Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-11
CHILD WIFE LEFT DESTITUTE
Widow Of Gambler and Suicide is Pennil.ss
Among Strangers.
GERMAN CITIZENS INTERESTED IN CASE
wife of Robert schneider believed to
Have wealthy Parents in Prus-
sian Tovn-No Inquest
VIII lie Held.

Prominent Germans OF this city, notably
August Hahn, druggist. and Otto Siemssen,
manager for the Schlitz Brewing company,
have interested themselves in the case OF
Mrs. Robert Schneider. who is now in desti-
tute circumstances. Schneider was prac-
tically pcnniless when he ended his life on
Friday night In Council BLUFFS, his wife hav-
ing in her possession only 10 cents and
being in addition ignorant Of the language
and customs Of those about her. Mrs.
schneider, who is little more than a child,
has not yet been informed as to the
cause Of her husbands death, being stnl
under tho impression that he was a victim
OF heart failure.
No inquest will be held on the body Of
schneider, the facts OF his death being con
sidered sufficiently accounted for. The
funeral will occur today, il the necessary
arrangements can be made. with interment
at Council Bluffs.
Acting for those interested in the case
Nj. Hahn yesterday sent a cablegram to
Mrs. Schneider's parents In Erfurt. Ger
many. There Is no doubt in the minds OF
her friends but that immediate funds will
be dispatched for the proper burial OF
schneider and the return passage Of his
wife. Until relief arrives Mrs. Schneider has
been provided with resources sufficient to
keep her comfortably.
statement OF AuGust mann
August Hahn gives the following account
OF his relations with Robert Schneider:
My acquaintance with Schneider was OF
a purely business nature until quite re-
Gently. His wife has beeen sick ever since
they came to town, and he came here to
purchase medicine. He seemed to be a
man with whom money was no object, one o:
those thoroughbreds with other peoples
money In conversation with him he told
me that he had been a barkeeeper at Hot
Sprin gs, and that a few months ago a
stranger, a young German. died in the town
where he was and that he took charge OF
the body and buried 1t. He then communi-
Gated with the family of the young mar
with the result that he went to Germany to
receive the money due him for the expense
of the funeral. While there he formed an
attachment for the sister of the man whom
he had befriended, and after a months ac-
quaintance they were married. He said his
wife and her brother came to this country,
and upon arriving in Omaha took rooms at
1910 Davenport street.
Friday morning Mrs. Schneider sent for
me and told me that her husband had been
gone from home since Thursday morning,
and that as he took 10, 900 marks with him
to be changed into American money she had
become alarmed at his absence. She then
tOlu me t0dt Sue was the uduSnltE OF a sun
stantial innkeeper in Germany and that her
people had sent the money which Schneider
had taken TO be changed. l then reported
the matter to the police and two detectives
secured Omaha and Council Bluffs for the
man without success, until they received the
report of the suicide.
I'm regard to the Iron Cross found upon
the BODY OF Schneider he told me some time
ago that it had been given to him by his
uncle.
when we learned OF the suicide We told
his wife that he was dead and that the cause
OF his death was supposed to be heart fail
ure. AS she cannot understand English the
reports in the papers will not enlighten her,
and it is best, for in her present condition
the shock would kill her, as she had i'm
piicit confidence in him. In all my con-
versations with him he never said that he
was a physician, but he told his wife that
he was. The detectives who have been at
work on the case report that they have
learned that he was once a lawyer with a
good practice, but that he had ruined it by
a rapid life. The brother and others are in
Council Bluffs today Investigating the case
and are endeavoring to find some means to
make the gamblers restore some of the
money which they secured from Schneider"
story of the LnndIndy.
AIS. SCultlueIs WIZ IDS DGtu III iran
health since her arrival in America three
months ago, was Frustrated by the news OF
her husbands death and is confined to her
bed. She is in "A highly hysterical condition
and is attended only by Mrs. Bryan, the
landlady, to whom she is unable to make
herself understood. The landlady has the
greatest affection for the gentle foreign girl
tnd expressed herself with emphasis regard
Ing her condition. There is some mystery
Sbout all this" exclaimed Mrs. Bryan.
why should Schneider come to our out-of-
lhe-way lodging house under a false name
lrd buoy his wife here where she could
neither see nor speak with people of her
pwn nationality?
she occupies that little rear room" con-
tinued the landlady, pointing down the hall,
and during the last three months has been
like a bird in a cage. She can't understand
people in the house, ard very rarely went
outdoors. Mrs. Schneider had always been
ueed TO the best that money could buy and
her trunks are full OF all sorts of fnery
Why. she never even dressed her own hair
until she came TO our home.
'Dr. Schneider certainly never kept his
wife cooped up here because he did not
care for her. nor because he did not have
money to lavish on her. She has been sick
at intervals ever since she came here. and
her husband has kept her supplied with
every imaginable dainty. About a month
ago, for instance, when she was not well,
DIR. Schneider brought her a little box OF
strawberries which bore the cost mark, 81,
Ho insisted that she should have the rarest
wines tor a tonic, and went to extraordinary
lengths TO get a certain brand OF sherry that
he believed would help her.
From what Mrs. Schneider has been able