Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-15

| score Of widows have been fecced OF
| church | could e5t let her go away
from me. SO | opened the door of the
| fiat | awakened her. | told her l had
come to fulfill my threat. Then !
drew the knife across her throat.
4 cut the body into six pieces. l
made trips to the Fort Lee ferry,
each time with a part of her precious
body in a bundle. When the ferry
boat reached the middle of the stream.
| would throw piece into the water
and when the boat reached the other
side of the river, would return AMI
go back to the fiat.
After | had disposed of the body. l
wanted to destroy all evidences of the
crime. | took the mattress on which
had slain her and carried it TO I
vacant lot at 144th street and It'll
avenue and there | burned it.
Il am guilty: that is all | can say.
I must pay the penalty. There IS
nothing else for me to do; but /
loved Anna Aumuller
she wanted me to marry her and
II procured marriage license. She
/ II usSAGh iifft diii a III A1At eiAp u
aained to perform the marriage. so.
when she insisted upon ceremony.
married myself 10 her There was
no need Of any other priest doing il.
1t was just as absolute as If l had
called in another person with author
ity to perform marriage ceremony.
She was my wife"
Schmidt. after being assigned to cell
in the Tombs, removed his coat and
using it as pillow, lay down and went
to sleep.
The priest. according to the story of his
life, was born in Aschaffenburg, German
y. in 1881. He attended the public
schools in that city until L years OF age
and then went to college in Manz, Ger
many. At the age of 49, Schmidt enrolled
in st. Augustine's Seminary in Matnz
and. Dec. %. 1905 was ordained by Bishop
Kestein, connected with that institution.
He was assigned to st. Elzabeth's church
in Darmstadt. Germany, where he re-
manned for six months and was next sent
to village church at Burgel, Germany.
He spent year there, and came to
America, because Of poor health. After
remaining in New York City. short
time, he was assigned TO a church at
Louisville. KY, in 1903. he went to Tren-
ton, \. J.. and in December, 1910 he be-
came assistant TO Father Braun, rector
of st. Boniface church, where he met
| the Aumuller girl.
In November, 1872 Schmidt left St
| Boniface to become assistant rector of
| st Josephs church, the assignment he
| held at the time of his arrest, today.
| Little is known of the history of Anna
| Amuler before she took employment in
| the st. Boniface parish house the week
before Christmas. 1910. According to a
statement issued. tonight, by Father
Braun she left his parish house, IN the
summer of 1911. returning, Thanksgiving
day, 1872, and left the second time. Aug.
80 last At this time, she said she was
| about to be married and go to Ohio to
live. Father Braun said that he and his
sister, who is his housekeeper, had be-
come attached to the girl, because she
| was very pleasant and a faithful worker
"All l know about her." he said lis
that she came to this country from Ger
many about q years ago. ! understood
| she was an orphan and l have a din
recollection that she may possibly have
come to US through an advertisement that
l placed in a newspaper for a girl While
= she had no credentials, | employed
her"
Despite her statement to another mait
| employed in the rectory that she wa.
leaving to be married, Father Braun
said tonight, that he was forced to dis
charge her two weeks ago. because hel
mode of living was unsatisfactory
The girl, as nearly as could be learned
was q years old.
The many clues presented ly anna
teur detectives and by the parents ant
friends Of missing girls as to the pos
sihle identity of the murdered youni
woman. after the recovery of parts o
her body, the week before last. dit
not lead the men under Inspecto
Faurot astray and clever piece Of de
. tcctive work finally led TO the clearing
up OF the mystery. Inspector Fauro
|; had assigned Detectives James G
o'Neill, Frank cassasa and Richar
Mckenna to locate the scene of III
rnurder. They made a house To hous
search in the vicinity of the little sec
ond-hand furniture store of Georg
, Sachs. 276S Eighth avenue. where wa
4, purchased the pillow slip in whic
parts Of the body were wrapped. In TIL
; same locality the tar paper found wit
5 parts Of the torso. was purchased,
Y WIS learned.