The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-15
MURDERER SCHMIDT.
A Graphic Story of His Terrible Crime
Near Napa.
How he and His Partner BrutaIIy
Treated Mrs. Greenwood-Several
Days Here in Sacramento.

IN Denver as one of the murdererS OF
Mrs. Greenwood, near Soscol, Napa
County, told to the officers there what
Durports to be the full story of the crime
and of the subsequent fight of himself
and his partner from the scene. His story
IS as follows, and it Is told with such mi
nuteness that there can be no doubt Of his
being one Of the men concerned IN the
murder. Schmidt said:
My partner was tough man. He said
chat once he worked on farm IN WIS
consin, but he had hard luck and went to
stealing horses. He killed man IN
Washington and went to jail there, but he
got out of it. He was well acquainted all
around San Francisco, and said he had
lois of trouble with the police there.
He showed me farmhouse about half
- mile away. We sat down on the bank,
and he said "Now I viii tell you what [
brought you here for" He pulled three
revolvers from his Oyercoat pockets, and
told me that would have to 60 with him
and do as he said or he would XIII me on
The spot. He said all | had to do was TO
watch the house while he would 60 in
alone. We went across the field to the
house he said was his, and stopped be-
AInd some bushes in front Of the barn.
\ ways oil we saw gang Of men build-
ing a fence. The boss of this gang was in
-
partner said he knew him. We followed
him along the road a little ways, and
then sat on a fence near the Greenwood
house. While we sat there girl passed
n a buggy. My companion then got up
and said: Charley, you follow me-
A BOLD MOVE.
When we came to the yard at the
Greenwood house we saw old man Green
wood standing by the house. He had
Ratchet in his hand and was drawing
some nails from pieces Of old boards.
My companion asked him II his name
vas Greenwood and the old man said
yes. He then begged the old man for
some grub. Greenwood told us to go TO
where the e-DuilderS were, as they
had a cooking shanty. He had nothing
o eat. and he said his wife was not at
nome and he could not take time to give
nim any food. My partner then showed
q revolver in the old man's face and made
lim drop the Ratchet. Greenwood was
surprised and so was l, for the fence gang
vas in plain sight. l spoke TO my COM
oaniOn about the danger and he told me
hat l had gun and could keep them
back if they came. He said he had once
broken away from fifteen policemen. My
companion then asked the old man if he
Knew what he came after And all the
ime he was poking the pistol in Green
wood s face. Greenwood said no, and my
companion said we were after his money.
THE ASSAULT on GREENWOOD.
My partner seemed to be perfectly
familiar with the surroundings. Green
wood went toward the house with us and
We told him to open up, which he did,
and we entered the house. AS soon as we
pieces of rope out Of his pocket and again
showed the revolver into GreenwOod's
ace and told me to bind Greenwood's
hands and feet. / told him / did not
Know how to do it and that he should do
It himself lie answered me that if !
spoke to him that way again he would
Kill me on the spot. He ordered me to
AXE one Of the revoIvers and to bind him.
When l did that he took a bottle out of
mis- pocket and put a few drops IL a tin
cup and filled it up with water and
ordered Greenwood to drink it. He re-
used to do 1t, but finally, under threats,
le gulped it down.
My companion then asked him where
MS money was. Greenwood said he had
only 81 or 81 in the house. My partner
said he knew better and knew that
greenwood had money in the house. He
asked Greenwood where his wife was
He answered that his wife was not at
nome, but that she would come back
pretty soon. My companion said: Every
we'll, We'll wait for her. and
SHE WILL MEET THE SAME FATE
You have met" We waited about half
an hour, my companion searching the
pantry for food, but finding none. The
woman soon came home. She drove up
o the door in a buggy. My companion
made me stand in the corner and watch,
With the revolver in my hand, and or
dered me TO stop anybody from coming
INTO the house. When the woman drove
by my companion went out to meet her
with a smile and a friendly greeting, as
hough he was neighbor He helped
her out of the buggy, and taking her arm
led her into the house.
AS she entered and saw her husband
lied hand and foot in chair, she
screamed and fell back and tumbled
down some stairs into the front yard
My companion jumped to her, pulled
ler into the house again and swOre at her
hat he would kill her if she did not keep
still.
BEGGING FOR HER LIFE.
My companion caught her before she
Iell clear down. l saw a chance to inter
1ere here, and made up my mind to stop
the whole business then and there. While
ne was pulling the woman in l aimed the
revolver at him and pulled the trigger
close to his head, but the gun did not 90
off. he did not see me. When he had
the woman In the house | saw | could do
nothing more, and so | let things go. My
companion took the woman into a room
and asked her where the money was kept.
one t0Oh sOulS keys from u6I pocket ana
begged him piteously for her life, and
said she would give him everything if he
would spare her life
THE BOTTLE AGAIN.
She opened the drawer of the bureau
and took out some money and iewelry
and said that was all she had Then he
led her hands and feet and made her
drink something out of the tin cup, too
Then he stepped back to Greenwood and
ct do Il
aim into a back room, where he gave
MIN more out OF the tin cup. My part
uer then bent his head down and listened
10 their breathing. He said they were
we'll poisoned, and added: Now we
viii go to town. We went outside and
got into the buggy the woman had driven
and started down the road, passing the
gang of fence-builders.
HIS BLoODTHIRsTY PARTNER.
We stopped at a saloon. 1t was now
evening. Here he told me to stop in the
buggy and hold the horse, while he would
20 inside and kill the saloon keeper and
get his money. I told him if he wanted
20 commit another murder he might as
well kill me, too. Then he went inside
There were Two men in there and he did
not try TO kill them. He bought bottle
of whisky and came out, and we started
ON for town. When we came near the
city he tied the horse to a fence in front
Of a saloon, but before going in asked a
g)asser-by if he knew whether the boss of
The ranch was where the men were build
ING tie fence He told me he wanted to
see him to borrow some money.
We had a drink in the saloon and then
we drove back to the Greenwood's house.
As we came to it it was quite dark and
The men at the fence had quit work.
AGAIN AT GREENwooD's.
He told me 10 hold the horse and said
ne would go in and see if the old man