New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-17
PRIESTS VISIONS"
TOLD BY SISTER
Often Said St. Elizabeth
Appeared to Him,
She TestiheS.
AS BOY LIKED TO
SEE BLOOD SHED
Evidence of Insanity Put on Rec
ord When Defence in Muir
der Trial Opens.

der lTldI Opens.
The prosecution in the case OF Hans
Schmidt. on trial for the murder Of Anna
Aumuller before Judge Foster in Part
V of the Court Of General Sessions, rest
ed Yesterday forenoon. W. NJ. X. Olcott,
counsel for Schmidt. addressed the jury.
saving that the defence would try TO
show that Schmidt is and has always
been medically and legally insane The
priest half rose in his chair to protest
but a court attendant pushed him back
I'm his seat. checking Schmidts outburst.
The first two witnesses called by the
defence-Heinrch Schmidt. father of the
accused. and his sister, Mrs Elizabeth
Schalder, who came from Germany to
aid him-proved to be better witnesses
for the defence than the prosecution an
ticipated. Both told how the accused
even as a child was obsessed by the de-
fusion that he was a specially ordained
priest of st. Elizabeth. They backed up
Mr.. Olcott's declaration that Schmidt be-
lieved himself TO be son Of St John
the Baptist and at the same time son
Of the Holy Ghost. They also offered
testimony supporting Mr.. Olcott's state
ment that Schmidt at an early age de-
veloped blood lust
Tells Of Brothers vision"
Schmidt told his sister. she testified.
that st. Elizabeth appeared to him and
gave him a sign. In the vision, Schmidt
said, ST. Elizabeth elevated her hands
after the manner of a priest when he
elevates the Host, except that the middle
finger instead OF the index finger OF
each hand formed a circle with the
thumb. Each index finger was pointed
upward.
Alphonse G. Koelble. of counsel for the
defence, told a reporter for The Tribune
last night that in support Of the sisters
testimony two or three New York priests
attached TO ST. Bonifaces and st. Jo-
seph's churches would testify that
Schmidt used his middle fingers instead
of his index fingers and thumbs In ele-
waiting the Host. This act. which is
violation Of the rubrics, brought forth
reprimands from Schmidts superiors'
Mr.. Koelble said.
A weird character was painted or
Schmidt as child by his father and Sis
ter Instead of playing with toys, they
said Schmidt made vestments Ike those
worn by priests and built in his room an
altar and played at saying mass. This
was when he was only eight years old.
At the age of ten. they testified, he be
gan to develop blood lust, yet all the
while devoutly religious. They said on
many occasions he cut off the heads OF
chickens, geese and other birds and
dipped his hands in their blood. The
heads Of the birds, the father testified,
Schmidt would place in his pockets.
Sister Also Saw Things.
Several near relatives Of the priest, the
two testified. had committed suicide, and
Mrs Schalder herself declared she too
had visions and told in detail Of one. This
was eighteen years ago. after her sister
and her sisters child had died. She said
that a cold hand stroked her face, and,
looking UP. she saw her dead sister. hold
ing her dead child in her arms. The WIS.,
ion spoke to her, saying:
do not weep. You should be happy
Your child is dead. too and she is now
an angel in heaven"
The sister, woman of about forty, was
striking contrast to her father, who was
a plain dressed, bearded German, looking
like a successful grocer. The sister had a
strongly masculine face, accentuated by
mannish clothes, and n felt hat, black,
like her clothes, and resembling a mans
Alpine. The cold lines OF her face were
heightened by two thick black cords that
,elI from her spectacles across her left
bheek.
The father testified that when ne asked
lis son why he cut off the heads OF chick
ems and geese and his mothers pet birds.
the boy replied:
81 10 II ecause I like 10 see blood"
The father said he punished his son
several times for going TO the slaughter
house near their home. where the boy
would spend hours watching animals be-
ing slain. And almost in the same breath
he told Of his sons fondness for visiting
the monastery Of the Trapplsts.
when Hans was about twelve years
old" said Mrs Schadler, "he received his
first Holy Communion / asked him how
he liked receiving il. He answered: IT
Was. the incest day OF my life. The day
before ] received ! heard the voice Of
God in the church. saying. you shall be
a priest And the next time he went
to church ne also told me ne heard It"
Saw Blood on Shrine.
Speaking OF visit TO holy shrine at
Walldueran made by her brother about
this time. the sister said:
ION his return from the shrine, where
people go to be cured, Hans said: I saw
The holy blood in the shrine, and ] shall
ne glad when I'm a priest, for then I'll
see the blood on the altar
When thirteen years old Hans became
H. His sister nursed him. During his
convalescence. the sister said. her brother
pointed TO a mark on his left side, and
said:
From my side flows blood and water.
That Is why / was christened Johannes"
Again ne was sick, about ten years
later. after his ordination as priest. Then.
the sister testified, her brother said 20
her: II was ordained a priest by St.
Elizabeth before the Bishop ordained
me-"
she said that her brother preferred her
% other members Of his family because
her name was Elizabeth, and that even
as a child he would give his clothes and
food 10 the poor. emulating the example
Of Elizabeth OF Hungary
Speaking 81 last Thursday, when
Schmidt met his father and sister Tor the