The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-08-20
insane MOTHER
COMMITS MURDER
EAST ST. CLOUD WOMAN BEATS
4-YEAR-OLD CHILD TO
DEATH.
NO One WITNESSED TRAGEDY
CASE ONE OF THE SADDEST IN
THE HISTORY OF THIS
SECTION.

With presumption of cardinal guilt
against her and with her little four
year-old daughter being prepared for
burial, Mrs. Joseph SCHNEIDER is lying
in an unconscious state in the county
jail where she has been insensible to
the happenings about her since early
last evening, says Tuesday evenings
St. Cloud Times. Friends and relatives
have visited her cell and officers have
been about the section but no sign
of consciousness has been displayed
by the woman. The case is one of the
most pitiful in the history of Stearns
and Benton county criminology.
Mrs. SCHNEIDER was arrested last
evening when her husband returned
from Browns Valley where he had
been engaged with a threshing crew.
He reached the city about 5 o'clock
and called the house by telephone.
Receiving no response he decided his
wife and daughter were out visiting
and did not go home until early in the
evening. They reside on the East Side.
When he opened the door of his
home evidences of violence greeted
his startled gaze. Pieces of broken
china, overturned furniture and scat
tered clothing were strewn over the
floor in a chaotic fashion. Calling out
for his wife there was no response.
He hurried toward the home of the
nearest neighbor and as he passed the
barn heard a succession of noises
that attracted his attention. He at
tempted to enter the barn and dis
covered the door was hooked from
within. His wife came to the door,
and, after much persuasion, admitted
him.
The woman was wildly excited and
apparently completely irrational. All
attempts to quiet her were futile. So
excited became her condition that her
husband was unable to hinder her
from doing further violence to her
self and her clothing that already had
been converted to tatters. DR.. Adkins,
a near neighbor, was called upon, and
together the two men prevented the
raving woman from harming herself
until the officers arrived.
Shortly after o'clock she was TAX
en- to the county Jail. No sooner had
she been placed in an office chair than
she lapsed into dazed state. She
was carried to bed and after moan
ing softly lapsed into Inconsistencies
from which she has not recovered.
The family physician was summoned
and prescribed for the woman.
The grief-stricken husband says
that Mrs. SCHNEIDER suffered like
illness six weeks ago. After vio-
lent manifestation, during which she
lost complete control of herself, the
woman lapsed into state of uncon-
sciousness and so remained for two
days.
The husband of the unfortunate wo-
man, who is about 35 years of age, is
grief stricken. He blames himself
greatly for having left the city, know
ing that his wife had suffered sim
liar illness. The protracted illness of
his wife and the expenses attended
prevailed upon him to seek work in
the western harvest fields.
The little girl, who was the idol of
her parents hearts since she was
adopted two years ago, was discov-
cred in an upper chamber. A wound
upon her forehead and scars over the
body indicated that she had been
trampled upon by a person wearing
shoes.
The body was still and cold when
found last evening and she had appar-
emily been dead since early morning
if not for longer period. The body
had been covered and left upon a bed
with a chair standing close by.
Coroner Friesleben and DR.. Nc
Dowell, of Sank Rapids, at the in
quest held this morning in the st.
Cloud Undertaking parlors came to
the conclusion that the little girl came
to her death because of fractured
atlas caused by the insane mother.
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