Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-30
TWO FIENDS TO DIE.
Schneider and His Cruel Accomplice
Learn Their Fate for
TRIPLE CRIMES ON EIGHT GIRLS.
Once Enticed Within Their House, Their
Victims We're Doomed.
WOMEN WITH MORBID CURIOSITY

1
| VIENNA, Jan. 29-The sensational
Schneider murder trial was ended to-day.
The defense, if defense it can be called,
where the accused go on the stand and by
their evidence corroborate the testimony of
the prosecution, closed this morning and
the case was given to the jury.
The jurors required only 70 minutes to
find Schneider guilty of all the murders
charged against him, and verdict of guilty
against Frau Schneider for the murder of
Vincenzia Zouffar. The Judge immedi-
ately sentenced both prisoners to death.
Both executions Will take place on the same
day, but Frau Schneider will be executed
| first.
| The First Rumors of the Crimes.
For cold-blooded cruelty this case stands
almost without parallel in the annals of
crime in this city. Some months ago the
police became habituated to receiving re-
ports of the mysterious disappearance of
young servant girls. These reports came
with such startling frequency that the police
decided that more was in the case than ap-
peared on the surface. They therefore
| adopted extraordinary measures to learn
| what had become of the missing girls.
1t came to the knowledge of the authori-
ties after long and patient Investigation
that large number of girls had been EN-
ployed by Franz Schneider and his wife,
Rosalie, and that after they had been at
work a short time they'would disappear and
never be heard of again. All the evidence
| obtainable pointed in the direction of the
| Schneiders as having knowledge of the fate
of the girls and finally they were placed
under arrest on the charge of numbering
eight of their servants. Their trial has been
proceeding for several days, and for brutal
and sensational developments it stands with
out comparison here.
Once ut Schneider's There Was No Hope.
1t was shown that the prisoners, on the
pretext of employing the girls, had enticed
them to their home. Once there their fate
was sealed. The evidence against the ac-
cused was overwhelming, but Frau
Schneider until yesterday stoutly main
tanned that her husband was alone respon-
sible for the death of the girls.
Schneider was confronted on Tuesday
with the skull and hair of one OF his victims,
Rosalie Kleinrath, and with the torn cloth
ing she had worn at the time of her death.
This CHASTITY exhibit had great effect upon
Schneider, who broke down completely and
confessed his guilt.
He described in detail his method of
doing away with the girls. He would go to
the room occupied by the girl last employed
by his wife, and, despite her prayers and
entreaties, would assault her 1t was
thought by the police that he first chloro-
formed his victims, but in his confession
Schneider said that they were always con-
scious when he attacked them.
His Wife Aids Him in Every Crime.
Horrible as it may appear, his wife ac-
companied and aided him. Afterward she
would grasp the hands of the victim while
Schneider clutched the poor girl by the
throat and choked her to death The same
course was pursued in the case Of all the
eight victims
After the girl was dead Schneider and
his wife would convey the bodies to a wood
close to their hor.e, when they would strip
their victims of their clothing, which,
together with the contents of the girls lug
gage, they would afterward sell.
Mrs. Schneider yesterday, who had all
along claimed she had no part in the muir
ders. broke down and confessed her com
plicity. The prosecution proved that she
herself had killed Vincenzia Zouffar
A popularity of the crowd which fire.
quented the court room was that it was not
composed entirely of men, as is usually the
case in murder trials here unless the
connections of prisoners attend such
trials. The Schneiders' trial has been
marked by the presence of a very large
leveled their lorgnettes and closely scanned
the features of the prisoners.
Nothing Conquers woman's Curiosity.
Some of the evidence was of a nature to
bring blush to almost any cheek, but these
ladies, though some of them did blush at
certain parts of the testimony, were so
eager to hear every word of the outrages,
murders and robberies that they conquered
their natural inclination to leave the court
room, and, gaining courage from the many
women present, they remained and had
their curiosity gratifed
The public prosecutor, in his speech
against the prisoners, gave most vivid
description of the fiendish character of the
crimes, and he dwelt at great length upon
the cruelty, heartlessness and lack of all
womanly feeling manifested by Frau Schnei-
der in enticing the girls to her home where
she knew death would be their fate. There
was great sensation in the court room
when, at the conclusion of his speech, the
public prosecutor Strengthened himself and,
pointing with outstretched arm at Schnei-
der, exclaimed in a loud tone, "He is
doomed man..
They Receive Their Sentences Coolly.
Throughout the terrible arraignment of |
the prisoners by the public prosecutor, |
Schneider sat with his head clasped in his |
hands and showed no emotion whatever. |
His wife, though she listened closely to the |
scathing words applied to her, remained |
perfectly cool and unmoved
When the death sentence was passed |
upon them they showed no fear, but listened |
to the fateful words with an air amounting
almost to indifference
DAnI EVTCEV WAC cunn