New-York tribune., 1910-01-14
MURDER is SOLVED?
CO4CHM4N ATTEMPTS
SUICIDE.
Tragedy at MMbrook First
Blamed to Burslars-Prs-
Oner accuses Butler.


and Mrs. Barnes Compton, at Millbrook'
Dutchess County. was found in her beo
early this morning strangled TO deatn.
Frank Schermerhorn, of the same age
and who is employed as coachman on the
Compton place. has been brought to TINS
city, charged with the murder. Late TINS
afternoon he made an unsuccessful at
tempt at suicide, cutting his throat with
a razor.
About o'clock this morning Mary
Fennell. a maid in the Compton house
was awakened by a strange noise ana
says she saw mans form disappear out
of the corridor. She ran to awaken the
governess and not receiving any repiS
entered Miss Breymer's room. Inc gov
erness was found lying in bed, her race
black and finger prints on her throat
Life was extinct.
On cot In the room was little Pony
Compton. three years old, unharmeo'
The maid quickly pressed an electric
button. summoning the coachman' anu
when he arrived the Sheriff and police OF
this city were notified.
The servant who gave the alarm sala
she saw only one man. Il was aWah-
ened by the flash of light in my race
she said Looking up I saw a short
man in the room. 7 screamed and he
left. Then I rang the bell to arouse the
coachman
The other two servants in the mousse
were Miss Ida butcher, maid anu d
Japanese butler, Sotero Chah. Ihey oc-
cupied rooms on the second foor III 1iie
extreme east end of the building. MISS
Rrevmer's room and the porch annex III
which she and the child were asleep were
i'm the western end of the house.
SILVER CHEST FORCED,
The county and Poughkeepsie ofhclaiS
spent the day at the Compton place.
questioning all the maids and servants
and Schermerhorn. They found tla'
Miss Breymer's hands had been tieo' tii0
big chest containing the Compton sii-
yerware had been forced and seyerai ol
the rooms were in disorder, making II
aupear that the tragedy had been the
part of q burglary
Chief of Police Charles j. McCape
went to the coachmans mousse late liiio
afternoon to further question hlrh' anu
not receiving any answer to ms SUM
mons. went into the coachinahs peu-
room The room was dark, and on
throwing omen the blinds the CHIEFS at
tention was attracted by a sound under
the bed Investigation revealed Scher-
,,,erborn living under the bed with his
throat cut
us that you, chief?" said Schermer-
horn family.
Yes, this is /, Frank. You better come
out; 1 want you"
II am not guilty" said the coachman.
ST would rather die than go to jail
COACHMAN ARRESTED.
Schermerhorn was taken into custody
and his wound dressed by physician.
after which he was brought to the
county jail here. On the table in the
room the chief found a note, which read:
My dear wife: l am not guilty.
FRANK"
Schermerhorn was too weak to make
much of a statement. He did say, how
ever, that he stood watching under a
window of the Compton house while So
tiro Chafi, the Japanese butler, COM
mitted the deed This statement the
police discredit, and say there is no
doubt in their minds that SchermerhOrn
strangled the governess to death either
during or following assault
When Schermerhorn reached this city
after sixteen-mile ride on d stretcher
in a farmers sleigh, he was taken to
Vassar Hospital and put on the operat-
srrr
torney Mack standing near to get any
statement he might make. Schermer-
horn refused to say anything further
about the tragedy. Tonight, it was
stated at the hospital that he would live.
Chief McCabe is of the opinion that
Schermerhorn blackened his face to give
himself the guise of negro before COM
mitting the crime. The servants in the
house stated to the police that when
the coachman first appeared after being
summoned there were patches of black
OH his face and also black finger
prints on the wainscotng in the room
occupied by Miss Breymer.
An officer will guard Schermerhorn
night and day at the hospital, and
when able he will be arraigned on the
charge of murder in the first degree.
RESULT OF AUTOPSY.
Coroner Robert w. Andrews, of this
city, who is physician on completing
an autopsy on the murdered woman said
this afternoon that her death was due to
stranguation. The Coroner found evil
dence that she had been assaulted There
were black marks on her breast and else
where on her person, and similar black
marks made by a hand were found in
many places on the white paint of the
hall, the stairs and the nursery, through
which it was necessary for any one to
pass in order to reach the porch on which
the nurse and little girl slept.
That the officers investigating the
murder were not impressed with the
story of a burglar having entered the
house was shown by their sending out
no alarm. District Attorney Hack, with
Sheriff Townsend and Chief of Police
McCabe, concentrated their efforts
throughout the day on examining the
servants.
Miss Breymer had been employed by
the Comptons for three or four months
she having come from England into the
service or the family. She was well
known in Millbrook. and was universally
liked ine Compton baby was especially
fENasI .af