The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-23
PRETTY SCHOOL TEACHER
ASSAULTED AND FOUL[Y
MURDERED At BEDFORD
Miss Sarah Schafer, of E.lkhart,
the Victim of a Terrible Crime
in Indiana Town. -
WENT SINGING TO DEATH
Left Boarding House in Happy
Mood to Meet a Horrible Fate
Soon Afterwards.
ANONYMOUS LETTERS
And Hairs of a White Mans Mus
tache May Lead to Discovery S
of Her Slayer.
WENT SINGING TO DEATH
stan Correspondence Of the Journal

stan Correspondence Of the Journal
BEDFORD, Ind, Jan. 22.-Miss saraf
schafer OF Elkhart. Ind. pretty teacher
in the Bedford High School and a graduate
of the state Normal School at Terre Hsute
was criminally assaulted last night and then
brutalIy beaten TO death with a paving
brick The crime was the most dastardiy
one Bedford has ever known. and the dis
covery OF the body in an alley this morn
ing aroused the indignation OF the citizens
and caused numerous threats Of violence
to the perpetrator II he is caught. A re-
ward of $1,000 has been offered for the ar :
rest of the murderer.
Several clews are believed TO have been
discovered by the authorities, but the onlr
direct evidence so far found are few
hairs torn from the mustache OF the man
who committed the crime. The hairs are
those of a white man. Miss Schafer made
desperate struggle with her assailant, but
finally was overpowered. dragged sixty feet
and cruelty beaten to death.
RECEIVED WARNING LETTER.
1t is believed here that the muir
derer is the writer of two anonymous
letters received by the young woman sew
eral months ago warning her TO leave her
rooming place and containing threats. The
fact that the letters We're received by her
was not known until late tonight and il
was at once decided to run down the writer
The letters have not been found, having
evidently been destroyed, but the people 10
whom they were shown at the time have
given their testimony. At the time the
anonymous communications were received
Miss Schafer was rooming at the home
Of Dr. D. d. Nicholson, at 1907 South .
street. The letters were written in clear
hand, on good paper, with ink. and were
of only a few words. They simply stated
that she should move and move at once.
Why the writer did not state. The threats
were very mild, and said that some harm
might befan her.
The first letter was received several
months ago; Mrs. Nicholson does not re-
member the exact date. The second one
came week later. Miss schafer at the
time took Dr. Nicholson and his wife into
her confidence. They did not advise her,
but few days later she moved 10 the
home of Mrs. A V. Smith. at lbs NJ street
No other letters were received. She moved
| Y
another teacher. When Miss Love went
TO her home in Seymour a week ago Miss
Schafer made the remark that she dreaded
TO walk back and forth between her room
ing place and boarding house. The facts
of the letters are in the hands OF the presi-
dent. s. r. Lowe. and Louisville detect
i've employed by the School Board. Mayor
Smith and Deputy Prosecutor L. B. Ste
phen, two of the most active men in the
investigation, are familiar with the letters.
No clew as to the writer has been found.
DIR. and Mrs. Nicholson have been in
structed to give out nothing.
TALKED WITH A STRANGER.
Justice Of the Peace Fletcher. who con-
Quoted a court OF inquiry to-day. has evidences
that Miss Schafer was seen talking with a
man in the Bedford postoffice Monday
morning. An intimate friend OF the dad
woman says he was an utter stranger. IL
is believed that the man can be connected
with the murder.
IF man is arrested. IL only on suspicion.
| and two people know IL. he will be
! lynched," was the statement made 10 me
tonight by Deputy Prosecutor T.. B.
Stephenson" If any arrest is made Il viii
be secretly and the man will be spirited
away The community was in an uproar
until o'clock tonight. but the
assurance that there were no clews
quieted down. Tomorrow in addi-
ton to running down the letters
clew every questionable character
in Bedford will be brought either before
the coroner. mayor or justice and made
TO state his whereabouts the night OF the
murder a list Of the city's bad men" IS
being prepared tonight by Chief OF Police
| Russell.
Sheriff Morris. OF Floyd county, win re-
turn in the morning with his bloodhounds.
the animals having failed 70 make a scent.
They ran about the shed and alleys for an
hour, but made no headway.
The brother and uncle OF Miss Schafer
will arrive IN Bedford AT $50 IN the morn
ing. Unless held at the coroner's request
! the body will be taken TO Elkhart. via In
dianapols. over the Big Four at 10 o'clock
| tomorrow.
AN EXCITED MAN.
II was learned late tonight that early
/ this morning a man well known in Bed
ford ran into the office OF Or a j. Nc
I Donald and cried: "For Gods sake. doc
tor, give me something for my nerves"
I His name Is in the hands Of the police, and
the story is regarded as significant in the
investigation. DR.. Mcdonald could not be
I reached
Three courts of inquiry were held to-day.
one by Coroner Plummer. one by Justice
Fletcher and one by Mayor smith, Before
Fletcher were half-dozen persons tonight.
They told their story OF their Whereabouts
on Thursday night. The stories will be in
vestigated tomorrow. Before the coroner
were fifty people. friends OF Miss Schafer
and people at the boarding house who saw
her Just a few moments before the murder.
| N~..,f,. laarnad Rsfora aha c,ror...