Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-01-03
FAILS 10 GET BACK
ENGAGEMENT RING
Miss Schumann UnsucceSsfully
Tries to Get Back Ring
Landsberg Gave Her.
NOT PERMITTED ON STAND

A statute which provides that any
one having made transaction with a
deceased person, cannot testify in
court as to that transaction, was sue
cessfully relied upon by attorneys for
the Sigmund Landsberg estate, when
Miss Martha Schumann, france and
former pupil OF the well known
Omaha composer and music teacher
who took his own life on November
II, attempted to collect $l40 for an en-
gagement ring given her by the musi-
clan, but which she declared she
loaned him to tide him over temp
orary financial embarrassment.
The case came up before Judge
Crawford in county court upon agree
ment between attorneys for the
Landsberg estate and Miss Schu-
mann.
When Miss Schumann p years old,
talented musician and daughter of
a Grand lslanC preacher, took the
witness stand to testify as to her en-
gagemcnt to the late -SarBe com
poser, she had hardly uttered single
Il" before attorneys for the Lands
berg estate fired a battery Of OBJ
jcctions at the court. Judge Crawford
sustained them and decided that the
hance OF the late music teacher could
not testify Is to any transactions
made with Jim before his death,
Tells of Engagement.
Prof William Chambers, a dancing
teacher and close personal friend OF
Landsberg, told OF conversation
with the compos in which the lat
ter's engagement o Miss Schumann
was discussed. Prof Chambers tcsti-
fed that Landsberg said he and Miss
Schumann were to have been married
after the holidays.
T. L. Combs, a jcwclcr told the
court that Landsberg purchased the
ring few months before his death
for $l48, but paid only $50 on it, re-
turning the stone on the Monday be-
fore he took his own life Mr.. Combs
said that the diamond was worth 500
but that it was sold to the composer
for special price of $l4S.
After the hearing counsel tor Miss
Schumann said that his client would
probably accept $50, the amount paid
on the ring, from the Landsberg
estate.
Miss Schumann, who went into dcer
mourning after her sweetheart sent d
bullet crashing into his own brain as
the result OF rumoreL financial trou-
bles, appeared in court wearing chic
hat, a stylish gown and colored-top
ped shoes. The engagement ring, the
cause OF the legal controversy, was in
troduced as evidence by the jeweler
who brought it into court.
She asked $40 from the estate
alleging that a few days before the
Ak-Sar- Ben composer committed sui
eide she loaned him her engagement
ring, which he had given her, to Dor
row money on to tide him over tenn.
porary financial embarrassment. The
claim against the estate filed in pro
bate court sets forth that the ring
was loaned to Landsbcrg on Novem-
Der a. just a week before he was
found dead in his studio in the Lyric
building, a revolver clutched in one
hand and bullet wound in his head
In her petition Miss Schumann al
legged that after Landsberg' S death anc
burial she was informed that previous
to the time of his suicide he had re-
turned the ring to 7. L. Combs &
Co., jewelers., TO whom, according tt
his former hance's assertions. he was
indebted 70 the amount of 500 fol
the purchase of the ring.