The Ordway new era., 1906-02-09
WOMAN IS FREED.
DENVER JURY AcouiTs MRS.
HELEN q. scHMipLAP.
WHO KILLED. her HUSBAND
Her First Act 10 to Issue = ooastlns
Statement In Standardization
But the Judge Says Her AequIttai
Was Travesty on Justice and Dis
misses the jury In Disgrace.

Denver.-The jury In the case Of
Mrs. Helen G. Schmidlap. on trial for
the murder OF her husband, William
Schmidlap. on Monday morning
brought In a verdict OF mot guilty"
The verdict was reached after forty
two hours deliberation and after the
impression had already become preva.
lent that they, like the jury in the for
mer trial OF the defendant. would not
be able to come to an agreement at all.
1t Is the climax of one OF the most SEN
sational tragedies that ever took
placc in Denver. Early In the morn
ing OF July 8, 1906. William Schmidlap.
druggist. was shot by his wife In
his room ut the Clarendon rooming
house. 1917 Arapahoe street. The
couple had been estranged for q year.
Mrs. Schmidlap was formerly the wife
Of Albert Ezekiel. with whom she
came to Denver five years ago with
their two children. from Phoenix, Ari
zona. Ezekiel and Schmidlap were
once intimate friends. Four years
ago MIR. and Mrs. Ezekiel were di.
vorced and marriage between the lat
ter and Schmidlap soon followed.
Mrs. Schmidlap charged that her
second husband often mistreated her
and that her shooting him was done In
self-defensc. Insanity was also
pleaded In extenuation OF the crime.
II was claimed that this affliction was
Inherited from her father. Briggs
Goodrich. said to have been once a
prominent lawyer OF Arizona.
The accused woman was twice tried
for the murder OF her husband. Her
first trial, which took place last No
vember. resulted In a hung Jury.
II Is said that on the balloting OF the
jurymen before q verdict was finally
reached. ten were for acquittal and
two for conviction.
After her release Mrs. Schmidlap
gave out the following statement:
III i am guilty Of any crime II has
been that have not tamely submitted
to abuse and villihcation from n
drunken and abandoned husband that
no self.respecting woman would tolcr-
ate for moment. My revolver spoke
for me and mine, and for all that n
wife holds dear and sacred. and I
have NO anxiety but that the verdict
will be concurred In by all true hus.
bands and good wives and mothers.
have fought this battle and received
this full vindlcation, and II means as
much for thousands Of other suffering
and abused women as for me-"
No one was more astonished at the
verdict than Assistant District Attor.
ncy Whitford, who had conducted tho
prosecution. He expressed his indig.
nation in strong terms and asked that
the members of the jury be dismissed
from further service. Later in the day
Judge Carpenter complied with his re.
quest, saying:
"The court desires to say with re-
spect to the request OF the district at
torney that the jury which returned
the verdict on thk morning should be
excused from further attendance upon
the court for the term. that the court
at first felt itself 80 great mitigation
concerning the verdict that II did not
feel that It could trust itself concern
ing the matter this morning. 1t now
feels after lapse Of few hours that
It can speak cooliy and dispassionately
and It desires to say that II considers
the verdict an outrage upon society. q
travcsty upon justice and reproach to
the administration OF the law. 1t was
such q verdict as would indicate either
that the Jurors had not capacity to
weigh evidence or that their reason Is
~louded or may be easily clouded by
.nawkish or maudlin sentimentality.
] am fully convinced that they can be
Of no further service TO the court in
the administration OF Justice and they
are excused for. the term"