The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-09-17
PRIEST KILLED WOMAN.
HANS SCHMIDT CONFESSES
CRIME TO POLICE,
After Being Arrested and Failing In
Attempt to Commit Suicide Accus-
Cd Man Describes Deed and Dis.
pOsal Of Body.

A>eW 1Ork, sept. 14.-Wlth the ar
rest early today Of the Rev. Hans
schmidt, assistant rector Of St.
Joseph's Roman Catholic church,
charged with the murder Of Anna
Aumuller, domestic, the mystery
surrounding the finding of parts of the
dismembered body of a girl in the
Hudson river was solved. Schmidt,
according to the police reports, con-
fessed, and at the time of his arrest
attempted to commit suicide by cut
ting his throat with safety razor
blade.
i killed her because I 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 be-
come mother. He had married her
through ceremony Of his own per-
formed without witnesses
According to the police and the
district attorneys Office, Schmidt's
confession was full and absolute. In
it he is quoted as saying that he
killed his companion with a butchers
knife and cut up the body with the
knife and saw. The deed was COM
mitted. the police say, shortly after
midnight on September 2, in an apart
ment in Bradhurst avenue where the
priest had placed her five days be-
fore.
When her heart had ceased beat
ing, according to the alleged confes-
sion, Schmidt carried the body from
the bed to the bathroom and placing
1t 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 fear
full of detection he then cut the body
in two.
Five bundles, wrapped in bed
clothes and papers were made of the
six parts. Five times Schmidt left
the apartment house with a bundle
to cross the Hudson river to the Jer.
sey 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 stains of the girls blood
still discOlored the bath tub when de-
tectives searched the apartment to-
day. Schmidt told the police he had
taken the mattress on which she lay
when dealt the death blow under
cover of darkness to vacant lot
nearby and burned it.
In the apartment, among other
things, the police found a marriage
license issued in New York last Feb
ruary and bearing the names Of the
priest and the murdered woman. Ac-
cording to Schmidt's confession, he
went through q marriage ceremony
with the girl. In this ceremony
Schmidt was both priest and bride
groom; there were no witnesses.
A gaily cOlored pillow clip Of un-
usual pattern led to Schmidt's appre-
hesion. This pillow, stained with
blood and soiled with the filth of the
river, was wrapped around a portion
Of the torso. The detectives traced
the pillow to it's manufacturer; the
manufacturer traced it to the dealer;
the dealer 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 bu-
reau. The priest was dressed in full
clerical garb when the detective en-
tered his rooms in the parish house
of his church in west One Hundred
and Twenty-fifth street. The inspec-
tor produced a photograph of Miss
Aumuller and asked Schmidt If he
knew the girl.
The priest, after a moment Of hesi-
tatiOn, inquired whether his visitors
were police officers.
His actions indicated that ne was
expecting arrest. He then asked per-
mission to changge his clothes and it
was when he left the room, Inspector
FaurOt declared, that he attempted to
cut his throat with safety razor
blade.
Early today, according to parishOn-
ers of the church, Schmidt said to the
Rev. Father Huntmann, rector Of ST.
Joseph's church, that he would hear
no more confessions and when asked
for his reason said: II have some
thing Of importance to tell YOU"
With his superior, Schmidt then re-
tired to the study where the latter
told all that had transpired in the
Bradhurst avenue fiat, where, accord