The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-28
SCHOFIELD'S SUSPICION.
Causes a Scene at the Blu
rial Of Mrs. William
A. Peyser.

The body Of Mrs. William A. Peyser
of Providence was brought to this city
yesterday and placed in the receiving
vault at Hope cemetery.
Yesterday morning Hildreth & Put
nam, undertakers, received the follow
ing letter:
Providence, July 26.
Gentlemen
Please meet me on arrival of the
$50 a. m. train from Providence, with
ambulance to convey the body of the
former Mrs. DR.. Schofield of Worcester
to the New Worcester cemetery.
Yours respectfully,
William Peyser.
The body came on the train reaching
this city shortly after II o'clock, and
the party from Providence consisted of
Mr.. Peyser, and son, Charles. The
casket was placed in the vault at Hope
cemetery and Instructions were left tc
inter the body in the lot where DIR.
Schofeld of this city is buried.
No arrangements had been made for
a grave digger, and no mention of
services was made by Mr.. Peyser. Mr.
and Mrs. Henry Barnard of Berlin
identified the body as that of their
daughter, who had married DR.. Scho-
field of this city, and after his death. o
few years ago, William Peyser
Clarence NJ. Schofield of Southbridge
was notified from Providence, but he
did not arrive in this city until after
noon. He looked at the body in the
vault and exclaimed, THAT woman is
not my mother" Schofield claimed that
the body was that of Mr.. Peyser's di
vorced wife.
Undertaken Hildreth became w ary.
Mr.. Peyser had paid the bill and left
for Providence. Mr.. and Mrs. Barnard
had returned to Berlin. Schofield made
declarations couch ed in language ex-
pressise of deep sorrow and sincerity.
The undertaken tried to calm Schofield,
but the son insisted that the woman
was not his mother. Three times he
asked permission to view the body, and
on each occasion he declared that the
woman was being unlawfuily buried IN
his mothers name.
Schofeld claimed that he had visited
his mother May %, and that she was at
that time in the best of health. She
was preparing for a trip to Onset bay.
Schofield said that he was 81 years old,
although he looked younger, and that
Ia years udu Gld)SGu SlllCG Ile Iltu DGSI
received in the family home because OF
his desire to roam about. He had Wis
tied his mother at least once a year,
and was positive that a mistake had
meen made.
Last night he told The Spy man that
he intended to invoke the aid of In
spector O'Day. File said that the tele-
gram was received at Southbridge
when it was believed by relatives to be
too late to view the body After talk
ing with the undertaken he went to the
Western Union telegraph office and
later announced that he was convinced
beyond doubt that there was something
strange about the burial of the woman
supposed to be his mother.
Schofield told The Spy man that he
was stopping at the Dresser House in
Southbridge. Last night an attache of
the hotel said over the telephone that
Schofield was in this city and would re-
turn on the late rain according to an
agreement with the hotel proprietor.
Later it was learned that he had not
returned. 1t was said that Schofield
went to the Dresser House about two
weeks ago and obtained employment in
the kitchen as dishwasher and ali
around helper. Little was known OF
him, but he always appeared rational,
and claimed to belong in this city.
Up to a late hour last night nothing
had been heard of Schof1eld, and unless
he returns this morning with substan-
tial evidence of illegality, the body VIII
be Inferred.