Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-17
SCHMIDT ROBBED
COLLECTION BOX OF
HIS OWN Church
Confessed Slayer of Girl Stole
S4OO from the Easter COllec-
tiOn, Police Find.
ALSO TOOK POCKETBOOK
OF A VISITING PRIEST
Inspector Faurot, Uncovering
Additional Crimes, Calls Him
Master Crook"


-
NEW YORK, Sept. 1.-Two more
crimes took their place today on the
police record of Hans Schmidt the
priest who already has confessed
that he was a murderer and a coun-
terfeiter. In ransacking Schmidt's
rooms detectives found evidence that
Schmidt had stolen S400 from the
Easter collection at st. Joseph's
Church and that he had robbed a
visiting priest who spent the night
at st. Josephs rectory as a guest of
the local clergy.
An empty purse found in Schmidt's
looms today proved to be one which
the visiting priest had lost not long
ago. Schmidt still insisted today
that neither Ernest A. Muret, his
dentist friend, nor Anna Aumuller,
the girl he murdered, knew anything
about his counterfeiting operations.
In reply to written question sent to
his cell he wrote:
Anna knew nothing of my plans
to solve the social question by Great
ing money for all the poor people
here and abroad"
Dentist in Tombs.
Schmidt maintains that he made
bogus money from philanthropic mo-
tives only. The case against Muret
made little progress today so far as
was known outside the police depart
ment. The dentist was brought from
q cell in the Harlem Police Court
and lodged in the Tombs prison. The
detectives continue to receive in
formation casting light upon his past
lifs
The police have not abandoned hope
of finding the head of the Aumuller
girl Today they investigated
gruesome tale about a solitary fisher
man who hooked something heavy
last night in the North river. Just
as the supposed catch was nearing
the surface it dropped off the hook,
leaving a long human hair said to
resemble in color the hair of Anna
Aumuller.
Inspector Joseph Faurot. head of
the New York detective department,
one of the greatest experts in the
world on criminal naturalization and
characteristics. and the man who
solved the mystery surrounding the
murder of Anna Aumufler today ana
lived the personality of Hans
Schmidt. the confessed slayer, and
detailed the advantages which the
false priest enjoyed.
sI believe that Schmidt is an ab-
normal criminal" said the inspector
as he sat at his desk in an office lit
tered with exhibits gathered from
Schmidt's two apartments II think
that from the beginning he has been
inspired by a criminal and degener-
ate mind and that his tendencies
have been criminal since his youth.
He is a degenerate. l cannot say
whether or not he is crazy.
Expect Insanity Plea.
''It would not be in keeping with his
past actions if he did not now pretend
that he is mentally unsound. There
is no doubt that his Is brilliant
mind l believe that he was develop
ing into one of the master crooks of
the world, and had it not been for one
little slip he would now be busily pre-
pairing for long life of crime. Even
the most intelligent of men would not
have thought betrayal would come
through pillow slip.
Had Schmidt beer allowed to
remain free l believe he would
have gathered band of GRIM
inals who would have worked
under his direction. He already
had begun, l think The man
Is the most dangerous kind of Grim
inal-for he can think ahead. There
are few in the criminal world who
can look into the future and really
plan accordingly There are few who
would have used such simple meth
DDS in disposing of a woman-and by
the very simplicity almost elude de-
lection.
Schmidt had an ideal training for
a successful crook and he occupied
the one position above all others
which would serve to remove him
from suspicion. AS a counterfeiter or
leader of criminals he would have
been the last man to be suspected
darn f.rs ind Ie.r- M
would have thought of him
CAS- student he learned many
things of chemicals and art which
would have aided him in becoming a
master criminal. His course in the
ology gave him plausible speech and
winning manner. His authority as
priest gave him a bearing which
would have been wonderfully helpful
to him in further crime.
His Ability As n Crook.
"The mans exceptional criminal
ability was proved by the easy man
ner in which he deceived the church
authorities in the United States. He
came to this country prepared to take
them in. and not even the finger of
suspicion was pointed at him. Some
of his fellow priests thought him
queer it seems, but many OF our most
brilliant men have been thought queer.
"It seems to me that he was pre-
pairing to abandon halfway Grimm
ality and become an active factor in
the big crimes of the world. His coun-
terfeiting plant his new associates,
his recent activities in going out at
night, all point that way, and it has
been my experience that when such
men really begin to consider serious
ly their future criminal life they soon
become one of the most dangerous
factors with which the detectives and
police have to deal
81 think that many persons were
won by his quiet and reserved de-
meanor. That. in itself, bespeaks his
ability as a criminal"
The inspector has not abandoned the
belief that Schmidt and Ernest Arthur
Muret the fake dentist are blood /
relations.
when first saw Muret.'' the in