The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-04-01
HANGED ]. SCHMIDT
At WALLA WALLA PEN
<3NERVIEST MEMBER OF FIX.
ECUTION PARTY" WALKS TO
GALLONS UNASSISTED.

Waua Walla, WaSh.--(B A. P.)-
John Schmidt was hanged at tn
state penitentiary here today for tn
murder of two Seattle police officers
He walked to the gallows unassiste,
and was pronounced the "nervies
member of the execution party"
Story of The Crimes
Staying of Police Detective Jane.
O'Brien in Seattle, Wash, January
21, 1921, for which John Schmitt wa.
sentenced to be hanged, was one Of
four killings which Schmitt confessed
after his arrest. They took place
during a period of little more thar
year.
Schmidt's other victims were E. H
Schultz, garage man of Olympia
Wash, and Patrolman Neil Mcmillan
and w. T. Angle of the Seattle police
force. Schultz was killed in a gun
fight in Olympia, December %, 1919
when he pursued Schmidt after the
latter had held up a store Mcmillan
and Angle were shot down in Seattle
fifty minutes before O'Brien was
killed.
Anything to escape arrest" and
possible discovery as the Olympia
badit-murderer prompted Schmidt to
fire when Angle and Mcmillan ac-
costed him on North Broadway, in
the Seattle First Hill residence dis
trict, he told Sheriff Matt Starwich
After the two officers fell, both NOR
matte pistol and, keeping his hand
on the trigger, walked down town, he
said.
O'Brien, who had been notified of
the shooting, who who was watching
on a downtown corner for the assail-
ant, recognized Schmidt from de-
scription that had been given him,
and attempted to stop him. Witness
.es testified at the trial that O'Brien
told Schmidt to halt, raising his arm
to stop him if he should attempt to
escape Schmidt fired. O'Brien re-
turned the fire and fell, and Detect
i've T. G. Montgomery, after hard
fight, arrested the murderer. O'Brien
died almost instantly.
Six days later Schmidt, still limp
ing from flesh wound inflicted by
O'Brien, pleaded guilty to a charge
of first degree murder, and jury at
a formal trial, affirmed the convic-
tion and fixed the penalty at death.
Defense counsel made the usual ap-
plications for a new trial and arrest
Of execution, but the prisoner i'm
withdrawn, saying he wanted to get |
it over with"
Let's go, Sheriff." was Schmidt's
comment when he learned he was to
die.
Before his trial Schmidt had admit
ted to Sheriff Starwich he had killed
Mcmillan and Angle. On the day
after his conviction he confessed to
have killed Schultz. In the course of
this confession he told Sheriff Star
wich Of career of crime extending
over a period of more than two years,
and including holdup "jobs" in nearly
every city of the Northwest. Banditry
was his profession" he said. He
added that guns were his hobby.
Schmidt refused resolutely to give ;
any details of his earlier life. After
he had left Seattle for the penitenti s
ary an old lady presented herself to /
The Sheriff here and said she was
John Schmidt's mother. The sheriff
leclined to divulge her name, which
le said, was not Schmidt {
Schmide was the second murderer t
@ be sentenced to death in the state !
Il Washington after the revival of +
he capital punishment statute in '
919, and the first to pay the penalty. t
The case of Isom White, 20 years b
Id, sentenced to hang for the murder z
f Lee Winton, Everett, Wash, taxi r
alb driver, in November 1919, is still S
ending in the courts. F
Schmidt Becomes Catholic "
Walla Walla, March 31.-John
schmidt, who will early tomorrow
1orning be hanged, for the murder S
f two Seattle policemen, yesterday @
fternoon sent for priest and con- s
essed his sins, expressing repentance Il
Or his deeds. His worldly goods of IL
8.74 he turned over to the priest to N
e used for some worthy cause, ;" Ia
enying that he had a treasure each te
d near Seattle. Schmidt, who was a w
lutheran in Germany, was taken into 81
ne Catholic faith this afternoon. Vi
The scaffold is being erected on the II
orth side of the prison enclosure be- D,
veen the laundry and the walls. The re
,pe specially ordered from San
uentin, arrived two weeks ago. Ac- III
,rding to the present plans of the
wv warden, who at midnight as
mes charge of the prison, only the
lards, the priest and a physician Ii
i'll be admitted. The press has been al
,cluded as the state law forbids a de-
stalled account of the execution. of
Schmidt is calm today and shows VII
me of the desperate. of
Schmidt will be buried outside the as
'ison walls Saturday at his request.
e says he is prepared to go and that w
is sorry for his crimes. co
Newsmen in Squabble ar
allegations that Warden Potts is CT
owing discrimination among news m
lpers in connection with the execu- hs
IN tomorrow were sent by telegram
Governor Hart today by Joseph co
lffner, Jr., managing editor of the co
llletin. to
A Seattle newspaper, not mem tri
r of the Associated Press, has a he
here who accompanied tn
tits from Seattle last night. Local frt
pers including the Associated Press
preventative were today again de- &c
ed representation at the execution, ws
d the representative was told: wi