The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-09-18
PRIEST CONFESSES
HE MURDERED GIRL
AND CUT UP BODY

New York, sept. 16.--In n hope Of
branding as an imposter and pseudo
priest the Rev. Hans Schmidt, the al.
legged self confessed slayer of Anna
Aumuller, victim Of New York's river
murder mystery, church authorities
began today q sweeping Investigation
OF Schmidt's record and his preten-
sions to ordination.
I'VE hope, of course, to be able tc
prove hat this ~unspeakable monster
was an imposter and that he had beer
using forged papers," declared Mon
signor Lavelle, vicar general of the
archdiocese of New York.
That Is something which we are
trying to clear up now. He came tc
this diocese with credentials which
We're apparently in every way anthem
tic N genuine, but we know prac-
tically nothing of him. His crime is
too horrible to conceive. We car only
hope that he may prove to have been
q pseudo priest"
Sleeps Well in Cell.
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 a hearty break
fast. He had little to add to his al
legged confession of last night, as he is
said to have told the police that he
killed his victim as she lay in bed
~N~ ~ ASA boAg IA Al DdLLluD vi
the apartment where he had estab-
lished her, wrapped 1t in five bundles
n dropped the bundles In the Hud-
son. river. To the Rev. L. j. Evers
the Tombs chaplain, Schmidt was said
TO have made the following declara-
ton: "
II was directed TO kill her by st
iIllZabeth, who Is my patron, as a sac
rifice, to be contaminated as was the
sacrifice OF Abraham, in blood"
To the police Schmidt is alleged to
have said:
II killed her because 1 loved her.
The police believe, however, that he
killed her because she was soon to be
a mother. They believe that the girl
accepted as genuine the ' marriage
ceremony through which she went
with her alleged slayer last February
in which he was both priest and bride
groom.
According to the police and the dis.
trict attorneys office, Schmidt's con
fession was full and complete. In il
he is quoted as saying that he killed
his companion with a butchers knife
and u UP the body with the knife and
saw. The deed was committed, the
police say. while the woman slept
shortly after midnight on September 2
In an apartment in Bradhurst avenue
where the priest had placed her five
days before.
Cuts Up Dead Body.
When her heart had ceased beating
according to the alleged confession
Schmidt carried the body from the bed
to the bathroom. and, placing il in the
tub, began Immediately his CORY task
or cutting 1t up. With the knife and
the saw he cut off the head, arms and
legs. Still fearful of detection he Their
cut the body in two. Five bundles
wrapped in bedclothes and papers
were made of the six parts. Five times
Schmidt left the apartment house with
a bundle to cross the Hudson river &c
the Jersey shore. Five times he leaned
over the stern of the ferry boat in mid
stream and gently gave the river his
burden. Then he returned to his
church.
The stain Of the girls blood still dis
colored the bathtub when the detectives
searched the Bradhurst avenue apart
ment. Schmidt told the police he had
taken the mattress on which she lay
when he dealth the death blow under
of darkness to a vacant lot near
by and burned it.
Performed Own Wedding Rites.
In the apartment. among other
things. the police found a marriage H.
issued in New York last February
n bearing the names Of the priest
n the murdered m This license
a been used. According to Schmidt's
confession he yer through a marriage
ceremony with the girl. In this cere-
monY Schmidt was both priest and
bridegroom: there were no witnesses.
A gayly colored pillow Of unusual
pattern led to SChmidt's apprehension.
This pillow, stained with blood and
soiled with the filth of the river. was
wrapped around a portion Of the torso.
The detective traced the pillow to it's
manufacturer; the manufactures
traced it to the dealer: the dealer
traced it to Schmidt. And the police,
tracing Schmidt and the girl, knew
all about both of them hours before
they arrested him.
Schmidt was arrested by Inspector
Faurot, in charge of the detective bur
eau. The priest was dressed In full
clerical garb when the detectives en-
tered his rooms in the parish house of
his church In West One Hundred and
T~wenty-tifth street. The inspector had
produced a photograph of Miss Aumul-
Ter and asked Schmidt if he knew the
girl.
Tries to Slash Own Throat.
The priest. after a of hesita-
ton. inquired whether his visitors were
police officers. His actions indicated
h a he was expecting arrest. He then
asked permission to change his clothes,
and 1t was when he left the room that
Inspector Faurot declared he attempted
to cut his throat with a small safety
razor blade.
Early Sunday. according to parish
toner's of the church. Schmidt said to
the Rev. Father Huntmann, rector of
st. JOseph's church. that he would hear
no more confessions. and when asked
for his reasons, said: Il have something
of Importance to tell you" With hts
superior. Schmidt then retired to the
study. where the latter told all that
had TRANSFERRED in the Bradhurst ave-
nue. fiat, where his alleged confession
to the police saws he murdered the girl.
Father Huntmann conferred with his
other associates. and it was agreed that
the authorities should be notified. The
police. however. were then on Schmidt's
trail and his arrest followed shortly.
Schmidt was taken to the Tombs. Ac-
Cording to the police. he made q full
confession. after which he was taken
before Coroner Weinberg. who commit
term in prison for the crime. Wend-
ling stoutly denied his guilt and the
jury did not consider the evidence suf-
flcient to lodge against him a verdict
OF first degree murder.
Posed AS Physician.
The skill with which the young
woman's body had been dismembered
caused the police to believe at first
that the work had been done by a
surgeon. In the fiat occupied for five
days by Schmidt and the girl, detec-