The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-15
CHURCH TAKES 1T UP.
Hopes to Prove That Alleged Murder,
er Is an ImpoSter.

New York, Sept. 15.-In the hope
of branding as an imposter pseudo
priest, the Rev. Hans Schmidt, the
alleged self confessed slayer of Anna
Aumuller, victim of New York's river
murder mystery, church authorities
began today a sweeping investfga ton
of Schmidt's record and his preten-
sions to ordination.
I'VE hope, of course, to be able to
prove that this unspeakable monster
was an imposteHyands that he had been
using forged 1paBefss declared Mon
signor Lavelle, vicar general of the
archdiocese of New York.
That is something which We are
trying to clear UP now.A He came to
this diocese with credentials which
were apparently in every way anthem
tic and genuine. but we know practi-
cally nothing of him. His crime is
too horrible to conceive. We can only
hope that he may prove to have been
a pseudo priest
In his cell in the Tombs, with his
coat as a pillow, Schmidt slept sound
ly through the night and arose this
morning to partake of hearty
breakfast. He had little to add to his
alleged confession of last night in
which he is said to have told the po-
lice that he killed his victim as she
lay in bed, cut up her body in the
bath tub of the apartment where he
had established her, wrapped it in five
bundles and dropped the bundles in
the Hudson river. To the Rev. L. j.
Evers, the Tombs chaplain, Schmidt
was said to have made the following
declaration:
II was directed to Kill her by St.
Elizabeth, who is my patron, as a
sacrifice, to be contaminated as was
the sacrifice of Abraham, in blood"
To the police Schmidt is alleged to
have said: Il killed her because T
loved her"
The police believe however that he
81, % !.
They believed the girl accepted as
genuine the marriage ceremony
through which she went with her al
legged slayer last February and in
which he was both priest and BRIDE
groom.
Suspected of Another Murder.
With a view to clearing the mystery
surrounding the murder of eight-year
old Alma Kellner, whose mutilated
body was found in quicklime in the
basement of St. Johns Catholic church
in Louisville two years and half ago,
the police sought today to obtain
from Schmidt some statement of what
he might know of this crime.
From August 1909, till March, 1910.
Schmidt was a visitor in Louisville,
not officially connected with any church
there, but a guest in the nome of the
Rev. Henry B. Westermann, rector of
the Church of the Immaculate Concep-
ton. Alma Kellner disappeared Dec.
8, 1909; her body was found nine months
after. Joseph Vending, janitor at st.
Johns church is now serving a life
term in prison at Frankfort for the
crime. Vending stoutly denied his
guilt and the jury did not consider the
evidence sufficient to lodge against him
a verdict of first degree murder.
OF Schmidt's antecedents little is
known here save his own claim that he
was born in Germany in 1881, was cdu-
Gated there. ordained by Bishop kes-
tein in ST. Augustine's seminary in
Mainz, and came to New York in 1906.
In 1909 he went to Trenton IND in De-
cember, 1910. he was appointed assist
ant rector of ST. Boniface church in this
city. There he met the AuHiuller girl
who, he said, had come to this coun-
try from Germany a few months be-
fore.
Posed as a Surgeon.
II was attracted by her beauty"
reads Schmidts alleged confession. II
became infatuated with her. 1 loved
her. 1 killed her. She was so beauti-
full; so good. 1 could not let her live
without me. / had made up my mind
that she and should not live together.
I was a priest and must remain with
my church. I could not let her go
away from me. SO 1 opened the door
of the fat. 1 awakened her. I :nld
her I had come to fulfill my threat.
Then I drew the knife across heI
throat
The skill with which the young wo-