Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-09-16
PRIEST CONFESSES
KILLING WOMAN HE
HAD SECRETLY WE'D

| Ills LuIOdl VIII Small SAFETY razor
blade. ..y
Early yesterday, according to par
ishioners of the church, Schmidt said
to the Rev. Father Huntmann, rect
or of st. Joseph's church that he
would hear no more confessions and
when asked for his reason said:
II have something of Importance
to tell you"
With his superior, Schmidt then
retired to the study where the latter
told all that had transpired in the
Bradhurst avenue fiat where his al
legged confession to the police says
he murdered the girl. Father Hunt
mann conferred with his other as
sistants and it was agreed that the
authorities should be notified. The
police, however, were even then on
Schmidt's trail, and his arrest fol-
lowed shortly. r..
Schmidt was taken to the Tombs.
According to the police, he made a
full confession after which he was
taken before Coroner Weinberg, who
committed him to the Tombs until
the inquest is held. The confession,
which the police say Schmidt sign
ed, follows:
! II met Anna Aumuller two years
ago at the parish house of St. Boni-
face church. She was employed as a
servant there. l was attracted by
her beauty. 1 became infatuated
with her. l loved her.
II killed her because I loved her
SO much. She was so beautiful, so
good, SO kind, 1 could not let her
live without me.
81 had made up my mind that she
and could not live together. l was
a priest and must remain with my
church. could not let her go away
from me. So I opened the door Of
the fat 1 awakened her. I told
her had come to fulfill my threat.
Then / drew the knife across her
throat.
81 cut the body into six pieces. I
made trips to the Fort Lee ferry,
each time with a part of her prec-
ious body in bundle. When the
ferry boat reached the middle of the
stream / would throw a piece into
the water, and when the boat reach
ed the other side of the river +
would return and go back to the fat
"After I had disposed of the body
I wanted to destroy all evidence of
the crime. l took the mattress on
which had slain her and carried it
to vacant lot and there I burned
it.
II am guilty; that is all can say.
1 must pay the penalty. There is
nothing else for me to do. But I
loved Anna Aumuller.
"She wanted me to marry her and
I procured a marriage license She
trusted me.
81 am a priest and ordained to-
perform the marriage ceremony, So
when she insisted upon a ceremony
l married myself to her. There was
no need Of any other priest doing it.
1t was just as absolute as if I had
called in another person with au-
thority to perform a marriage cere-
mony. She was my wife,"
Schmidt, after being assigned to al
cell in the Tombs, went to sleep.
Little is known of the history of
Anna Aumuller before she took en-
ployment in the st. Boniface parish
house the week before Christmas,
1910. According to a statement isl
sued last night by Father Braun,
she left his parish house in the sum-
mer of 1911, returning on Thanks
giving day, 1912, and left the second
time Aug. 80, last. At this time she
said she was about to be married
and go to Ohio to live Father
Braun said that he and his sister,
who is his housekeeper, had become
attached to the girl because she was
very pleasant and faithful worker.
Despite her statement to another
maid employed in the rectory that
she was leaving to be married, Faith
er Braun said last night that he was
forced to discharge her two weeks
ago because her mode Of living was
The girl as nearly as could be
learned was 81 years old.