The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-04-01
Jury In Ben Schumacher Murder Case
Has Been Out Since 1;10 O'clock
and Indications Are That
II Is Now Hung.

At 4 O'Clock this afternoon the jury
in the Ben Schumacher murder case
was still in its room, having reached
no verdict. The jury has been out
since 1:10 o'clock this afternoon and
indications are that the jury is hung
on some proposition, probably on the
form of punishment. If they find the
defendant guilty they may either fix
his punishment at death or life i'm
prisonment. 1t is expected that the
jury will reach some conclusion before
night.
The last argument was finished at
five minutes of IL o'clock and Judge
Newell allowed the jurors to get their
dinner before submitting the case to
them. Upon their return at o'clock,
the case was submitted to them for
decision and they left for the jury
room at 1:10 o'clock with the sheriff
Four addresses we're made to the
jury. Attorney A. D. Cole spoke first
lOI llG uGlcuoC anu was lOllONCu
by County Attorney Rees. Attorney
O'Donnell spoke second for the de-
fense and District Prosecutor Grannis
closed the argument. All lawyers made
wonderful addresses. The defendant
claimed self-defense while the prose-
cution plead willful and premeditated
murder and asked for the death penal
ty to be inflicted.
In the trial of the case no evidence
was offered by the defense and evil
dence bringing out the facts about as
stated above was offered by the Com
monwealth. The evidence in the case
was stopped Wednesday evening with
the testimony of Detective AL. Kiffmey-
er. After short conference with the
defendant, his lawyers, Attorneys Cole,
Collins and O'Donnell. elected not to
put the defendant ON the stand.
While awaiting the verdict of the
Jury Eddins sat by himself just inside
the bar in the court house. Much of
the time his head rested in his left
hand and his eyes were closed as If
he were in prayer The prisoner was
not much affected during all of the
trial except this morning when during
Attorney Coles address. he referred
to the prisoners two little girls,
which moved him to tears. Mrs. Schu-
maker, widow of the slain night
watchman, sat about three seats back
of the rail during the day and often
cried during the addresses of the law
yers.
On the morning of December 9Th
the citizens of Maysville we're shocked
to hear of the finding on the fourth
floor of Maysville Cotton Mills of the
body of Benjamin Schumacher, night
watchman at that plant. Schumacher
was lying in puddle of his own blood
with a large hole torn in his head
caused by shot gun discharge and
another in his chest.
| Coroner Higgins and Chief of Police
| Harry A. Ort made thorough iavesti-
CATION but were making little head
way when Chief Ort fell upon splen-
did clew and calling in detectives he
followed out his clew which led him to
Lexington.
Learning that Henry Eddins and the
murdered mans wife had been very
fast friends and that there was con-
siderable jealousy of Eddins, Chief
ort had Mrs. Schumacher write letter
to Eddins at Lexington, the Chief die
tating the letter. A copy of the letter
was mailed by special delivery mail to
Detective AL Kiffmeyer, who was in
Lexington, and he was asked to "shad-
ow" the general delivery window at
the Lexington postoffice and take Ed
dins in custody when he called for it.
While the Coroner was holding his in
quest in Maysville, Eddins called for
the letter and was arrested by Detec-
tive Kiffmeyer and Lexington detec-
tives. He was taken to Jail but denied
any connection with the killing of
Schumacher.
Investigations at Lexongton disclos-
ed that Eddins had not worked on the
day of December 9th and that on that
evening he had not slept in his room.
1t was also learned that Eddins had
come to Maysville on the night of the
sth, the train being late and arriving
here at about 10:45 o'clock. He took
the morning L. & N train on the
morning OF the 9th at Clark's station,
seven miles from Maysville and paid
his fare In cash to Paris.
After considerable questioning, Ed
dins made complete confession when
he was asked by Chief ort what he
would say II his little girl would ask
him II he killed Ben Schumacher. This
confession has been published and the
Maysyille public is fully aware OF its
contents. He was returned TO Mays
vile on the evening of-December 18th
and made another statement in Chief
ort'B Office which was Identical with
bis original confession,
On the following Sunday Eddins
went with Chief ort and Detective
lSiifmeyer 10 the Cotton MIL and there
went over the ground Just az no said
he had done on tho evening Of tho
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