The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-09-18
PRIEST CONFESSES MURDER
MYSTERY YELLING BODY FOUND
IN HUDSON CLEARED.
Priest Says He Killed Her Because He
Loved Her So-WaS Married to
Her Secretly.

New Olh, OSpI. IL w I'LL lliC
arrest early to-day of the Rev. Hans
Schmidt, assistant rector of St. Jo-
seph's Roman Catholic Church, charg
ed with the murder of Anna Aumul-
ler, a domestic, the story surround
ing the finding of parts of the dis
membered body of a girl in the Hud-
son River was solved. Schmidt, &C
cording to police reports, confess
ed, and at the time of his arrest at
tempted to commit suicide by cutting
his throat with a safety razor blade.
II killed her because loved her so
much" Schmidt is alleged to have
told his captors, but the police YER
sion of the motive for the crime is
athat the young woman was about to
become a mother. He had married
her through ceremony of his own,
performing without witnesses.
According to the police and the
district attorneys office, Schmidt's
confession was full and absolute. In
it he is quoted as saying that he
killed his companion with butcher
knife and cut up the body with the
knife and a saw. The deed was COM
mitted, the police say, shortly after
midnight on September 2, in an
apartment on Bradhurst avenue,
where the priest had placed her five
days before.
Body Cut to Pieces.
When her heart had ceased beat
ing, according to the alleged confes-
sion, Schmidt carried the body from
the bed to the bath room, and
placing it in the tub began imme-
diately his CORY task of cutting it up.
With the keen knife and the saw he
cut off the head, arms and legs. Still
afraid of detection he then cut the
body in two.
Five bundles, wrapped in bed
clothes and papers, were made OF the
six parts. Five times Schmidt left
the apartment house with bundle
to cross the Hudson River to the
JERSEY shore. Five times he leaned
over the stern of the ferryboat in
midstream and gently gave the river
his burden. Then he returned to
his church.
The stains of the girls blood dis
colored the bath tub when detectives
searched the apartment to-day.
Schmidt told the police he had taken
the mattress on which she lay when
he dealt the death blow under cover
of darkness to a vacant lot nearby
and burned it.
In the apartment, among other
things, the police found marriage
license issued in New York last Feb
ruary and bearing the names of the
priest and the murdered woman. Ac-
cording to Schmidt's confession he
went through a marriage ceremony
with the girl In this ceremony
Schmidt was both priest and BRIDE
groom; there were no witnesses.
Pillow Slip the Clue.
A gayly colored pillow slip of un-
usual pattern led to Schmidt's appre-
hension. This pillow, stained with
blood and soiled with the filth of the
river, was wrapped around portion
of the torso. The detectives carried
the pillow slip to it's manufacturers.
The manufacturer traced it to the
dealer, it to Schmidt. And the po-
lice, 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 bureau. The
priest was dressed in full clerical
garb when the detective entered his
rooms in the parish house of his
church, in West 125th street. The
inspector produced a photograph of
Miss Aumuller and asked Schmidt if
he knew the girl.
The priest after moment of hesi-
tation inquired whether his visitors
were police officers. His actions in
dicated that he was expecting arrest.
He then asked permission to change
his clothes and it was when he left
the room Inspector Faurot declared
that he attempted to cut his throat
with a safety razor blade.
Early to-day, 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 reason said:
Confessed His Deed.
II have something OF importance
to tell you" With his superior,
Schmidt then retired to the study,