The herald., 1898-11-27
sSCHROfDfR PLEADS
TO HAVE HIS LICENSE RE-
TURNED TO HIM
APPEALS TO THE COMMISSION
Puts All Blame on His Partner and
Asks for Clemency-The City's
Finances-City Hall Notes

TWO weeks dSC lCNohShs "i'hSN
the license of Helm Schmidt, who conducted
saloon at All South Spring street, be-
cause it believed him guilty of having aided
unknown parties to rob John Strawbrldge
on the I'd of this month, it is more than
nrobable that the commissioners had no
idea what a hornets nest had been stirred.
The action in revoking the license was
based on a report signed by Detectives
Goodman and Flammer, which was submit
ted to the commission by Chief Glass on
November Is. This report contained a
statement of the officers investigation INTO
a complaint made by Strawbridge. They
stated that Strawbridga had been steered
around town by party of three men and
that shortly after midnight, after the sa-
looms had been closed, the party went to
Schmdt's residence, persuaded him to come
I'D town and open his saloon. It was also
charged that when the victim was taken
into Schmidt's place of business he was
given Knockout drops" and robbed Of
$305
After the license was cancelled the board
discovered that the document was issued in
the name of W. f. Schroeder and H..
Schmidt. Prior to the time of the commits
sion's meeting last Tuesday Schmidt filed
an affidavit, in which he denied most en-
phatically any knowledge of the robbery,
and asked that time be set for the hearing
Of his side of the story. No action was
taken. for the reason that no meeting of the
commission was held.
Yesterday the heretofore silent partner,
w. +. Schroeder, called on Chief OF Police
Glass and presented written statement of
his side OF the story, asking that it be pre-
sented to the meeting CT the commission
next Tuesday In this communication
which is addressed TO the police commits
sion, he denies any knowledge of the rob
berry. but says he has found to his sorrow
that Schmidt is not the honest man he
thought him when he (Schroeder) went into
business with him.
The statement in the hands of Chief
Glass is as follows:
with reference to your recent action in
revoking the license OF Schroeder & Schmidt,
for the salAon at No. Al South Spring
street, | desire to make the following state
ment of facts, and to submit the truth about
the matter to you, believing that when the
whole truth is known you will, through your
sense of justice reconsider your action in
the matter.
Il me1my former partner, Helm Schmidt,
after | had become acquainted with his fam
lily, which bears very good reputation. AT
the time | made his acquaintance he was a
harkeeper, and as | was looking for bust
ness investment he suggested that we buy
a saloon. As | was wholly unaoquainted
with this line of business ! thought it was
necessary to have partner who understood
it, and although | had been told that
Schmidt was rather fast and thoughtless
never imagined that he was in any way vic
ious or dishonest. The result was | went
into partnership with him and, trusting to
his experience in the business, | left the
management of affairs almost wholly to him.
! soon found that things were going in a
manner that | could not approve OF, and re-
monstrated with him frequently, but to no
purpose. firing at last OF his manner OF
conducting business, | offered to buy him
out At that time | was under the impress
sion that he had invested $500 in the bust
ness, and whenever broached the subject
Of a dissolution OF the partnership he asked
me an exorbitant price for his interest,
which later | learned was wholly visionary
SO far as any financial investment by him
was concerned. ! did not then know, and in
fact did not learn until after your honorable
body had revoked the license on account OF
Schmidts actions, that he never had cent
invested in the business. | had been given
to understand all along that his interest in
the business, which was supposed to amount
to 5000, was secured by u note for that
amount, but, too late, / discovered that no
such note existed.
In regard to the robbery of the man
Strawbridge, which is alleged to have been
committed in our place, l know absolutely
nothing about it except what was told Inc
later and what | have since seen in the
newspapers. On a day soon atr4s, he rob
berry is said to have been committed, while
| was at work in the saloon, a lady called
there and asked the owner OF the cigar
stand i'll front OF the place to call Schmidt
out. / was doing the day work there and
Schmidt the night work, and he was not
there. I responded to the call, and the lady
told me her husband had been robbed and
she had come to see if something could not
be done to identity her husbands com
panlons. / told her truthtully that ! knew
nothing about the matter, and referred her
to Schmidt When Schmidt came to the
place that day | told him of what the lady
had said and asked him about it. He
treated the matter lightly and all that he
told me about the matter was that he had
admitted two men into the saloon after u
o'clock and had served drinks to them He
said nothing further about the matter
Later | learned that Schmidt was at home
and in bed on the night OF the robbery: that
two men went to his house with carriage;
that he arose, dressed and accompanied the
lnen back to the saloon; that he opened the
saloon and served drinks to the men. OF
these facts had no knowledge until after
the revocation of our license
detective Goodman was subsequently,
in our place several times but he never spoke
to me about the case and none of the police
who, | understand, investigated the case
ever mentioned the matter to me. The first
intimation that | had that so serious a
charge had been made against the place was
after the license had been revoked and |
was informed of the reason for its revoca-
ton. When, after that action, spoke to
some OF the officers about the matter and
informed them what interest had in the
place, they expressed surprise that sucn
was the case and stated that they regretted
seeing me in such an unfortunate situation
There was never an intimation Of their
part that | had anything to do with the
robbery, or that | had any knowledge of if