New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-01
COTTON BROKER
ENDS HIS LIFE ON
WOMAN'S GRAVE
Macmillan Schmitz a Sui
eide in Cemetery
at Hastings.
CARNATIONS FOUND
BESIDE DEAD MAN
Mrs. Simmonds Was Grand
daughter of Gen. Pickett. of
the Confederate Army.

Maximillian Schmitz, member Of the
New York Cotton Exchange. sought the
grave of Mrs. Lucy A. Simmonds in
Mount Hope Cemetery at Hastings-on-
Hudson yesterday, and there sent a
bullet through his heart.
When attendants attracted by the
shot ran to the spot they found a
bunch of white carnations laid on the
grave. PROSTATE across the mound
lay Schmitz, while near his right hand
was found an automatic pistol with
only one cartridge discharged. The
bullet had taken instant effect.
A note found in the dead mans
pocket read:
Il am Macmillan Schmitz, Swiss
citizen, born at Havre, France, July q,
1887. Notify William S. Moore. sc
Beaver Street. New York City. Tele-
phone call, 62i0 Broad"
At Hastings Hudson last night
Moore, who hurried there to take
charge of the body, told Coroner James
Dunn, of Westchester County, that he
could give no reason for the suicide.
He said that so far as he knew there
had been no romantic attachment be-
tween Mrs. Simmonds and Schmitz. His
only suggestion was that the dead man
had become mentally unbalanced be
cause of news he received a few day.
ago telling of the deaths of three dear
friends, fighting in the armies Of
France.
Mrs. Lucy A. Simmonds died on Jan
uary 13, Of this year at the Polytechnic
Hospital. She was about twenty-eight
years Of age at the time of her death.
and had been noted for her beauty.
She was a granddaughter Of General
Pickett. who led the Confederate charge
AT Gettysburg. and daughter Of 1heo-
dore Clarke Csskin, of Charleston, ).
c. When she died she was buried in
the Caskin family plot in the Mount
Hope Cemetery, near the monument
erected to the memory of Confederate
veterans OF New York by Charles
Broadway Rouss.
Graf Watson Simmonds, husband OF
the dead woman. who lives at the
Royalton apartments, in West Fort--
fourth Street, was said to be out or
town last night. At SIC West l31th
Street, where his father, Herman Sim
monGs, who is associated with his son
In the insurance business, lives, II
was stated with emphasis that none OF
the family had ever heard of SchmitZ:
81 do not know where my son is,
said the elder Mr.. Simmonds. Il have
not seen him for several days. lie
told me he was going out of town. l
am sure that he did not know thls
man. who must have been crazy. Ny
son and his wife loved each other
dearly; they were a most devoted cou
ple. and there was no estrangement al
the time of her death In fact, he waa
so badly broken up that, although she
died almost a year ago, he has not
recovered from the shock. None OF Us
knows Maximilian Schmltz.
Elmer f. Haskell. superintendent OF
the Mount Hope cemetery. received
telephone call from Manhattan last
night. the person at the other Cd OF
the wire being a man, who declared he
was Mr.. G.. ". Simmonds. lie asked
if il were .true that a man named
Naximilian Schmitz had killed hlmseh
across the grave of the speakers wile,
and when told that he had. smut up
Schmitz. it as learned, went to
Hastings -on-Hudson Wednesday even
ing. He spent the night at Doner
Hotel. at Napera Park, Just OUTSIDE OF
Hastings. and before retiring wrote
several letters which he posted yes
terday morning. ~.
noon no entered the cemetery, carrying
q bnnch of carnations, and inquired at
tho superintendent's Office where the
Caslin Mot was located. The Con-
federate monument was pointed out 10
him and he was told that the spot ne
sought was near its base. AZ zen
noinntes 10 tyso he fired shot through
his breast -.
Schmitz was over six feet in height
anc of distinguished appearance. MS
attire was of fashionable make, ahd IN
a checkbook found in an inside coat
nocket were stubs showing that he drew
iorye sums on the Farmers Loan ana
Trns+ Company of New York. lie was
eaid to he in the cotton brokerage busl-
ness with an Office in Beaver Street.
William 5. Moore is about the same
AGE az the dead man and Is employed
as a clerk in the Office OF Robert moore
q Co. cotton brokers. at 90 Beaver
street Members Of the nrm declared
they did not know where the young
man lived, and at Hastings,on- hudsoh
Moore refused TO give his address NoI
would he comment on an entry III
small memorandum book iound IN
Scbmitz's coat. which read:
"Mrs. Lucy A. Simmonds' dled Jan
uary -. 1918. Age p. PoIycllnIes . hoS, :,
n;tal New York. room 656. sixth hoor
Ia Schmitz's clothes were found sew
oral letters written in French and Ger,
man. the envelopes in which thew had
benn addressed having been destroyed.
Moore told Coroner Dunn, however
,bat his friends brother. Pierre
Scbmitz. was a cotton planter living
With his mother at Norfolk, Va. and
that he had notified them Of Maxi
milian's death. They are expected e, 20
Teach New York this evening and VIII
GO al once to Hastings Hudson.