopsy on the remains.
- :: THE CoRONER's INQUEST.
:. -@3fhe. Coroner. and jury went into yard
g. Captain, .Edgar's office, where the Inquest
.Sy1s held, beslnnlnG'at 10 o'clock.
- Neither Warden Hale, Governor Mark
% l.qu M rlC President SOnUfau ny pt
= at. any: time during tie inquest the two
last hanred gentlemeB not having heard of
: Si.hmldt'S death until their arrival at the
4tfsgB yesterday morning. :..:-
=: fs1l liaAs, the convict cell-tender, was the
: first Witness He testified that he found
Schmidt dead in his bunk between 6 and !
.d.cldck that morning. lie first saw Schmidt
"a t::3: O'clock. Saturday afternoon, when he
arrived a. the prison. lie appeared to be
ttTunk.and was acting strangely. HespOke to
. HIM hen taking him to his cell. but Schmidt
made. mo reply. He told him to lie down and
Flat when supper was ready he would call
D., Ef;i. $500 :.
:. q / did so; about o'clock" he continued,
land asked him if he wanted anything to
+:eata{d ne answered mo" There were
Three llen in-Cell %. / did not moi .ce any
:.sIIell.ef whisky on Schmdt's BREATH"
-. W.eD.. Goyine, one Of the occupants OF
:. 'Ce1S26 SAID he saw Schmidt when he came
Tln; -. He had no talk with him. Schmidt
WAS sp6echleSS. al tier the lookup, at 4 &c
Il clock;.he: saw Schmidt lying on the TOP
bunk, enc leg hanging over the side. -.
=: .. - THAT FELLOW, Is DYING.
- BE felt of his pulse and heart and re-
: lTaEked to- the other man: That fellow is
dying: His heart had not ceased beating.
: 1t was futtering, and his eyes were glass
: and. a cold.sweat had formed on his wrist
3. E0ylne said he discovered this before the
lock-aR,. and when the officer passed at 80
gff1- a1rH i tss.d' HI
.dltlOn., Ihe. officer stepped inside the cell,
!. lGOked@ at the sick man and walked out
again. and; shut and locked the door with
:. out. saying worq. -COYine says he shook
:: Schmidt after that, but the PROSTATE man
only moaned. He did not speak. He
nQticed particularly smell as of whisky
abont Schmidt. but he smelled nothing on
:. his breath. He felt sure from his condition
:. that; the lDan could not live very
Hong. = Covlne also testified that he
examined Schmidts bundle, which was
.: brOught;nJo the cell with him. Among the
Letters and other papers in it he found a
paper wrapper that had been on a small
:niorphine bottle, and which bore the label
= MOrphine-Pcisop." Cevine said he wenl
to bed at o'clock, Schmidt appeared to be
unconscious then.
= HEARD SCHMIDT GASP.
=: :. He heard him gasp several times, but nc
other sounds, and repeated, tie remark tC
:hisaother cellmates that the new man was
dying. In the morning when he awoke
about 6-0'clock, he knew by the appearance
OF the-man's face, which was covered with
white froth at mouth and nose and about
his brown mustache, that he was dead, and
be did not go near the body. Covine gave il
as his opinion that Schmidt must have died
ABOUT 2 o'clock Sunday morning He also
aescribed:the interior arrangements of The
: CELL and how the four sleeping hunks were
:.Situated...-. -
: Richard Tanner. the other eellmate, de.
= posed that: when Schmidt first entered the
:: cell, he staggered to one side and leaned
heavily against the top bunk He asked
: him how long he'd got, and Schmidt only
turned LIS head, but alters minutes pause
answered, Fifteen years." He acted as
though be was very weak. and by Tanner
this weakness was attributed to worry ovei
his long sentence. When Schmidt was be
ing taken 10 his cell prisoner remarked
why, hes as full as tick" and when b,
=: reached the. cell and in reply to Tanner,
question said fifteen years. the officer toIt
:: SCHMIDT to lie down, and that he woulc
teel better after a while.
:. WANTED No-sUPPER.
J. At supper time Tanner aroused Schmidt
and asked him if he wanted anything t.
eat, but the new conner Inuttered mo