The sun., 1896-07-20
MRS. SCHAEFFER DROWN NED
DRlNK ON A PIER WITH HER HUs-
BAND AND FOUR OTHERS.

| ne Thiuka she Was Thrown late the
| Wnter-Otherr Say They Saw Her RuA
Down the Pier and PIunEe Hnto the Riv-
er-Four Men Are Held for Exariin etio..
Mrs. Louisa schaeffer. the wife Of Michael
| Schaefrer of l36 Huron street, Brooklyn, was
drowned on Saturday night, and yesterday in
| the Even Street Police Court four men were
remanded by Justice Hartman pending an In
vestigation Of the circumstances. The woman
who was SO years old was Schaefrer's second
wife, He formerly had some property. but be-
fore the death of his first wife, about n year
ago. he signed II all over to her. AT her death
he discovered that she had cut him Off in her
will, leaving all the property to their two
daughters, each of whom is married TO q New
York policeman.
Mrs. Schaetfer got $40 from somebody on Fri
day, and 1t 10 alleged that she went on spree.
schaefrer met her on Saturday night In the
street near her home, and together they went to
the Freeman street pier. There they met John
GIL, 90 years old, of 72 Greene street; Thomas
Barrett, 10 years. OF 90 Freeman street; John
Nelson, 10 years. of 90 Greene street. and
Charles O'Hara, 20 years, OF O2 Clay street.
Ono of the men got n can, and for an hour or
two the five men and the woman drank beer.
At1 o'clock Schaeffer wanted his wife TO 60
home. She refused, and was urged on In her
refusal by ono of the men. Then all went over
to the Greene street pier. whore moro beer was
drunk. and all. It Ia alleged, got drunk. 1t is
said that one Of the men spoke Unexpectedly
to Mrs. Schaetier. which made Schaeffcr angry.
and he ordered his wife to 20 homo with him.
1 the
followed. AT West and Greene streets Schaef-
Ter told the police Gill struck him in the face
several times. He was partly stunned. Then.
he says. the four men seized Mrs. Schaeffer and
ran down to the pier with her;
A few minutes afterward there was splash
in the water. Mrs. Schaetier WAS seen In the
whter about ten feet away from the the pier n. Gii.
great difficulty got her to the pier and she was
hauled up. She was insensible. and pending the
on a barrel, She, however. died before the
arrival or surgeon. policeman questioned
schaefier and he told about Gin. the latter I.ls5
that his wife resisted the attack OF the four
men, and that in consequence they threw her
CHI At first denied that he knew anything of
the affair, He said that he was asleep on q
in tho water. He saw Mrs. Schaener struggling
in the river and jumped overheard to rescue
by he succeeded in getting her on the pier. The
police subsequently arrested the other three
men. They said they saw Mrs. Schaetter, after
she left her husband, run down the pier and de-
liberntelv jump into the river: When the pris-
oners were questioned separately they told con-
Trajectory, stories. Gill finally admitted that he
wasn't asleep on the lumber pile He declared
over and over, however; that Mrs. scha1iief eG
and in court yesterday they were remanded un-
I'll Coroner Mason finishes an investigation.
Mrs. Schaeffer. it is said, tried twice before to
commit suicide by taking carbolic acid.
In n statement made to Coroner Mason last
evening Schaeffer said that his wife had we'll
TODD relatives living in this city. but that un-
der circumstances would he tell who they
were He added that after his marriage to her
he learned that she had two other husbands
living. Their names he said are Young and
South worth.
My wife" said Schaeffer. seemed to be un-
der the influence OF Mrs. Purvis who lives at
80 Box street, From what my wife often told
me. Mrslpurvis had kind OF hypnotic influence
over her and could make her do anything:
When met her on Saturday night tried all
that was possible to induce her to go home with
After Gill struck me and he and his friends
carried or my wife heard muifed cries for
help uttered by my wife. | ran as fast as could
for policeman, and when got back to the dock
discovered my wife in the water and Gill trying
to tie rope around her. She was an expert
swimmer. and am satisfied that II che hadn't
been hit by something that she would have been
able to save herself"
The police. nevertheless, are of the opinion
that the woman either Jumped or accidentally
fell into the river.