The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-09-15
VICTIM A SERVANT
Of FELLOW PASTOR
Cut Woman's Throat While
She Slept---Tells Police
Gruesome Tales Of
His Crime

NEW YORK, Sept 14.-Hans
Schmidt. an assistant priest of st.
Joseph's Catholic church at 4O5 West
One Hundred and twenty fifth street.
was arrested early this morning, and
confessed that he had murdered and
then Remembered the body of A girl,
parts Of whose body have been found
in the North river during the past few
days.
The murdered girl. whose name
was Anna Aumuller, was a servant In
the pastoral residence of the Rev
Father Braun. pastor of St. Boniface's
church on the southeast corner of
Forty seventh street and Second ave-
nue., whore Schmidt. from December,
$50, until May. 1912, was a curate.
Schmidts only explanations of the
cause of the murder today was that
hc loved Anna"
Catholic church authorities OF the
New York diocese, headed by Nom
signors Mooney and Lavelie who are
vlCars-Feneral OF the diocese, f.eld d
conference tsday after receiving re-
ports of an interview with Schmidt
in tho Tomhs by The Rev. Father
Eyers, tn learn whether or not
schmidt really is a priest of tho
Catholic church. Schmidt made state
mcnts to Father Evers about being
ordained a priest by st. Elizabeth
of Hungary, who told me to XIII
Anna rs sacrifice of blood and
made many more wild statements that
tnclines to the belief that he liz in
sare. There are reasons to believe.
according to the church authc rites,
that schmidt is an imposter. For
some years, however, he has performs
ed the duties Of a curate at two
churches in New York. at Trenton.
and n st. Louis, and. according to
his own story. he was a priest in Ger
many before coming to America from
Bavaria in 1907.
KfI1csT While She Slept.
Schrudt, according to Assistant Dis
trjct Attorney Deacon Murphy, and
Police Inspector Faurot, confessed
that he entered a four room fiat on
tho third Moor Of the apartment house
at Sc Bradhurst avenue, two doors
north Of West One Hundred and
Twenty fifth street. at midnight on
Septeml er I'd. and cut her throat
while she slept.
He tasted the blood then. he says.
When he WAS sure the girl was dead.
he dragged her body to the bathroom
of the apartment and there iismem-
bered IT, Then he wrapped the parts
of the body up In either FIVE or six
pieces. he doesn't remember which,
and when daylight came he took the
PACKAGE aboard Fort Lee ferry boats
during several trips and dropped the
packages overheard.
These trips. SO he told the police
in his confession. took mp the better
part % the day following the murder.
ana the next. Toward dusk of the
second day, while try ing TO wash away
all signs of his crime from the fiat,
he came across a part of the mattress
which was so soaked with blood that
he could not obllterate the stains.
Whereupon. Schmidt told the police
and other today he took the stained
cloth of the mattress at nightfall to
vacant lot in one Hundred and
Forty fourth street, between Seventh
and Eighth SVenues.
Stones as Clues.
In a gospel tent on the lot, =
religious revival was going on when
Schmidt came there with bundle
under his arm. All about the lot are
stones like those which Schmidt used
to weight the five or six parcels con-
tanning the head. upper torso, lower
torso, legs and arms of the girl he
had murdered. He told the police
during an early morning visit to tha
lot today that he had got the stones
for weighing the body at this place
Some boys were playing about thu
lot near the tent Schmidt asked them
to help him gather firewood. The
boys. glad to have a bonfire. started
to help him And they stood around
while he burned the bloody bed
clothes.
Steps taken by Inspector Faurot and
his detectives, resulted In the arrest
of Schmidt when the inspector. on
Saturday afternoon, just before dusk.
decided that inasmuch as Francis ID.
Day, who had Identified" the few