The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-12-30
SCHUMACHER Went
TOLExINGTON TOKILL
HIM, EDDINs IS TOLD
Wife Of Dead Man Told EddIns That
Her Husband Went to Lexington
Some Time Ago Determined
to Take His Life II
They Met.

Henry Eddins, confessed slayer OF
Ben Schumacher, night watchman at
the Cotton Mills, who is now in the
local Jail, not only was told by Mrs.
Schumacher that Schumacher had
threatened to take his life but he was
told by the woman that her husband
made a trip to Lexington some time
ago to hunt down Eddins and kill him,
according to statement given by Ed
dIns at the county Jail this morning.
This second statement given out by
the slayer was delivered to Rev. J. e..
Reed and In part Is as follows:
II Henry L. Eddins. do confess to
the. crime Of killing Ben Schumacher
lat Maysvilie, KY, December 9,
1919, but do here state that did the
crime in self-defense. had to either
kill him or let him kill me although
IL am sorry that was forced to kill
him.
II came here from Lexington to try
| to make peace with him and he would
MT make peace with me. then shot
him to save my life as l wasn't pre-
pared to die and had two little moth
erless children depending on me for
support but do ask forgiveness from
all that may read this and especially
Bens friends and people and his FAM
lily for am sorry that was forced to
kill him. Ben had threatened to kill
me several times to others and said
that he was aiming to hunt me up and
kill me. He came to Lexington, KY.
once to kill me for he told his wife
that he had come prepared to kill me
liz he could find me but he failed tc
find me and went back home.
1.-THE first time he threatened to xiii
|me was while was boarding at his
house at Maysville. He was beating
one of his little boys with piece oi
Iplank unreasonable over the child's
lungs and asked Ben not to hit The
child so hard over his lungs for wai
|afraid that he would kill the child
When 1 spoke to him he turned the
Ichild lose and turned TO me and sait
l'You ----- ------- will kill you anf
he struck at me. threw up my righ
hand and knocked the lick OF ant
then he caught me and showed me ovel
and tried to choke me but didn't tr!
| to fight him but begged him to let m'
alone for didn't want to kill hin
and / was In his house and the room
where two of his sick children wa
and his nervous wife and didn't fee
like 1t was proper place to fight
From that time on he said that h
would follow me up and kill me an
that he wished that he had killed m
when he started to. He did come Z
4 Lexington to kill me for ne told hi
wife that he had come prepared to XII
me but he failed to find me. ] becom
uneasy for / was expecting to met
! him at any time and for him to XII
me on the first sight. The more
studied over 1t the more uneasy b
came for 1 would think Of him comm
] aid me not knowing 1t and my life b
J came a misery to me.
II decided to go to him in friend
manner and try. to make peace viii
: him II possible but ! was afraid
!. meet with him without being arme
: SO armed myself and went to May
Vile"
81 Eddins then devotes nine pages to d
: lscribing his killing Of Schumacher .
: he has done in a previous confessio
: and with his statement there is muc
e scripture quoted and plea that b
: be forgiven by all Of Schumacher
: friends and relatives.