The morning call., 1893-09-07
A FAITHFUL WIFE
Twenty Years She Sought
Her Husband.
AND FOUND HIM AT NAPA.
Herman Weber Had Wife Who
Forgave All His Sins-A Love
That Nothing Could Weary.

almost parallel IN the devoted search of
Mrs. Robert Schmidt for her husband.
During twenty years the faithful wife of
the suicide, who now lies dead at the
Morgue under the name of Herman
Weber. sought him through the length
and breadth of the land.
Mrs. Schmidt, when found yesterday by
a CALL reporter. was hard at work in her
neat little Kitchen ironing. She is pleas
ant emerge etic-looking woman, with kindly
eyes and good-humored mouth. Although
a little reluctant at first to tell her story,
she finally spoke frankly about her
troubles and her wanderings. Her mar
Tied daughter, who was sitting by, hush
ing pretty baby to sleep, occasionally
added remark or a remniscence.
1T was at Whitewater. Wis. that
we lived before the war" said Mrs.
Schmidt, as she tested the heat of iron
and then used it vigorously on the boa I'd.
1--WE had little country store there. Did
] work hard? l never knew what it was
to be idle. My daughter was a little
child when her father went away to the
war, and l kept the home going by tend
ing the store and raising vegetables in the
garden. Every cent of his wages that
came to us-S25 each three NJ onth-I set
aside to pay off a debt on our home"
Did your husband return from the
WARP" was asked.
''Yes, he came back" and the daughter
added, sadly: Young as | was | remem-
ber how he left. He wanted to 60 to New
York TO make purchases for the store.
Mother gave him $500 and he left in Oc-
tOber. We never heard another word of
him till the following April
1T was not for want Of trying on our
part" added Mrs. Schmidt, I'VE adver-
months, Every one we knew of in New
York we wrote to, and all the people who
went there we asked to look for him, but
they never brought US any news.
''At the end of the six months be wrote
himself, asking me- to sell our home and
come to ST. Louis to meet him and go
West l packed up some trunks without
wasting an hour and realized $1,000 for our
house and garden. When we had been In
ST. Louis three days Robert asked me for
the money. | gave it to him at once, and
that was the last l heard of him for many,
many years." and Mrs. Schmidt choked
down a little sigh as she turned to adjust
the irons on the stove.
You seem to have had great faith in
Robert Schmidt?
II said if you can't trust your husband
who can you trust, ! always had con-
fdence in him and always loved and
trusted him."
Ibid you follow him West?" was asked.
How could we?" Queried the daughter.
He left us destitute in st. Louis.
People there took pity on Us and helped
US back East to our friends. Mother wa
able to work and make a living, but she
never left of looking for my father, and
always felt sorry for him and still had
confidence"
"Once 1 heard that he was in Chicago" ,"
said Mrs. Schmidt. 81 managed to move
the<1Rdnd stayed for five years. 1t seemed
a jsst q uIace 10 search than a small town.
e1Srs Cad look IN the directories OF other
mS.nd get chance of seeing more pa
40 | used TO walk through the streets
ofES ticago looking in every face TO see if
il was his. but never met him, and | was
wastinHt time locking in directories, for
you see he ND changed his name.
my daugL ter married a last and came
tc California. One day she sent me word
that her fatheT-in-laW who was an old
friend Of our family. had seen Robert on
the street. [ came TO San Francisco right
away and began looking, as l had done in
other towns, but you see was seeking
Robert Schmidt and my husband was going
by the name of Herman Weber.
''lt was strange chance that brought US
face to face at last l had gone to Napa,
just to look through the building, when
recognized him among the inmates. Sure
it was him? Why. in hundred years from
now | could have recognized him. He was
recovering when | saw him and was ex-
week. He denied ever having seen me be-
fore, but later our daughter saw and recog-
niEed him. He could not get out of it
then"
And mother tended and loved him
through it ALL" added tha daughter, IT'LL
the day of his death. She would have
taken him home if he had ever been
in wantof a home. She would have shared
her last cent with him, and done it gladly
That's what I call love-"
Attorney T. A. Hornblower. the lawyer
consulted by Mrs. Schmidt, said, when
questioned yesterday by CALL reporter !:
"It is two years since Mrs. Schmidt came
and represented her case to me. / wrote
a letter to her husband, and in response he
came to my Office with Mrs. Weber and
their daughter, girl about 16.
AFTER talking the matter over, Mrs.
Weber seemed to fear that Herman Web
or, alias Robert Schmidt, might be prose-
cuted for bigamy, and said he had never
married her. However, Mrs. Schmidt had
no intention of prosecuting. She request
ed her husband to make application for his
pension, and he promised to do all things
necessary for securing it, and to give half
TO the first wife.
THAT ended the matter till three weeks
ago, when Mrs Schmidt came to my office
an0 stated that Weber had been in receipt
of the pension for over year, and had
not given her any. I wrote to acquaint
him with this, and be and Mrs Weber
answered by coming in person, offering to
give the first wife n not half but quarter of
the pension.
This was not satisfactory to me, and /
would not agree. Last Monday week
Schmidt came alone, and said Mrs. Weber
had turned him out of the house. that he
was old. sick and unable to work, and
wanted to go back to his first wife. | be-
leved it to be all a bluff. However, he
met Mrs. Schmidt in my office. and they
had most pleasant conversation. She for
gave him everything, and he promised to
acs fairly by her.
8 weber undertook to draw his pension
on the 4th inst, and signed a paper ac-
knowledging Mrs. Schmidt as his lawful
wife. She then begged him to go to Oak
land to see their daughter and her chill
dren. He objected, saying he had no
money, and that it would make him feel
bad to see his daughter. She gladly Of
fered TO pay his fare
''The next l heard Of Weber was that he
was dead. He never drew his pension. so
it was not want Of money that weighed on
his mind. He belonged to the Apollo
lodge of Odd Fellows. and $4,000 falls due
from German society OF which be was a
Il