Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-01-18

Milwaukee, Jan. 1.-THE mystery OF
the death of Mrs. Annie Schrums was
unraveled today by the confession OF
Rudolph J. Peschmann, landlord of the
Cream City hotel, who was arrested
this morning and afterW ards admitted
TO Chief Jansen and Inspector Riemc1
that he had checked the POOR old wo
man to death and had afterwards
thrown a lamp on the floor, intending
to conceal the crime by burning the
house.
He admits that robbery was the mo
tive for the crime; that bis hotel was
not paying, and that, knowing Mrs
Schrums had money, he planned to kill
and rob her. Friday morning about 3
O'Clock she left her room for a short
time, and he crept in and lay in wait
When she returned he caught her by
the throat chOked her into insensi
bility, and then searched the room
without finding any money.
By this time the poor woman showed
signs of returning consciousness, and
he again choked her-this time fatally
After descending to the lower part
Of the house, he returned, carried off
part of her Clothes and then threw the
lamp on the floor When he supposed
the flames had made enough progress
to conceal the crime he turned in an
alarm of fire.
THE CONFESSION.
Rudolph Jesse Peschmann's story Is
as follows:
i had been watching this woman
for some days and [ thought [ would
get the money she had for my boy; so
Thursday night, Jan. II, when she
went to the water closet | watched
her and when she came back [ took
her by the throat and cholled her She
fell down; | tied her hands and her
feet and then went to search the
room | broke open her trunk where
/ thought she kept her money, but I
didn't find any. She commenced to
breathe again and | went back and
ch0ked her again until she was quiet
Il then went down stairs and told
my wife that | thought Mrs Schrum
was dead. l said Mrs. Schrum S
we can My wife refused to go up
with me, so | went up again: took the
silk dresses and such things [ found
and carried them down to nv wife
Il could not get all the stuff back
into the boxes and they were all
broken open. That would look sus.
piciOuS | thought. so | thought then
rnlIl1 1Ir,.,
the bed and threw down the lamp
which was burning and | rushed out
| did not find any money or any change
except - or so cents in a small pocket
book. If | had had the money [
would let the building burn down
entirely but | watched it. I did not
want to lose all my furniture, and [
went and called an alarm. [ would
have let it burn down entirely so that
they could only find the bones. [ did
not find the money. [ have been think
ing that | got into all this trouble and
that DR. HASTEN will get the money.
| think HASTEN must find the money
in the dry goods boxes.
! INV wife lots of times asked me
TO give up the house, but | was al
WAYS watching for the money. L
thought she would die and then l
would get the money. had put III
500 extra every month for running
the house.
In answer to 4 question as to how
the fire was set, PeSchmann said:
THE way l managed it | broke the
40
there must be furnace pipe and the
kerosene ran down and that is the
wav it cot afire. The fire started right
under the bed and the kerosene ran
down below. You see the fireman that
said he had been twenty years on the
force and never seen fire run down
wards was foolish. 1 was laughing
about that
The police and detectives immedi-
ately after the fire set to work on the
case. with the result as stated above
Tt is estimated that Mrs. Schrum had
in cash, iewelry and personal prop
erty effects about $4,000. About four
wears ago she sold her property on
Broadway for $4,000 cash. For two
wears after that she lived with her
daughter. Mrs. hasten, without eX-
pense. and for the last two years
she paid SO week for her board
She had invested about 5000 IN dry
goods and articles of dress and Dr
HASTEN thinks she had jewelry which
she brought over from Germany, valued
at ST 900 or more, as some of it was
SET with diamonds of considerable size