Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-09-16
ANOTHER ARREST REPORTED.
Continued from Page One.)

developments would prove fully as
sensational as Schmidts arrest.
Inspector Faurot, as he left head
quarters with Detectives O'Neill and
O'Connor, said they We're going to
Upper Manhattan where they had UNI
der arrest in his own home, a promi-
nent physician.
Inspector Faurot spent the better
part of early tonight, with a corps of
men in translating a number of letters
and documents found in Schmidt's
trunk. One document was copy of
the affidavit lodged in the Munich
court against Schmidt. nearly four
years ago, charging him with forgery
and attempted fraud. He was aeauit-
ted OF this charge. however, following
testimony that Schmidt was not re-
sponsible. An important witness has
been discovered, Inspector Faurot said,
tonight, is contractor, WHO saw
Schmidt carry the mattress to tho
vacant lot where ii was burned. \
search of the lot resulted in the finding
of a piece of bone, about three inches
long. and blood stained, thought to be
from the head of human being
New York, Sept. 15-In the hope of
branding as an impostor and pseudo
priest, Hans Schmidt, assistant rec
tor of st. Joseph's Roman Catholic
church, the alleged self-confessed
slayer of Anna Aumuller, victim OF
New York's river murder mystery
'church authorities began. today.
sweeping investigation of Schmidts
record.
I'VE hope, of course. to be able to
prove that this unspeaka BILE monster
was an impostor and that he had been
using forged papers," declared Mon
signor Lavelle, vicar general of the
archdiocese of New York HE came
to this diocese with credentials which
were apparently authentic. but we
know practically nothing of him."
In his cell in the Tombs, with his
coat as a pillow, Schmidt slept sound
iy through the night and arose, this
morning, to partake of a hearty break
fast. He had little to add to his al
legged confession of last night, in which
he is said to have told the police that
he killed his victim as she lay in bed,
cut up her body in the bathtub of the
apartment where had established her.
wrapped it in five bundles and dropped
the bundles in the Hudson river. To
Father Evers, the Tombs chaplain.
Schmidt was said to have made the
following declaration:
Il 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"
With a view to clearing the mys-
terry surrounding the murder of Swear
old Alma Kellner, whose mutiliated
basement of st. Johns Catholic church
in Louisville, Ky, two and one half
years 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 of the Rev.
Henry b. Westermann, rector of the
church of the Immaculate Conception.
Alma Kelner disappeared, on Dec 3.
1909. her body was found nine months
after. Joseph Vending, janitor at st.
Johns church, is now serving life
term in prison for the crime. Wend-
ling stoutly denied his guilt.
OF Schmidts antecedents little is known
here save his own claim that he was
born in Germany in 1881. was educated
there, ordained by Bishop Kestsin in st.
Augustine's Seminary in Mainz. and
came to New York in 1906 In 1909 he
went to Trenton, n. J., and in December,
, 1909, was appointed assistant rector of st.
Boniface church in this city. There he
met the Aumuller girl who, he said. had
come to this country from Germany a
few months ago.
II was attracted by her beauty" reads
Schmidt's alleged confession. II became
infatuated with her. I loved her. l killed
! her. She was so beautiful, so good l
could not let her live without me. ! had
made up my mind that she and l should
not live together I was a priest and
must remain with my church. could
not let her go away from me. So I open
ed the door of the fiat / awakened her.
/ told her | had come to fulfil my threat.
Then l drew the knife across her throat.
The skill with which the young wo-
mans body had been dismembered led
the police To believe that the work had
been done by a surgeon.
In the fiat occupied for five days by
Schmidt and the girl detectives found
500 printed cards which indicated that
Schmidt had masqueraded as surgeon.