The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-03
HE Goes CRAZY
Schmidt Becomes FrenZied
When Jury Returns Verdict
Finding Him Guilty of Murder
ing Anna AumuIler.

New York, Oct. 3.-Hans Schmidt
the priest who murdered Anna
Aumuller, became frenzied today al
| the coroners inquest into the death
| of his victim, rose from his seat, rip
! ped from his neck the rosary he hao
worn ever since his incarceration
! tore it into many bits and hurled
I them at the newspaper reporters sit
ting half a dozen steps away. The
jury found him responsible for the
girls death.
SchInidt's outburst occurred in the
presence of the jury of millionaires
empanelled to conduct the inquest
The verdict was quickly found. 1t
follows:
we the jury. believe Anna Aumul-
Ter came to her death on Septem Der
,. 1918. at No. IS Bradbury avenue,
at the hands of Hans Schmidt"
Schmidt was Immediately remand
ed to the Tombs without bail. Theo.
P, Shonts, president of the Inter
borough rapid transit company was
foreman of the jury. His fellow jul
rors included Vincent Aston, B. j.
GTeenhut, merchant; Mortimer Re
gensberg, cigar manufacturer and E.
5. MarStan, banker.
District Attorney Whitman express
ed the positive conviction today that
Hans Schmidt is sane and consequent
y will be placed on trial for the muir
der of Anna Aumuller whom Schmidt
slew as she slept, dismembered and
sank in the Hudson river on Sept. .
last.
Mr. Whitman's opinion, it is under
stood, is based on the finding reached
by the four alienists who have exam
med Schmidt in the Tombs at Mr.
Whitman's behest. Their formal report
will be made within a few days. Only
three portions of the body, the upper
and lower parts of the torso and one
leg, have been recovered from the river.
These We're viewed by the jury.
Verdict Reached Quickly.
During the examination of witness
not a trace of emotion crossed
Schmidt's face. but Coroner Feinberg's
charge seemed to lash the prisoner into
a sudden tempest of fury. Jumping to
his feet, his eyes blazing and his lips
moving. Schmidt tore the rosary from
his neck, with a single sweep of his
arms, and before the detectives could
stay him had snapped it into many
parts and hurled them at the newspa-
per men.
The torso of the victim was identi-
fled by Anna Hirt. who roomed with
the AumuIler girl at the parish house
OF st. BOniface's church. Inspector
Faurot. to whom Schmidt confessed
detailed in a hundred words the sub
stance of the confession.
DO You wish to place your client on
the stand?" Coroner Feinberg asked
counsel for Schmidt. The answer was
negative and the coroner, apparently
expecting Schmidt would testify, asked
if the priest had nothing to say.
Nothing whatever" replied the law
yer. The coroner's charge was brief.
He told the jury it could find Anna
Aumuller came TO her death al the
hands of an unknown person or that
she was killed by a person to be named
by the jury.
Hans Schmidt does not appear be-
fore you on trial for the murder" he
said You are simply to find a YER
diet as coroner's jury Within
twenty-five minutes from the time the
first witness had taken the stand the
jury had returned it's verdict
Counsel for Schmidt issued a state
ment this afternoon saying his clients
outbreak had been provoked by the
coroner who had mare "a holiday" of
the inquest and had appealed to pub
lie spirited citizens for funds to bury
Anna Aumuller. Schmidt resented this,
he said. and hurled his rosary and some
coins at the newspaper men because
he thought they We're laughing at the
coroner's unusual appeal.