The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-10
Schultz on Trial for Kill
ing Mrs. Schultz.
Son Gives Important Testi-
mOny Against Father.
Says Latter Tightened Dead Mothers
Grasp on Pistol.


testimony in the trial of Herman Paul
Schultz, charged with the murder of his
wife at Shohola, began yesterday before
Presiding Judge Purdy, of Honesdale.
The wife of John Wohlfarth testified
that woman who called herself Mrs.
Lydia Smith, accompanied by her young
son, came 90 her house. on July D, 1896, In
answer TO an advertisement, and went To
work as a servant. A man appeared!on
September Is, and asked for accommoda-
tions for "a few days. Mrs. Smith upon
seeing the man said to him, What are
you doing heroT'
The man replied II am here with good
news and with bad news.
Mrs. Smith replied, well, let us go
into the house, up stairs, and hear what
IL Is. F."
They went into the house, and later the
man was given "a room opposite to that
occupied bv Mrs Smith.
Mrs. Smith was very down hearted next
day, and refused TO eat anything. Mrs.
smith on Sunday introduced the man as
Mr.. Schultz, and said ne was her husband.
Schultz said he would not be her husband
until Monday, and that mahy things might
happen between that day and Monday.
The couple retired to their rooms at
about s o'clock. Mrs. Wohlfarth, 10 min
utes before midnight heard an unusual
noise in Mrs. Smiths room. Mrs Smith
had told Mrs. Wohlfarth before she retired
that she ana Schultz intended To start for
New York early on the following morning
Dead With Revolver in Her Hand.
Mrs Smith was up by o'clock In the
morning, and Mrs. Wohlfarths daughter-
in law, Mrs Haas, at her suggestion,
Knocked on the iceiling OF her room,
which was Immediately underneath that
Mrs Smith luf mot hpurinO Mrs
Smith get up she went to the womans
door and Knocked twice. Schultz was in
the room ana called out:
Helf, help, folks Lizzie has shot
herself'
Mrs. Wonlfarth and her daughter
entered the woman's room and found
Schultz standing at the foot of the bed.
Mrs. Smith was dead on the bed, with a
revolver in her hand. which was lying
across her breast. Schultz said the woman
must have taken the revolver from his
trousers pocket He said that Mrs. Smith
had told him to take the revolver out OF
his satchei and place 1t In his trousers
pocket as they lnight need 1t on their
journey.
Schultz declared that the woman had
committed suicide. and added that there
was a suicidal mania in her family, one
of her brothers having taken his life.
Schultz declared that he and the woman
had been married for 10 years.
Testified Against His Father.
Tho chief witness Of the prosecution
was Paul Schultz, thirteen years old, son
of tho prisoner. He said that when his
mother saw his father coming toward the
house on September IS she sent him TO
meet him, to tell him TO call the witness
his nephew, ana not his son, but his
father refused TO do this. Ho declared
4 buf nv tho HnV nf his rnnfhar'E death
and before the coroner arrived, he saw
his father go to tho room where his
mothers body lay and tighten her grasp
of the pistol
The witness illustrated how this was
done His father placed both of the
hands against her breast. His
father only shed u few tears after his
mother S death, he said. He seemed to be
quite cheerful, and occasionally stroked
the face of the corpse He sent the wit
ness to SEQ If the coroner had arrived and
when he was told that that official had
not appeared exclaimed, "If tho coroner
doesn't come soon I'll take the revolver
and put bullet into my own brain.
His father did not touch the bedclothes,
but ransacked the room in his search for
$3.50, which he said he had given his wife
a few days earlier.
The witness said that before going to
Milford he had lived in Twenty sixth
street and in Forty eighth street, New
York
Coroner Geigcr testified that when he
entered the room where the body lay he
found the bed disarranged, the mattress
being partly on the floor Mrs. Smith was
on tho bed, with the revolver In one hand,
the barrel pointing over her shoulder.
Suspicious Circumstances.
Josiah j.. Terwilliger. the coroner's
clerk, testified that he had found no pow
der marks near the wound, which was In
the left temple The woman's finger was
not on the trigger and the hand clutched
the barrel of tho pistol, not the stock.
I he body was still warm when the wit
ness examined il. The garment which
the woman wore was torn rs If she had
been engaged in "A struggle.
Four New Letter Carriers.