The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-11-22
Woman'S Bones Found in
Asylum Attic Those
Of Mrs. Schmidt.
DISAPPEARED EIGHTEEN
YEARS AGO, RECORDS SHOW
Case Cleared Up Through Efforts
of Superintendent Dill and
Prosecutor Drops Inquiry.

The Essex County Insane Asylum
skeleton mystery has been solved 10
the satisfaction of the county authorl-
ties
DIR. Daniel ". Dill, superintendent Of
the institution, today made a complets
report Of the case, establishing the
identity Of the unfortunate as an old
time patient named Mrs. Christina
Schmidt, to Prosecutor Wilbur A. Mott
The prosecutors detectives and STAR
reporters are now trying to locate the
relatives
According to the hospital records.
Mrs. Schmidt, or Tina or .Teenie,
as she was better known at the South
Orange avenue Institution, where tile
charred skeleton WIS found in the
rafters of the attic on Thursday last
was 40 years of age at the time OF her
disappearance in the spring of 1891
The records 10 not show that she es-
cs ped from the asylum, that she met
death by suicide or accident, but sim
ply show that the patient is missing
and unaccounted for" The records.
now in the hands of the prosecutor.
give no clue to the present where
abouts Of any of Mrs. Schmidt's rela-
tiyes. they having long since left the
address which was furnished to the
authorities at the time of the patients
| admission to the hospital more than a
score of years ago.
Further information In the clearing
up of the mystery came this afternoon
from DR.. Livingston S. Hinclxley, who
was superintendent of the hospital III
1891 when Mrs. Schmidt was declared
missing and unaccounted for" The
/ doctor said that he was Of the same
opinion as DR. Dill relative to the man
ner in which the patient met her death
In the attic: that ne had vague recol-
/ lection of a female patient being unac-
/ counted for in the institution about
that time, but that without the rer-
ords TO refresh his memory he could
not give the missing patients name.
Doctor. don't you recall one of your
I female patients having the nickname Of
Tina or 1reenie?' inquired the STAR
reporter
at strikes me-" replied the former
superintendent. that there was such
a woman. a trusty. whom we gener-
ally had assisting In the laundry, but I
could not give a history Of her case
unless had my old records / saw the
skeleton at the morgue and was first
| Inclined to the opinion that the death
was a more recent one. l have been
ready from the first to render any as
sistance that could TO aid in clearing
up the mystery. and ] am equally as
| glad as DIR. Dill to have the matter
settled. These asylum mysteries are
the most grewsome of all kinds, and
when not cleared up cast a terrible re-
Election upon whoever happens to be In
charge of the institution
Publicity now. it is believed. may
have the effect of turning up some of
the relatives. Information leading In
| .hat direction is being sought by the
authorities and the STAR But little
or no attention was paid to Mrs.
Schmidt by her relatives after her ad-
mission to the hospital Not an inquiry
has been made for her of recent years
that any of the officials can recall. Shs
was just an unfortunate, forgotten
woman whose death, probably caused
! from burning in the obscure attic, was
as pathetic and unevenfful as her quiet
4 life in the asylum was. She was evil
IDENTIFY quiet and trusted patient
/ The discovery Of the identity of the
skeleton was due TO the systematic
search Of the records that was insti-
gated by Dr. Din, the superintendent.
The superintendent, his clerks and
| STAR reporters spent the greater part
of Sunday in the examination OF the
4 -nusty old records at the Overbrook in
stitution The books covering the In
dividual history Of the patients go back
a quarter OF a century. The record
books devote whole page to each pa
TENTS case. and two very conspicuous
items are displayed on the leaf, namely
the date of admission and the disposf-
ton Of the case. The task Of exarnn-
ing the books was a hard one, because
of the absence of any classification.
Following the discovery Of the skeIe-
ton Ave days ago, DR.. Dill put his
clerks at once on the examination OF
the records Because of the fact that
medical experts gave as their opinion
+ that the victim might have been dead
for from FIVE to twenty years. DIR. DIN
started the examination of the books
from the inception OF the record-sys-
tenn twenty-five years ago, instead or
working from the present date back
Another rea son thai prompted the SUI
perintendent in that direction was the
fact that during his nine years as head
OF the institution he could not recall .
single instance wherein female pa
tient was missing and unaccounted Tor.
Neither could Mrs. Marshall. the ma
tron, who has been connected with thq
4 institution for the past sixteen years.
with the identity of the skeletou
established, the next step Of the ans
fhorities Is to endeavor TO ascertain
the cause of the death OF the patients
Element OF crime is eliminated froW
ths ease BIZ the authorities, az Il aleq
ahe suicide theory. There Il nothing ~
Don't ssssss sne 1sEIss esi' ssna1es 9 =