The Prescott daily news., 1913-09-22
PRIEST SAYS HE MEANT TO HELP AFFLICTED FROM THIS INTO
 A BETTER WORLD.
"BELIEVES IN EUTKANASIA"
Planned to Begin on Worshipers, Many of Whom Would Be Better Off in Next World Than
 This, Declares Schmidt.

New York, Sept. 22.-The Rev. Hans Schmidt says that he had lad plans for taking up murder on wholesale scale as side line to his work as a priest, and was prevented only by his arrest for the murder of the Aumueller girl.
 This confession was made while Schmidt was being questioned by de- tectives as to his motive in stealing book of death certificates from > physician and also in stealing and having photographically copied 2 death certificate made out in the case of Robert Smith, a retired merchant, who died April 30 This certificate was signed by Dr. James J. Slevin, who had attended Smith in his last illness.
 The consummate cunning of the priest was shown in his statement that he was particularly anxious to get certificate signed by Dr. Slevih because, in addition to being a physi- clan, the doctor conducted an under taking establishment and in his dual capacity signed many certificates. Schmidt said he had looked the situa- tion over carefully and had decided of persons he intended to murder the name of Dr. Slevin was the best one for him to use.
 "Beleves in Euthanasia."
 Schmidt told, with complete frank ness, of hls wholesale murder scheme, as a business man would tell of his plan to buy so many bushels of po- tatoes. In the telling there was not the slightest indication that the priest was insane until the detectives, and afterward his lawyer, questioned him as to his purpose in planning mur- ders.
 q had intended to kill only the lame persons suffering from incurable diseases and those so afflicted that there was no chance for peace of mind or body for them in this world" he said. Il intended to help them into a better world. l had planned to begin on my parishioners, many of whom I knew would be better off iR the next world than they were here.
 'I believe in euthanasia. 1 know there are many people in this world who want to die and cannot. This is one of the social problems. For a long time I have thought there are too many children in the world, and too little money. So l sold medicine under the name of Moliere to reduce the birth rate, and planned to manu- lecture money to relieve those all ready overburdened with children. To help into a better world the incura- bles and those who wanted to die but could not was a part of my general plan to benefit the world"
 Ready to Begin Slaughter.
 Schmidt was asked by the detec- tives if he had made a list of those he intended to murder. He said he had not; that he had in mind men, women and children, and that he soon would have begun this work of mur- der if he had not been arrested.
 But so far l have never put any body into the ground except Anna" he insisted.
 |. Schmidt further told the detectives it had not been his original intention to dismember the body of Anna Au- mueller and dispose of it as he did.
 q was getting ready to give her proper burial" he said, and had ob- tained the death certificate for that purpose, but I got scared over the chance of being found out, and de- cided to dispose of the body another way"
 The police did not learn from Schmidt how he stole the book or death certificates or how he obtained possession of the Smith death certiti- cate long enough to have it photo graphed-or if they did they failed to mako the information public. It is believed, however, that the Smith cer- tificate was stolen by the priest from an undertaker's shop. Mrs. Edward Gibson, daughter of Robert Smith, said:
 When my father died and we ob' tained the death certificates we need