The San Francisco call., 1895-07-21
Found by Neighbor in the
Smoldering Ruins of
Her Home.
NO ONE SAW THE BLAZE
Money the Woman Was Known tc
Possess Could Not Be
Found.

Schaeffer, postmistress at La Presa, was
found burned to death in the smolderine
ruins of her home early this morn
ing, by Thomas Costello, a neighbor. The
one-story building in which Mrs. Schaeffel
lived was used by her as grocery-store
and postoffice, and contained stock oi
goods worth probably $3.50.
Last evening Mrs. Schaeffer closed the
store and went over to the Costello home
200 yards distant, for a neighborly call.
She remained until about 10:15 o'clock,
and was then accompanied most of the
way home by Mrs. Costello. Before she
got out of hearing she heard Mrs. SchaeffeI
close and lock the front door.
That was the last seen of Mrs. Schaeffel
alive. This morning when Mr.. Costello
arose and went outdoors he was dunn.
founded to see the store, as well as an ad.
joining two-story vacant building, in ashes
He ran back into his own house and told
his wife and together they hurried over to
the spot. Not having been informed oi
the fire and being the nearest neighbors
they feared that Mrs. Sohaeffer might have
met death in the flames. Their fears were
realized, for in the embers near where the
front door had been lay the blackened
body of Mrs. Schaeffer, burned beyond
recognition.
Mr.. Costello telephoned the news to this
city and to Coroner Johnson at National
City. The news spread rapidly through
out the country about La Presa and large
number of persons gathered about the
ruins. The Coroner arrived as soon as
possible and this afternoon an inquest was
held. A strange thing in connection with
the tragedy is that nobody within three OF
four miles of the burning buildings saw
the blaze. One man at Chula Vista, eigh,
miles distant, saw fire at IL o'clock last
night in the direction of La Presa.
Costello testified that he found Mrs.
Schaeffer's body lying with the head
toward the front door. The spectacles that
the woman had worn were near by, and
beside the corpse were steel corset stays
and other evidences that Mrs. Schaeffer
was fully dressed when death occurred. A
lamp was in one corner near the body and
a scale weight and pieces of broken glass
were found. The weight belonged on the
counter in the rear of the store, six or
$40 in gold coin, $35 in good condition, was
found in the ruins, but thorough search
in the embers failed to reveal any sign OF
several hundred dollars which Mrs.
Schaeffer was known to have kept in a
trunk. Several silver dollars were found
beneath the spot occupied by the money
till.
The only relatives of Mrs. Schaeffer in
this part of the country are her son,
Charles Sehaeffer, Postmaster at Otay, and
Mrs. Joseph Piper, her daughter, whose
Geizer, who were brutally killed by Indian
Joe on Otay Mesa IN October, 1892. Charles
Schaeffer testified at the inquest as to the
amount of money usually kept in the store
by his mother. He owned the store, upon
which there was no insurance. 1t is his
belief that there was somebody in the
house, and that his mother was struck by
the weight found near her body and rem
dered unconscious.
One theory is that Mrs. Schaeffer was
carrying q lamp, when it exploded. She
may have been seriously injured and un.
able to escape, but an examination of the
door lock found in the ruins showed that
it had been unlocked, and she was known
to have locked it.
1t was shown at the inquest that she
seldom carried lamp about the house al
night. The opinion has also been ex-
pressed that the fire may have originated
in the two story building adjoining, where
tramps occasionally stay over night, bu,
this is believed to be improbable, as NO
strangers had been seen during the day.
Eight witnesses were examined at the
inquest, but the facts given failed to throw
any light upon the tragedy. The verdict
was that Mrs. Schaeffer met her death from
unknown causes.
The deceased was 63 years old and in
robust health. She had lived in this coun-
ty six or seven years, coming from In
diana. The District Attorney is inclined
to the belief that foul play was committed
and will make a thorough investigation.