The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-05-10
THIS READS LIKE FICTION
TO SHIELD A WOMAN DOCTOR
GOES TO PENITENTIARY.
And to Save the Doctor From Serv-
ing life Sentence Woman Brands
Her Name With Disgrace.

ing IA1e sentence woman Brands
Her Name With Disgrace.
CHICAGO.-The old saying that
truth is stranger than fiction never
found a more dramatic confirmation
than in the voluntary confession of
Mrs. James Schmidt of St. Louis,
who has branded her own name with
disgrace in order to save a man in
this city, whose sentence to life i'm
prisonment for the murder of his
wife has recently been confirmed by
the supreme court of Illinois.
DR.. Radiance Clemenson was a
practicing physician in this city up to
the close of May, 1909, when he was
arrested for the murder of his wife,
who had been found dead in her
home from the effects of chloroform.
DR.. Clemenson and his wife were not
living happily together, and the po-
lice saw in this probable motive
for the crime. On the witness stand
the doctor sought to fix the respon-
sibility for the crime upon burglars,
who, he claimed, had entered his
home; but the prosecution broke
down this line of defense, and DR..
Clemenson was convicted. An ap-
peal was taken in his case, and re-
Gently the supreme court handed
down decision sustaining the trial
court and confirming the sentence of
life imprisonment imposed.
To Shield a Woman.
Had DR.. Clemenson elected to tell
the truth concerning the night when
his wife was murdered he would new
err have been convicted. But there
was woman in the case-Mrs.
Schmidt-and to shield her name he
chose to go to the penitentiary for
life. Mrs. Schmidt is the wife of
St. Louis liquor dealer, and a few
months before the murder of Mrs.
ClemensOn she quarreled with her
husband and came to this city to
live. She made the acquaintance of
Dr. Clemenson, and on the night
when the latter's wife was killed Mrs.
Schmidt was in the doctors office
from early in the evening of that
day until after O'Clock the follow
ing morning.
After the discovery of the crime
Mrs. Schmidt offered to go on the
stand and testify as to the doctors
whereabouts at the exact time that
Mrs. Clemenson was killed. But Dr.
Clemenson would not permit her. He
wished to shield her name, begged
of her to keep quiet on the matter.
Her Confession.
Mrs Schmidt finally left the city,
and going to ST. Louis became recon
ciled with her husband. And then
last week, after the decision of the
supreme court had been given, she
confessed the whole story to her hus-
band and told him of her intention
to come here and testify in behalf of
Dr. Clemenson. Her husband en-
cOuraged her in this, and supplied
her with funds to each the city and
make her confession
Upon the strength of this confess
sion, which is corroborated in sever
al particulars, a petition for a re-
hearing will be filed with the SUI
preme court, and it is believed by
DR.. Clemenson's lawyers that a new
trial will be ordered.
In speaking of her confession and
the motives prompting it Mrs.
Schmidt, who is young woman of
81, says: 1--WE did wrong, and we
have been punished for it. / call
God to witness how hard it is to say
the words that might take me from
the love of my parents and the re-
spect of my husband. But when a
man would face death or a life in
the penitentiary because of his chiv-
airy to a woman I felt that l could
be as brave as he and make the only
sacrifice in my power and surrender
the good name that / had always
heretofore borne, so made the con-
fessiOn.