The herald., 1896-01-25
MURDERED BY MISCREANTS
A Chicago Artist Meets Death ID
Missouri
The Thugs Are Arrested and Make Full
Confession-As Yet They Have Not
Been Lynched

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 24.-Webster Grove is
wildly excited over tragedy which &C.
Cured there last night. Bertram +. At
water, young Chicago artist, who had
gone to the suburb to visit his betrothed,
Miss Genevieve Orion, was waylaid and
killed by highwaymen. One of the rob
bers, John Schmidt, wounded to the death
by the plucky Chicagoan, will probably die
before morning The other thugs, Sam
Fister, colored ex-convict who fired the
fatal shots, and Peter Schmidt, who ar
ranged the trap into which Mr.. Atwater
was lured and slain, are in custody. While
the inquest was being held today, citizens
of the village became so enraged that it
was with the greatest difficulty that cooler
hea DIS could restrain the prevailing inn
pulse to drag the captive highwaymen
from the officers and hang them.
The Schmidts, who are cousins, have con-
fessed as TO the part taken by each in the
crime.
Peter, who volunteered to carry At
waters vaiise from the station, admits
that he led the latter to his fate. He left
Atwater at a barber shop, he says, and
went to Brannon's saloon, where he found
John Schmidt and Foster. The boy says
he told them he was going to show Atwater
they would meet him at the bridge, where
the attempted hold-up and shooting oc-
Cured.
Atwater's body was shipped to Chicago
tonight. Mr.. Orion and his daughter ac-
companied the remains. Miss Orion is
Frustrated with grief.
This afternoon Sam Foster and Peter
Schmidt were taken, under guard of Con-
stable Fieldson and five deputies, to the
office of Justice Prehm. where an inquest
was held over the remains of Atwater.
After hearing several witnesses and the
confession of Peter Schmidt verdict was
rendered as follows:
'We, the jury, find that Bertram A. At
water came to his death at the hands of
Sam Foster and John Schmidt, and that
Peter Schmidt is made an accessory to the
act"
While the inquest was in progress Foster
made a sensational attempt TO escape by
jumping from a window in the court room,
which is in the second story of the build
ing. Foster and Peter Schmidt were hand
cutfed together, and when the former
jumped he pulled Schmidt with him on to
a low shed, where they landed. The pris-
oners were quickly recaptIred, but their
attempt to escape and the confession of
Schmidt Infatuated the crowd that had
gathered. When the officers started to
take the two men to place of safety the
mob closed in and attempted to lynch
them. After struggle Constable Fieldson
succeeded in getting the party into a single
wagon, which he drove toward Clayton,
with the intention of taking his prisoners
there for safe keeping. He had not
proceeded far when the mob caught
the horses heads and compelled
halt. About twenty-five shots were fired,
and Schmidt was hit in the back. The
horse broke away. Constable Fieldson,
without firing shot, drove to Kirkwood,
about fifteen miles from the city, where he
was compelled to leave the rig and take to
the woods for fear of the mob catching
him on the highway. For almost five
hours he plunged through the woods, some-
times in mud to his knees, and finally at
midnight arriving here with his badly
frightened prisoners, who were landed
safely in Jail at the Four Courts. Tomor-
row. under a strong guard, the two high
waymen will be taken to Clayton and
lodged in the county Jail there.