Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-01-20
A MURDER CONFESSED.
Greed for Gold Leads to the Com
mission of an Awful Crime.
A Milwaukee Hotclkeeper StrangIes an
Aged Lady Who Was His Guest,
and Fires the House to
Cover His Tracks.
FAILED TO FIND HER WEALTH.

FAILED TO FIND HER WEALTH
MnwAU1xRg, Jan. 17.-Rudolph Jesse
Perschmann, proprietor of the Cream
City hotel, murdered Mrs. Schrum for
her money He strangled her last
Thursday night, made hurried search
and then set fire to the place. AT
o'clock Monday morning Inspector
Riemer, accompanied by Detect
ives McManus and Sullivan, went
to the little hotel and placed
Perschmann under arrest They took
him to the station and placed him in
cell until Chief Jansen came down at
8 o'clock. He was then taken in hand
by the chief and the inspector. Two
hours later they had the full story
of the crime from the prisoner.
Two years ago Perschmann took the
hotel, and from the first had an eye on
the old lady's hoard of wealth. At
first he did not think of murder, but re-
solved to wait until the old woman died,
| when he intended to steal SIS, 900 or $780,
| 900 of the money and let DIR. Hasten,
| her son.in-law, take the rest Mrs.
Schrum, however, steadily grew more
| and more robust, and finally about
three months ago Perschmann gave up
hopes of her dying. He finally slSetched
| out plan to murder his guest and con-
ceal all traces of the crime by fire
| On November IA he received his last
guest, and after that told everyone that
all his rooms were engaged. About IL
| o'clock on the night of Jsnuary
II Perschmann heard Mrs. Schrum
leave her room and go across
the hall. He slipped up the
creaky stairs turned down the lamp
in her room and waited. When
she came back he sprang upon her,
threw blanket over her head and bore
her to the floor There was no one in
the house to hear her smothered cries,
and he cholled her into insensibility.
He then tied her hands and feet, all
though he thought she was dead.
No time was lost by him in looking
for the money. For half an hour he
searched through drawers under the
bedding and IN every conceivable nook
and Granny. He grew desperate and
excited and broke the lock to get into
big trunk In frenzy he tossed
the contents over the room, but
he found no signs of the big bundle of
money. While engaged in the search
he was Mortified to see his victim move,
but he sprang uyon her and this time
cholked her until he was sure she was
dead. He unbound her limbs and then
went downstairs to see his wife who
was in the rear of the house. He told
her that Mrs. Schrum was dead and
that she had better come upstairs and
take what she wanted.
Mrs. Perschmann was frightened and
refused to go into the room, SO the MUIR
derer went back himself and brought
down an armful of gloves, laces, satins
and fine clothes. Mrs. Perschmann hid
these in the kitchen and her husband
returned to the room where the dead
woman lay stretched upon the floor.
He arranged the bed, pulled the body
around a trihe and then taking the
kerosene lamp hurled it to the floor
near the head of the corpse. The
lamp was shattered and most of
the blazing oil ran down through
a register to the floor below.
That made the fire fiercest in the office
and on the wall where the kerosene
had run down. Perschlnann carried
no insurance, and he had got no money.
t As the flames were so hot below he
, supposed the body must be badly
, burned, so he decided to give the
5 alarm and thus save as much of
: his property as possible He did
i, SO, and the tiremen responded so
: quickly that the flames were speedily
i extinguished. When Perschmann saw
e the body he was greatly alarmed, lest
: the signs of strangulation be noticed
: on his victims neck. He resolved to
! lynn Ncfil md foil ciy mil 1t.a and he
:, succeeded admirably until he broke
|; down under fire of questions.
. Mrs. Perschmann was sharply ques-
J., toned and enough developed to show
x that she had guilty knowledge of the
: crime, but a wife cannot be held as an
!. accessory to the crime of her husband
and she was released. Even Persch
:, mann's 7-year-old son had been coached
|; and the poor little fellow told his liz
about the clothes and the fire without
s a break
,. The murderer is 33 years old and came
a here fourteen years ago. He formerly
q kept grocery store here, but took the
d hotel two years ago. He is understood
/, but wiry, has deep-set dark eyes anc
ii wears a dark mustache.
d One of the curious features of tn,
l. case is the report of Drs. Bradley ane
r, Chandler, who made the post-mortem
d examination. In it they state positive
d ly that Mrs. Schrum died from suffoca
e tion and fire, while the murderer i:
D equally positive that he cholSed her te
death.
Detectives Sullivan and McManui
went out to DR.. Kasten's residence
Monday evening and searched the bis
~ dry goods boxes which he hauled away
from Mrs. Schrum's room last Saturday
u They found laces, satins, silks. ki6
~ gloves and fine underwear, but no money
i or jewelry. Chief Jansen and all th
. detectives are becoming interested il
Is the whereabouts 81 Mrs. Schrum's dol
y lars. All the evidence goes to shov
A. that she had at least $40. 900 and valua
BILE jewelry besides.