Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1913-09-19
MOST HORRIBLE DEED
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST IN NEW
YORK coNFEssEs TO MUIR
DER OF YOUNG GIRL.
GIRL CUT TO PIECES; CAST N RIVER
Slain While Asieep-severed Head,
Arms and Legs With Saw and
knife-Had Performed Own
Marriage.

New York.-With the arrest Sunday
of the Rev. Hans Schmidt, assistant
rector of st. Joseph's Roman Catholic
church, charged with the murder Of
Anna Aumuller, domestic, the mys-
terry surrounding the finding Of parts
OF the dismembered body of a girl in
the Hudson river was solved. Schmidt,
according to the police reports, has
confessed and at the time of his arrest
attempted to commit suicide by cut
ting his throat with a safety razor
blade.
Il killed her because l loved her so
much" Schmidt is alleged to have told
his captors, but the police version of
the motive for the crime is that the
young woman was about to become q
mother. He had married her through
a ceremony of his own performing
without witnesses.
Killed While She Slept.
According to the police and the dis
trict attorneys office Schmidt's con-
fession was full and absolute. In it he
is quoted as saying that he killed his
companion with butcher knife and
cut up the body with the knife and
saw. The deed was committed, the
police say, while the woman slept,
shortly after midnight on September 2
in an apartment in Bradhurst avenue,
where the priest had placed her five
days before.
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 keen knife
and the saw he cut off the head, arms
and legs. Still fearful of detection he
then cut the body in two.
consigns Parts to River.
Five bundles, wrapped in bed clothes
and papers were made of the six parts.
Five times Schmidt left the apartment
house with bundle to cross the Hud-
son river to the Jersey shore Five
times he leaned over the stern of the
ferry boat in midstream and gently
gave the river his burden. Then he
returned to his church.
The stain Of the girls blood still dis
colored the bath.ub when detectives
searched the apartment Sunday.
Performed Own Wedding.
In the apartment, among other
things. the police found marriage H.
cense issued in New York last Febru-
airy and bearing the names Of the
priest and the murdered woman. This
license had been used. According to
Schmidt's confession he went through
a marriage ceremony with the girl. In
this ceremony Schmidt was both priest
and bridegroom. There were no wit
nesses.
A gaily colored pillow of unusual
pattern led to Schmidt's apprehension.
This pillow, stained with blood and
soiled with the filth of the river, was
wrapped around portion Of the torso.
The detectives traced the pillow to its
manufacturer, the manufacturer traced
it to the dealer, the dealer traced it to
Schmidt The police, tracing Schmidt
and the girl, knew all about both of
them hours before they arrested him.
In Clerical Garb When Arrested.
The priest was dressed in full cler.
ical garb when the detective entered
his rooms in the parish house of his
church in West One Hundred and
Twenty-fifth street The inspector had
produced photograph Of Miss Aumul-
Ter and asked Schmidt il he knew the
girl.
The priest. after a moment of hest
tation. inquired whether his visitors
were police officers. His actions indi-
Gated that he was expecting arrest. He
then asked permission to change his
clothes, and it was when he left the
room that Inspector Faurot declared
he attempted to cut his throat with q
small safety razor blade.
HARRY THAW STILL FlCHr0