The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-09-15
PRIEST ADMITS
KILLING WOMAN '
Says He Hacked Body With
a knife and Saw.
LIVED With HER IN FLAT

new YORK StCT9yHdH sS"S ''S" -
Wrapped Up Portions of Body and
Dropped Them in River From Ferry
boat.
New York. Sept 15.+The most
grewsome murder since the killing OF
Euldcrsuppe was revealed when Hans
Schmidt, Catholic priest, 80 years
old. confessed to the Staying and cut
ting up OF the body of Anna Aumutler
81 years old in fat at IS Broadhurst
avenue. where he was living with her.
The slain girl had been employed
1T the parish house OF St. Bonifaces
church, Forty-seventh street and Sec
ond avenue, where Schmidt became
acquainted with her some time ago.
She disappeared about two weeks ago.
She was about to become mother,
and when this was discovered, she
was ordered to leave Immediately.
She went at once to the priest, who
placed her in the fiat.
His confession clears the mystery
of the torso found in the North river
q week ago sewed in pillow case,
the identity of which has been q
puzzle ever since it's discovery.
Schmidt, who lives in the parish
house of St. Joseph's church, at 405
West One Hundred and Twenty-fifth
street. with other priests connected
with the church,-was arresed by In
spector Faurot and charged with the
murder
He broke down and in a wild frenzy
of fear made a complete confession
so horrifying in its details that the
inspector could only compare it to
the rawlings of a mailman. The young
priest told how he had fallen in love
with the pretty girl, who had been In
this country only three years; how he
had rented fiat and furnished 1t;
how he had previously married the
girl with ceremony self-performed,
and how finally he had entered the
fiat at midnight August 81, armed
with a new butcher knife.
Anna was asleep" he cried pacing
the floor and wringing his hands. Il
entered softly and she awoke and rec
ognized me. Anna, said. I love you
dearly. 1 am now going to prove it. :"
He then seized her by the hair and,
drawing the knife, cut her throat from
ear to ear.
He then dragged the bleeding body
to the little bathroom and taking q
new saw. which he had purchased
with the knife, he proceeded to dis
member the bodyS
First" he says in his confession. Il
cut of her arms, and having laid them
aside. cut off her legs close to the
trunk, and in all, made five bundles
of the body"
Having cut up the body. the slayer
was seized with the terrible fear OF
discovery. He ran about the apart
ment like mailman trying to think
how to get rid of the bloody witness
of his deed.
All night he considered then he de-
cided definitely on his action. He
wrapped the portions OF the body IN
sheets and pillow slips and deter.
mined to throw them into the Hud-
son.
ON the following evening he carried
the torso from the apartment, carefully
wrapped in pillow slip and waited un-;
til he drought the coast was clear be-
fore descending the three flights OF
stairs with the heavy bundle. Having
reached the street unseen he made his
way to an Eighth avenue car, boarded
1t, rode to One Hundred and Twenty
nth street, transferred to ascrosstown
car and proceeded to the Fort Lee
ferry.
Standing ON the rear end of the
boat he waited until it reached mid
stream, and then, leaning over
quietly dropped the bundle into the
river. Five distinct times he made
the trip from the Broadhurst avenue
nat across the Hudson, each time
bearing portion of Miss Aumuller's
body, and each time dropping it into
the water. Having cleared the apart
ment of the most damming evidences
of his crime, he was still confronted
with the blood-stained mattress on
which he had killed his victim.
For some time he was puzzled as to
how to dispose of this bulky witness
against him.. Finally he carried it in
the dark vacant lot at One Hundred
and Forty-fourth street, between Sew.
enth and Eighth avenues, and there
set 1t on fire. A portion of this mat
tress is now in the possession of the
police.
st. Boniface's Catholic church ad
mitted that Schmidt is an ordained
priest and was assistant there three
years ago. He says himself he has
been stationed also in Louisville, KY.
and In Trenton, N. j., in 1910.