The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-16
ALLEGED MURDERER OF
MISS SCHAFtR WILL BE
PLACED on TRIAL TO-DAY
James NJ cDonald, Charged with
Crime, VIII BE Arraigned
in Court at Bedford.
SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
Brutal Slaughter of the Beautiful
Girl Is Puzzle for the
Police.
PRISONER IS AT BEDFORD
Man Who VIII Face Murder
Charge Says He Is Innocent
and Ready for Trial.
cial to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
BEDFORD, Ind, May 15.-Mysterious as
it has been in many of it's grewsome de-
tails, battling alike to officers of the law
and friends of the victim bent on dealing
justice to the guilty, the Sarah Catherine
Schafer murder case will again be probed
when James Mcdonald is arraigned in
court at this city tomorrow, charged with
the brutal crime.
1t is expected that there will be little de-
lay in bringing the case to trial. Mcdonald
was brought from Bloomington tonight and
the case will be called for trial tomorrow
at 8 o'clock. Attorneys for both sides
have stated that they are ready and upon
this assurance Judge Wilson has issued
special venire for one hundred men to APP
pear in court from which jury will be Sc
lected. At least a week will be required for
the trial. No less than sixty witnesses will
be summoned by the. state and the defense
will likely summon the same number. Rob-
ert Miller, the prosecuting attorney, will
be assisted by S. B. Lowe, of Bedford.
who will be paid by the county. Palmer
apd Vance will appear for the defense.
and funds for their fees have been raised
by Mrs. Mcdonald, who has made personal
appeals for aid on the streets of Bedford.
Mcdonald insists he is innocent and seems
to be anxious for immediate trial. The
defense will be an attempt to prove an
alibi.
The brutal slaughter of the young wom-
an whose dead body was found on the
morning of Jan. % in a shed but sixty feet
from l. street, in the most prominent and
densely populated section of the city, was
of the most revolving crimes in the his
tory Of the State. The fact that the victim
beautiful young woman. a Latin
teacher in the Bedford High School, refined
and cultured. made the murder one of the
most puzzling problems for the police. De-
spite the suspicion that fell on different per-
sons, no one was formally charged with the
murder until James Mcdonald who to-day
must go trial for his life, was placed un-
der arrest.
The boldness of the orime and the utter
absence of any tangible motive or evidence
that would tend to the detection of the
murderer make the case one of the most
complicated that has ever occupied the at
The body of Miss Schafer was not discov-
cred until 7:30 o'clock on the morning fol-
lowing the murder having lain all night ia
open shed where rain, blood from the
wounds received on the head, and mud coll
lected when the body was dragged through
the alley made identification difficult. Five
fractures of the head from which blood
and brains had oozed, plainly told the
had met her death.
A court of inquiry was hurriedly con-
vened by direction of Mayor Smith to fer
ret out the mystery and after several days
of fruitless work the case was placed in
the hands of Detectives T.. S. Reed and j.
S. Smith, who worked increasingly for four
weeks. with the result that James Nc
Donald was arrested for the crime on the
night of Feb. Is, just three weeks after the
body was found.
The prisoner was hurried to Jefferson
g.. h 1s<xl.+ -
the city was in state of intense excite
ment over the affair. The court of inquiry
was composed of S. B. Lowe. president of
the School Board. Mayor j. Hixson Smith
and Attorney Olin Bundy who has since
died Mcdonald was removed from Jeffer-
sonville Reformatory about six weeks ago
to the Monroe county Jail at Bloomington,
where he created a sensation by suddenly
developing religious mania, joining the
Christian Church In that city and being
baptized at his request