The times., 1899-04-02
A CRAZY MANS BLOODY WORK.
HIS Desperate Attempt to Extermi-
nate His Wife's Family.

New York. April lin a ft OF insanity
of-~hich he had given frequent evidences
during the past year, John ]. schmitt.
twenty-five years old. the son OF a well-to-
do German tailor of 155 Even Street. Will
lamsburg. shot and killed his mothsr-in-
law and wounded his brother-in-law. his
WIFE, and his sister-iu-law tonight. He also
tried to kill his infant child. but Ii escaped
unharmed. His victims are: Mrs Anna
Wild. the mother-iu-law. who was instant
~ Killed; Nicolas Wild, mortally wounded:
Mrs. Carrie Schmltt. win recover and Miss
Pauline Wild. will recover.
Schmitt was married two years. and for
about year he and his wife lived happily
together Then Schmitt began to act
queeriy. One day. without provocation.
he made number OF threats TO kill his
Wife She reported the matter to the
police, who advised her to get a warrant
,or c,'r.S aer 81, husbands % arrsss Rst06s she Sc
riedly sent his son to HuuBe to take tho
kneipp cure. Mrs. Schmitt went home to
her mother. Schniitt returned to this
country six months ago. seemingly cured.
He called at his mother-in-law house
and coaxed his wife to resume housekeep-
ing with him again. They lived amicably
together until two months ago when he
again began TO show signs OF insanity.
Mrs. Schmitt. fearing for her life. returned
TO her mothers home Schmitt frequently
called to induce her TO return but she
always refused TO do SO.
Just before O'Clock tonight. while the
entire family was seated at the table eat
ing dinner. Schmitt Unexpectedly appeared
and began to reproach his wife for living
apart from him. No one replied for some
time, but finally Mrs. Wild lost patience
and began to upbraid Schmitt. who left
the house without a word He returned.
however, within ten minutes and against
started to reproach his wife. This time 1t
was his sister-in-law, Pauline, who inter
rupted him.
''Oh. shut up" she said; you're crazy"
At this Schmitt seemed to become wild.
He drew a revolver from his coat pocket.
and before any person could interfere he
pushed 1t almost into Mrs. Wild's face
and pulled the trigger. The bullet entered
her mouth and she fell over on the floor
dead. The body lay beside the lounge on
which Schmitt's one-year- old baby was
sleeping. Nicholas Wild grappled with
Schmitt trying to take the weapon away
from him. AS they wrestled about the
room Schmitt. using the revolver as
bludgeon. struck Wild with the butt over
the head repeatedly, inflcting eighteen
scalp wounds.
Wild tried to push Schmitt out of the
door into the hail. AS they reached the
door Schmitt shot him through the right
arm. Wild continued the wrestling and
they fell down one flight of stairs. Wild
WAS the first to rise, and he started to run
back upstairs with the intention Of bsrri-
cading the fiat door. but Schmitt pursued
him and just as Wild reached the head of
the stairs Schmitt shot at him again. The
bullet struck Wild in the abdomen He
fell down the stairs and lay ar the bottom
unconscious.
Schmitt then entered the apartments.
where he found his wife and his sister
in-law. He fired two shots at his wife
both bullets taking effect in her right hip.
Then he threw the empty revolver on the
floor and drawing another from his pocket
fired twice at his sister-in-law. One of
the shots missed her. but the other struck
Miss Wild in the left side. In spite OF
their wounds the two young women fed
10 the apartments below. Then Schmitt
fired one shot at his baby. The bullet
missed the infants head only half an inch.
Throwing his revolver on the floor
Schmitt started to run downstairs. Two
boys who had heard the shooting held the
outside door and prevented Schmitt from
leaving the building until crowd gathered
and oYerpowered him after Il hard fight
Schmitt denounced his arrest as an outrage
and demanded to be told why he had been
taken into custody. He seemed to have
forgotten all that he had done.