The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-09-18
PRIEST CONFESSES
HE MURDERED GIRL
AND CUT UP BODY

- E8SEA&a
N CUT UP BODY
New York, Sept. 16.-In he hope oi
branding as an imposter and pseudo
priest h Rev. Hans Schmidt, the al
leged self confessed slayer OF Anna
Aumuller, victim OF New York's river
murder mystery, church authorities
began today a sweeping investigation
Of Schmidt's record and his preten-
sfons to ordination.
w hope, of course, to be able to
prove that this ~unspeakable monster
was an imposter and that he had been
using forged papers," declared Mon
slgnor Lavelle, vicar general of the
archdiocese Of New York.
Ihat is something which we are
trying to clear up now. He came to
this diocese with credentials which
were apparently in every way authen-
TIC and genuine, but we know prac-
tlcally nothing of him. His crime is
too horrible to conceive. We can only
hope that he may prove to have been
a pseudo priest"
Sleeps Well in Cell.
In his cell III the Tombs, with his
coat as a pillow, Schmidt slept sound
~ through the night and arose this
morning to partalSe of a hearty break
fast. He had little to d to his al
legged confession of last night, as he is
said to have told the police that he
killed his victim as she lay in bed,
cut up her body in the bathtub of
the apartment where he had estab-
l1shed her, wrapped 1t in five bundles
n dropped the bundles in the Hud-
son river. To the Rev. L. J. Evers,
the Tombs chaplain, Schmidt was said
to have mad the following declara-
ton:
u-aS IirantaI - Ir;1J lz- -. GA
elizabeth, who is my patron, as q sac
rlfce, to be contaminated as was the
sacrifice of Abraham, in blood"
10 the police Schmidt is alleged to
have said:
i killed her because / loved ner.'
ING police believe, however, that he
Killed her because she was soon to be
a mother. They believe hat the girl
accepted as genuine the marriage
ceremony through. which she went
with her alleged slayer last February
IN which he was both priest and BRIDE
groom.
According to the police and the dis
tr1ct attorneys office, Schmidt's con
fession was full and complete. In il
he is quoted as saying that he killed
his companion with a butchers knife,
n cut UP the body with the knife and
saw. The deed was committed. the
police say. while the woman slept
- oIISi illiolllSIlI OH september x
IN an apartment in Bradhurst avenue
where the priest had placed her five
days before.
Cuts Up Dead Body.
When her heart had ceased beating,
according to the alleged confession
Schmidt carried the body from the bed
to the bathroom, and, placing it in the
tub, began Immediately his cory task
OF cutting it up. With the knife and
the "A hn ont .off f11 l.-1 z.-- .-z
legs. Still fearful of detection he Their
cut the body in two. Five bundles
wrapped in bedclothes and papers
We're made of the six parts. Five times
Schmidt left the apartment house with
a bundle to cross the Hudson river tc
the Jersey shore. Five times he leaned
over the stern of the ferry boat in mid.
stream and gently gave the river his
burden. Then he returned to his
church.
The stain of the girls blood still dis.
colored the bathtub when the detective.
searched the Bradhurst avenue apart
ment. Schmidt told the police he hat
aiken the mattress on which she la,
when he dealth the death blow unde.
V of darkness to a vacant lot near
by and burned it.
Performed Own Wedding Rites.
In the apartment. among othe.
things. the police found a marriage Ii
csnse issued in New York last Februar,
n bearing the names of the prizes
and the murdered m This licens,
had been used. According to Schmidt;
confession he Went through a marriag,
ceremony with the girl. In this cere
mony Schmidt was both priest ant
BRIDEGROOM: there We're no witnesses
a gayly colored pillow of unusua
pattern led to Schrnidt's apprehension
This pillow, stained with blood an(
G0IlnI with tho i1Sl, of tl.o xso- -
wrapped around a portion of the torso
The detective traced the pillow to its
manufacturer; the manufactures
traced it to tbs dealer: the deale1
traced it to Schmidt. And the police
tracing Schmidt and the girl, knew
all about both Of them hours before
they arrested him.
Schmidt was arrested by Inspector
Faurot. in charge of the detective bur.
eau. The priest was dressed in full
clerical garb whe. the detectives en-.
tered his rooms in the parish house O.
his church in WeHt One Hundred ant
TWenty-tifth stree<. The inspector haf
produced a photograph of Miss Aunul.
Ter ard asked Schmidt if he knew the
girl.
Tries to Slash Own Throat.
The priest, after q moment OF hesita.
ton, inquired whether his visitors were
police officers. Els actions indicated
mat ne was expressing arrest. He ther
asked permission 10 change his clothes
and it was when ne left the room tina
Inspector Faurot declared he atte1apteC
to cut his throaE with a small safety
razor blade.
Early Sunday, according to parish.
toner's of the church. Schmidt said tc
the Rev. Fathci Huntmann, rector Of
st. Josepf's chunch. that he would hea,
no more confessions, and when asked
for his reasons said: Il nave sometime
of Importance to tell you" With his
superior. Schmidt hen retired to tho
study. where the latter told all thai
had t~ranspired in the Bradhurst ave
nue. flat, where his alleged confession
to the police saws he murdered the girl
Father Huntmann conferred with his
other associates. and it was agreed that
the authorities should be notified. The
police. however. We're then on Schmidt's
trail and his arrest followed shortly
Schmidt was taken to the Tombs. Ac-
cording to the police. he made a full
confession. after which he was taker
before Coroner Weinberg. who commit