The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-29
Officials, However, Assert They
Lack Evidence to Warrant TAX
ing Any One Into Custody.
NO NEW CLEWS FOUND
Detectives Busy Trying to Find
Where the Pair of OvershOes
Were Purchased.
SIX PERSONS EXAMINED
Miss Clara Friedly Says Sarah
Schafer Jokingly Said She
Was Engaged.
STAFF Correspondence Of the Journal.


Staf Correspondence Of the Journal
BEDFORD. Ind, Jan. 2S.-Bedford is ex-
pecting an arrest in the Schafer murder
mystery within forty-eight hours. The en-
tire city is in a nervous state and the word
mas passed from mouth to mouth that there
will be radical developments soon. Grounds
for this belief are slight, but the city is in
a state of expectancy. The officials. how
ever, assure every inquirer that absolutely
no evidence in their hands will justify an
arrest 1t is just a week ago tonight that
the pretty school teacher was slain, though
her body was not found till the next morn
ing.
The investigation to-day lasted but few
hours and not more than a half-dozen wit
nesses were summoned. The remainder OF
the day was spent by the detectives In
quietly working at the clews in their pos
session. Every effort is being made by
the Pinkertons to locate the store where
the pair OF overshoes found in the mud
near the scene OF the murder was pur-
chased a call was made at every Bedford
shoestore, but no definite information was
secured. Detective Reed believes the clew
one OF the most important yet developed.
Miss Knox. Miss Clara Friedly and Prof.
Louder, associates of Miss Schafer in the
High School. were witnesses before the in
vestigating committee to-day. Miss FREELY
told Of the conversation with Miss Schafer
at the High School one morning when the
latter jokingly remarked that she was en-
gagged and intended to resign her position.
ONLY IN FUN.
''The remark was only in fun. and she
was not sincere" said Miss Friedly before
the detectives. 1T may be that 1 misun-
derstood her meaning. for when 1 arrived
in EIkhart 1 found there was absolutely
nothing in the story" said Miss Friedly
further. She also testified that she under
stood Miss Schafer had gone driving with
a man several times after she came TO
Bedford in September. Miss Friedly said
the telephone messages, she believed, frorl
Miss Schafer's conversation. were from a
high-school boy, member OF one OF her
classes. The detectives do not regard the
testimony as bearing on the case.
Professor Louder and Miss Knox reiter-
ated the statements they have made many
times within the last few days.
Another supposed hoax came 10 light to-
night when Marshal Russell received the fol-
lowing letter from Louisville. KY, signed
wv H.
81 killed Sarah Schafer. I intend TO xiii
myself. l will drown myself al 2:l5 O'Clock
Thursday afternoon in the river between
Louisville and New Albany. In my pockets
will be found letters from her that will ex-
plain all"
Marshal Russell did not take much stock
in the letter. but he asked Chief OF Police
Ridge, of Louisville. to investigate the mat
ter. Chief Ridge. in n telephone message.
discredited the letter. saying ii probably was
written by crank seeking notoriety.
DIR. HOUSER'S VIEWS.
Mayor Smith has received a letter from
DR.. ]. A. Houser. OF Indianapolis, in which
the physician calls attention to the neuro-
ethical connection OF the crime with the
possible criminal. DR.. Houser, in his let
ter. says:
For many years 1 have devoted much
time and study 10 human nature from a
psychic and ethical standpoint and IL is
but natural that / would be inclined TO ap-
ply my conclusions 10 any remarkable case
of mental and moral phenomenon Crime.
like law, has a code OF action and this Is
the outgrowth Of organic conditions.
Now TO the point: Judging from her
pictures in the public prints Miss Schafer
had a temperament In which the mental,
moral and religious sentiments predominant
ed. These gave her deep sympathy. abid-
ing faith, great Imagination. pure ideal
ist, governed by sentiment, impusive 10 q
humanity and a longing TO aid and elevate
the lower creature she was a woman with
the heart of child: Hard TO understand.
her most intimate friends failed 10 know
her deep feelings.
Her opposite and most dangerous affinity
would be the motive-vital temperament
Now II might be that this good, pure,
Christian girl. somewhere met this type Of
man. Her good intentions brought the
tanglement which his unbalanced mind
misunderstood. The weak. immoral char
acter may have sought revenge. when she
explained TO him that he misunderstood
her. and revenge came, as II does 10 such.
the Christian woman had held in check.
burst its bounds and swept like foodtide
over all barriers. Such a character as his
wherever he tarries awhile his life would
be known"
An anonymous communication from Io-
dianapols urged the instant summoning Of
a special grand jury.
REGARDED AS A HOAX
A letter dated Bedford. but mailed al Gin
cinnati from an anonymous writer. created
much merriment at the City Hall yesterday.
The detectives regard 1T a hoax the
product Of crank. 1t follows:
Bedford Ind. Jan 2s
Dear Friend-I take my pen in hand 10 In
form you OF my health. | am well. and
when these few lines reaches you. will find
you the same. On the night that Miss Sarah
Schafer was murdered, just killed her be-
Il
me. and we had a few words about some
matters You all mean 20 prison up those
poor schoolboys for what have done.
You all can get all the detectives IN the
United States. but they will never get me,
for 1 am going far far away That poor
fellow you all caught I'm that box car; don't
punish him, because he Is afraid 20 speak
about the mystery. IL you all do not catch
me in forty-eght hours. draw in your
horns for Gods sake. There Is three OF Us
to catch you smart detectives. / beg IN
vain to let these poor fellows go i wrote
this letter just 10 lei you all know that you
are off the track so now go way back and
SIT down for Gods sake. Miss Cecil White
had better keep still about that thirty-two-
page letter. Yours truly.
THE GREAT MAN.
HOTEL BEAT" NOT THE MAN.
No Importance is attached TO the story OF
the Palo. Ill. man who hurriedly left the
Park Hotel the day after the murder with
out paying his bill. The detectives did not
even investigate IT. L II. Grimes propri-
etor of the hotel. informed the police that
a man answering the description OF the
mysterious strange: spent last Thursday at
mis- hotel. He reached the hotel about II
o'clock. and was assigned a room. leaving
next morning without paying his bill. He
wore white vest that had the appearance