The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-23

room at Mrs. Addie Smiths. at Thirteenth
and NJ streets. opposite the Baptist Church.
She had appointment TO meet Miss Cen
eyieve Iseminger and other High School
pupils at her room at o'clock. Miss Ise-
minger arrived and, after waiting vainly
for Miss Schafer TO come. went away. leav-
ing her card.
Miss Schafer left for her lodgings alone,
the evening being dark and violent rain
falling at the time. She intended 10 go
north to the corner of Thirteenth. two
blocks. and then turn west one block to
Mrs. Smiths The murdered teacher re-
marked before she left the boarding house
that she felt lonesome at her room since
Miss Eva Love. who formerly roomed with
her, had gone elsewhere. as Mrs. Smith,
who Is superintendent at a waist factory,
was often detained by her work till 10
clock at night.
DRAGGED SIXTY FEET.
Miss Schafer had proceeded about one
block northward where there is a twelve
foot alley between Captain Cooks house
and the residence Of Mrs. +. r. Dunn. This
point is well lighted, the rays of an cleo
trio light on the next corner covering the
alley entrance. Her assailant, whoever he
was. and by what motive prompted to do
the awful deed, was hiding behind the cow
fence at the alley waiting for his victim.
Miss schafer was carrying an umbrella. as
it was drizzling rain. The instant the man
jumped out a desperate struggle began. A
gold hat pin and a hair pin were found in
the mud at the entrance of the alley Miss
Schafer's umbrella, still open, was in the
Dunn lot
all
sixty feet TO the buggy shed The shed
opens on the alley. Near the barn a paw
ing brick covered with blood and hair was
found, used by the brute TO do the murder
Here another desperate struggle took place
and the police say that at this point the
criminal assault was attempted. 1t is
thought she fought so violently for her life
that the murderer struck her blow after
blow with the brick. The piece of brick
weighs nearly two pounds. Two feet above
the ground the shed spots of blood
be distinguished. showing that the young
woman was in a standing attitude when
the first blow dealt.
The murder is the most brutal ever COM
mitted in Bedford. though the spot where
IL occurred is in the best residence section
of the city, within forty feet of one dwell
ng and less than 100 feet of two other oc
cupied dwellings.
The inquest conducted by Coroner Plum
mer began at IL o'clock to-day He was
assisted by Deputy Prosecutor Stephenson,
Mayor ]. Hickson Smith. County Sheriff
Frank Smith and the entire police force
The inquest was still in progress at late
hour behind locked DOORS with a policeman
outside the door.
Drs. Emery Freeland and Short conducted
the autopsy. They found three fractures
Of the skull. one over the left eye. one be-
hind the right ear and one in the upper
part of the back OF the head. The one be-
hind the ear was the deepest. The contents
Of the stomach showed that death had re-
suited soon after supper had been eaten.
The body was dressed at the morgue and
removed to Miss Schafer's room at 345
o'clock this afternoon.
REWARDS OFFERED.
Judge Wilson and members of the County
Council met and at $50 had offered a reward
of $500 for the arrest and conviction of the
murderer or murderers of Miss Schafer. At
1890 Mayor Smith had called the City COun-
ell together and passed a resolution offering
$500 more for the same purpose. The follow
ing bulletins have been published in the
Bedford papers, mailed throughout the State
and scattered broadcast over the city:
Zone Thousand Dollars Reward-Five
hundred dollars will be paid for the arrest
and conviction of the murderer of Sarah
Schafer. The murder was committed on
the night of Jan. 81. 1904, in Bedford. Ind.
The above reward has been ordered by Jas
B. Wilson. judge. with the approval of the
made. JAMES F. SMITH,
Sheriff of Lawrence County"
= rpWar6 10
mayor and Common Council of the city OF
Bedford, Ind.
~. HICKSON SMITH, Mayor"
When the body was discovered by Cap
tain Cook a general alarm was sounded
Several hundred people viewed the body, but
it was not recognized in it's condition. At
9 o'clock it was taken to f. s. Ferguson's
morgue. When Miss Schafer did not APP
pear at her boarding house for breakfast
this morning Mrs Johnson became alarmed,
having heard of the discovery of the body.
Prof. Alexander and Miss Knox, of the
high school, expecting the worst, called
at the morgue and identified the body
that of Miss Schafer. The umbrella had
already been identified by a high school
scholar as the property of Miss Schafer.
BlOOdhOunds from New Albany were
brought into Bedford late this afternoon.
They were led about the scene Of the crime.
but could raise no scent. The animals fol-
lowed the tracks supposed TO be those of
the assaiant for fifty feet from the shed.
The tracks. nearly oblitcrated by the rain,
led across vacant lot to Fourteenth street.
A half-pint whisky bottle that had been
purchased at Dorsey's saloon was found in
the alley about fifty feet west of the barn.
The body. when found this morning. was
not yet rigid. indicating that life did not
depart till far along in the night. Some
children in the neighborhOod are said to
have heard a woman scream about clock.
Captain Cooks house is only about forty
feet from the buggy shed where the crime
occurred, and screams would probably have
awakened him. 1t is probable she lay I'M
conscious for several hours before she died.
JOSEPH WIENER.