The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-09-15
DISMEMBERED BODY OF
GIRL TAKEN FROM RIVER
Police Believe Crime Was Committed
Because Victim Was Soon to Become
Misunderstanding to Learn What He
Knows About Death of Alma keliner.
(Bp Associated Press.)


Schmidt, assistant rector of st. Joseph |
Roman Catholic Church, alleged self
confessed slayer of Anna Aumuller,
whose mutilated body was taken from
the Hudson river several days ago,
had little to add to his confession to
the police last night.
~ was directed to kill her by St.
Elizabeth, my patron, as sacrifice"
the priest is alleged to have told the
police. Il killed her because l loved her
and could not let her live without me.
was priest and must remain with
my church."
The police believe he killed her be-
cause she was soon to become a
mother.
The police endeavored today to OBJ
tain some statement from Schmidt as
to what he knows regarding the death
of Alma Kellner, whose mutilated body
was found in quick lime in the base
ment of a church at Louisville, KY,
during Schmidt's visit to that city.
With the arrest early Sunday Of the
Rev Hans Schmidt, assistant rector OF
ST. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church,
charged with the murder of Anna
Aumuller, domestic, the mystery sur
rounding the finding of parts of the dis
membered body of a girl in the Hud-
son river was solved Schmidt, accord
ing TO police reports, confessed, and
at the time of his arrest, attempted to
commit suicide by cutting his throat
with safety razor blade.
According to the police and the dis
trict attorneys office, Schmidt's confes-
sion 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 a knife and a
saw The deed was committed, the
police say, while the woman slept
shortly after midnight Sept. 2, in an
apartment in Bradhurst avenue, where
the priest had placed her FIVE days be-
fore.
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.
Five bundles, wrapped in bedclothes
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
ferryboat in midstream and gently
gave the river his burden. Then he
returned to his church.
The stains of the girls blood still
discolored the bathtub when detectives
searched the apartment Sunday.
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 marriage ceremony
with the girl. In this ceremony
Schmidt was both priest and bride
3 groom; there was no Witnesses.
Pillow Gives C,ew. liz s.sa
A gayly colored pillow Of unusual
pattern led to Schmidt's apprehension
This pillow, stained with blood and soil
ed with filth of the river. was wrapped
around portion of the torso. The de
tectives traced the pillow to its manu-
facturer; the manufacturer traced i
to the dealer; the dealer traced Y Y
Schmidt And the p.