The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-29
Times Reporter Finds Won
an Whose Whereabouts
Battle Police.
AT INDIANA HARBOR
Elopes With Hired Man-Is Re-
pentant So Husband For
gives Her.


disappeared from her cozy country
home three miles south of this city
while temporarily deranged leaving her
husband, to whom she had been mar
ried fifteen years. and six children,
was located yesterday by a LAKE
COUNTY TIMES reporter in a hotel in In
diana Harbor where she had gone to
meet another man.
Her husband, who has been looking
for her ever since Monday, has been
nearly Frustrated with grief, fearing
she had committed suicide. He knew
that she was in a delicate condition
and that while thus she was the vic
tim of delusions, and what rested
heaviest upon his mind was the fear
that Charles Wendoroff, a once trusted
employe of his, had taken advantage
of the womans susceptibility and had
persuaded her to leave her husband
her children and her pretty country
home as she did three weeks ago.
Mr.. and Mrs. Schrum have been mar
ried for fifteen years. According to the
testimony of the husband, Mrs Schrum
mother. Her house was kept in per-
feet order and she loved her children,
three girls and three boys.
Strange Actions Date Four Weeks Back
After all these years of happy mar
ried life four weeks ago she began
to act strangely. Wendoroff. the hired
man, seemed, for the first time in the
seven years that he worked for Schrum.
RI nrf Sar INF
latter's wife.
About three weeks ago Mrs. schrun
and Wendorof disappeared. They were
located by Mr.. Schrum the next day
in Chicago. The woman was brought
back to Hammond thoroughly re-
pentant. Mr. Schrum became con-
vinced that the woman was not in a
normal mental condition and after she
had made a full confession of what
she had done. he forgave her.
Wendoroff continued to come to the
house whenever he saw Schrum go to
town and at one time the little girl of
neighboring family. who was playing
with the Schrum children, saw Wendo-
rolf point pistol at the head of Mrs.
Schrum and after calling her vile
names demanded that she go away with
him. This is according to the story by
Mrs. Sven Magunssen, the mother of
the child.
Wendoroff was taken before Justice
Flynn, but the latter refused to ac-
cept the evidence of the women and
the children, and the prisoner was
given his liberty after admitting that
he had a gun, but pointed it at his
own head. Mr.. Schrum claims that
Wendorof has threatened to kill him
If he came to Hammond and so he has
remained away for the past few weeks.
hurried search was made of all
of the farm houses in the vicinity, but
no trace of the missing woman could
be found.
Leaves Farewell Note.
Mrs. Sehrum left a note in which
she said that she had gone away, never
to come back again. and told her hus-
band not to look for her body. The
police were notified, but without re-
suits
Five days passed and Mr.. Schrum
had given UP all hope of finding the
wife that he still loved and whom he
believed had been misled while in an
abnormal mental condition caused by
her delicate physical state.
Then LAKE COUNTY TIMES reporter in
his rummagings about. found 4 clew.
Mr.. Schrum was notified. This was at
4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He
came to this city where he and the
reporter took the car for Indiana Har-
Dor to a hotel in which town the
clew led.
on the way over the man was so
excited that he could hardly contain
himself
Il can't let her go in that condition"
he said. she doesn't know what she
is doing. She has been that way every
time. before her other children were
born. No I can't let her go. I must
get her back. When she is we'll again
she will be all right" .....-
Uses Ficticlous Name.
On arrival in Indiana Harbor. af+ar
describing the woman. who had regis
tered as Mrs. C. o. Howard, to the
satisfaction OF the hotel keeper. a
woman in the hotel went TO Mrs
Schrum's room and confronted. her with
the fact that her identity had been
discovered. The woman broke down
and admitted that she was Mrs. Schrurn.
Mr.. Schrum was then admitted to
the room and he and his wife had a
fearful conversation together. She
said she was sorry she had gone away
from home. that she longed to see the
children again and that she was heart
broken TO think she had again dis
graced herself in the eyes Of her neigh
bors
This morning Mrs. Schrum went
back with her husband to the six lit
tie children who were anxiously wait
ing for her