Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-03-25
JEFFORO SCHNEIDER HANGS
History Of the Sensational Crime
of the Victim.
Killed His Wife and Her Brother in an
Arstosratie Residsn,s Section OF
Washing, ng,on.-Fsatures Which
Recall Cuiteau's Case.


WASHINGTON, March IS. - Howard
Jefford Schneider was hanged at 1888
a. m. Friday in the district jail
at the outskirts Of the city for the mur-
der of his wife on January 81, 1892. lie
was indicted also for the murder of her
Young brother at the same time and
place, but the case was not brought to
trial.
The double murder which led How.
ard Schneider To the gallows was one ot
the most sensational crimes in the his
tory of the District Of Columbia BY
reason of the previous respectability OF
the murderer, the Standing and wealth
of his relatives and the unremittins
efforts of his counsel and friends ia
save him from the gallows the case at.
tracted widespread interest. In many
of its surrounding circumstances this
case recalls that of Guiteau. One of the
judges who participated in that trial.
Judge Cox. was the same that tried
Guiteau. The plea of insanity was sci
up in Schneider's case as in Guiteau's
and the principal expert on the part oI
the governt was the same, Mcdonald.
The tragedy was enacted in the most
aristocratic and quiet residence section
of Washington and occurred Mt dark on
Sunday evening, the last day OF Janu.
airy, s09 The victims were Amanda
Hamlink Schneider, his young wife,
and her brother. Frank Hamlink.
They were the son and daughter Of
Derrick +. Hamlink, n retired business
man of this city, and il was almost in
front OF the fathers house that they
were assassinated.
Schneider practically forced Miss
Hamlink To marry him, threatening to
shoot her and himself IL she refused.
The marriage was kept secret for
months. Soon after their marriage
Schneider neglected and cruelty treated
his wife and led her a miserable exist
ence, Frequently he threatened
to shoot her or himself, until
at last the unhappy woman sought
and obtained the interference OF
her father. About two weeks before
the murder Schneider went to the Ham
link house late at night and found the
door barred against his admission A
note was sent TO him from his wife,
saying that she did not care TO see him
again. Subsequently, however, he met
her on the street az various times, on
every occasion accosting her harshly
and threateningly. On the evening OF
the murder Mrs. Schneider received
note from her husband stating that he
was about to leave for Chicago and
asked her to accompany him. She re.
q ha
him we'll hut could not go.
Next day Sunday she started for
church, accompanied by her brother
Frank and sister Jennie. They found
that there was TO be no services at the
church and started to return home.
Just before they reached the house
Howard Schneider approached. He
grabbed the hand OF his wife and said:
II want TO speak to you Her sister
walked on, but her brother stopped.
Words passed between the two men
and without warning Schneider drew
Q pistol from his pocket and fred five
shots. One of them crashed into q
window of the Haml;nk residence,
three entered the body OF Mrs. Schnei-
der and one penetrated Frank Ham
links breast, causing immediate death.
The wife fingered several days, but
died from her would.
1t was shown almost beyond possi-
bility of doubt that Schneider carried
two revolvers and threw one down
ue~r thc body OF hi. Srother-in-iaw. so
as TO convey the idea that the killing
was done in self defense. Another
startling fact was that Schneider had
become infatuated with young lady
in Culpepper, Va, and had written
letters TO her calling his wife a devil
and saying he would get rid of her.
Schneider's trial resulted in convic-
ton. A plea for new trial on writ
Of error was made but refused. A mo-
tion for revision of the case by the
supreme court Of the District of Colum-
bia was made and resulted in the affir-
nation of the decision of the lower
court. The court granted stay Of
execution pending an examination
by experts as TO Schneider's sanity.
The experts decided him sane. Appeal
was finally made to the supreme court
of the United States for q writ of
habeas corpus and writ of error and
both Of these were denied. The re-
fusal of the supreme court TO interfere
ended all legal devices, and
an appeal for executive Glenn
ency was made. His attorneys
and his spiritual adviser obtained au-
dience with tho president and sought
to have him grant reprieve SO that
the question of his sanity could be fur
ther investigated. but without avail
The following Is the finding of the
president on the application for re-
prieve for the purpose of further in.
vestigating the prisoners sanity:
After a thorough examination Of the
proceedings lately instituted by the SUI
preme court of the District of Columbia
fos the purpose of determining the actual
condition of the prisoner, Howard j.
Schneider. cannot avoid the conclusion
that the question as to his sanity has
been fairly and thoroughly examined
and that the result Is fully jnsti-
fed The decision arrived at II
seems to me should be accepted as q care
fully considered and an abundantiy sup
ported determination that this prisoner Is
not insane, and the cas-, ought not to be
opened mp ON TIL, ground this there was
presented on the investigation conflict Of
evidence and opinion regarding the SUBJ
ject under examination. am asked to
grant reprieyc to allow another pro-
eeeding to be taken involving precisely
the same question and which would prob
ably present the same differences Of
opinion and testimony as has already
been developed IL seems to me the
prisoner has had the bensfit OF every
right TO which he Is entitled and all the
opportunities which far and consider
such ases. ] am therefore constrained
to decline 10 interfere with the execution
of tn. law in this case.
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