The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-09-24
A MASTER CRIMINAL
TERRIBLE RECORD 0F FATHER
HANS SCHMIDT
PRIEST LED dual LIFE

PRIEST LED DUAL LIFE
Served at the Altar as Saint in a
Catholic Church and Acted as a
Devil When Not Officiating at Ser
vices or Hearing Confessions of
People.
When the New York police ran
down and arrested Father Hans
Schmidt, a Catholic priest connected
with one Of the churches of that city,
they seem to have caught master
criminal, whose deeds of crime may
have extended across the ocean to his
homeland. In addition to the mur-
der of the young woman, Anna Au-
muller, which he confessed, the police
have connected Father Schmidt with
several other crimes and arrested at
least one Of his pals.
He is known as Dr.. Ernest A.
Muret, dentist in the day time and
a counterfeiter at night. He was ar
rested after detectives, ransacking
Schmidt's apartments. had uncovered
evidence to show Schmidt was a coun-
terfeiter. This evidence led them to
a fat rented by man under the
name Of George Miller, in which
were found all essentials to the coun-
terfeiter's craft. The janitress of the
building, confronting Muret, greeted
him as Miller and Muret, unaware of
his, impending apprehension, recog-
nized her as the woman from whom
he had rented the fat under his
psuedonym.
Schmidt and Muret, the janitress
said, and Muret admitted, had spent
long hours together in the fat. They
told the renting agent they were
medical students and wanted the fat
as a place for experiments. The kit
chen was fitted up as dark room;
camera, a printing press, photograph
ic supplies and other equipment
handy to counterfeiters was found
there. After detectives had arrested
Muret they took into custody as
material witness Bertha Zech, the
maid employed at bis dental Office.
She protested-she knew nothing Of
the crime of which her employer was
suspected.
Bertha Zech, who was released On
bond, returned to the st. Nicholas
avenue apartment occupied by the
dentist. There she discussed her de-
tention overnight and told of her en-
ployment by the doctor last December
through an advertisement. She had
come to New York, only few weeks
before that time. she explained. She
also denied that she knew anything
about the affairs of Muret and
Schmidt, but threw some light on the
occurrences in the dentists office.
Schmidt visited there frequently, she
said, as cid many women, who re-
mained until late at night.
In ransacking Schmidt's rooms de-
tectives found evidence that Schmidt
had stolen s400 from the Easter. col
lection at st. Joseph's church and
that he had robbed visiting priest
who spent the night at the local
clergy. An empty purse found in
Schmidt's rooms proved to be the
one which the visiting priest had lost
not long ago. Schmidt still insisted
Friday that neither Ernest A. Muret.
his dentist friend. nor Anna Aumul-
Ter, the girl he murdered. knew any
thing about his counterfeiting opera
tions.
The little town Of AschaFenburg
Germany the birthplace of Schmidt
is all aAutter. at the news Of the
young priests act. according to spe-
cial cable nesSae ees received from
there. Sr',rni6t's parents, a siste-
and three brothers live in neighbor-
ing villcres ard are highly respect.
ed midd:e-ciass people. The authori-
ties Of Aschaffenburg are inclined to
believe that Schmidt NAV have beer
responsible for the l.. er of tel.
ephone girl named "a, whose body
was found near his pa.ents' home &
short time before he left there
No man of Schmidt''s varied pur-
suits could be insane, the New York
detectives say. and they look upon
him as a criminal master mind-e
man trained in many things which he
turned to account IN his operations
Schmidt's explanation OF everythins
of the murder Of Anna Aumuller
and of the counterfeiting- that he
did it at the command of God. These
declarations. the detectives saw. arc
part Of a plan to feign insanity
That Schmidt did pose as DR.. Mol
iere, a physician. as he is said to
have admitted. was indicated by thf
finding among his effects of medicines
and drugs.