The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-09-20
Bv RAYMOND C. SCHNEIDER,
Head of the Raymond S. SCHNEIDER
Detective Agency.

Detective Agency.
TN day in the early spring Of
1912-a Wednesday-little Marie
a Smith, nine years old, left her
home in Asbury Park, N. j., for
school ten blocks away. She did not
return that afternoon. Nor did she
ever come back. Her parents re-
ported that day that she had dis
appeared, and the police of the little
resort city searched it from end to
end and carried their quest to neigh
boring villages. But for three days
there was no trace of Marie.
Her home was on the outskirts of
the town, and her way to school was
along a quiet roadway where scat
tered houses sat back at dignified
distances. Saturday morning
neighbor Of the Smiths searching in
a clump Of woods few hundred
yards from the road-the Pine
Needle road-found what he sought
and what he feared he would find.
In the most Undergrown spot OF
little forest he discovered the mu-
tilated body Of Marie. She had been
beaten to death by blunt instru-
nert; her skull had been crushed.
The city was aroused to such
feverish anger as only a murder OF
this kind can arouse. The police
were vigorous in their investigation,
and for weeks they worked on the
case in collaboration with New
York detective agency. There were
suspects enough, but none upon
whom the crime could be specifically
fastened. After a month a negro
called Black Diamond was arrested
in connection with the murder. He
had been seen near the woods where
the chHd's body was found short
time after the murder was believed
to have been committed, and had
not given very plausible account
of his actions.
When it became known in Asbury
Park that Black Diamond was in
Jail tentatively accused Of the crime,
an attempt to lynch him was made
by great mob of Infatuated people.
and it was only by courageous eff
forts that the authorities were able
to save him. He was removed hur-
riedly from Asbury Park to the jail
at Freehold N. J. Then the officials
prepared to have him indicted for
murder. They believed they had suf-
ficient evidence.
But there were Asbury Park citi-
zens who did not believe Black Dia-
mond guilty. Among those who were
dissatified with the results Of the po-
lice Investigation were Beach Com
missioner Randolph Miller and for
mer Sheriff Hetrick. They decided
to have additional Investigations
made, and so, on their own initiative,
they engaged large private New
York agency to work out the case
and guaranteed the fees. was with
the agency then--although I went
into business for myself a few
months later-and / was assigned to
take full charge. Any number of
operatives 1 might require were
placed at my disposal. First, called
upon my younger brother, Walter
SCHNEIDER, and Thomas Brewers, at
that time one of the assistant man
ayers of the agency.
We went down to Asbury Park and
looked over the ground. I learned
that Marie Smith had been girl OF
a very timid disposition, that she
would hardly have been inclined to
stop along the way to school to talk
to strangers. Therefore, her assail-
ant and murderer must have been
one whom she knew and was accus-
toned to see. Then we considered
the. houses along the road by which
she passed every morning on her
way to school, and tried to pick out
men who lived or were employed in
the places along the route upon
whom suspicion might be fixed by
any possible stretch Of the magma
ton. We found seventeen to be sus-
pected. and since at the beginning
of our work we, had no more evil
i dence against one of them than
against another, it may be quickly
seen that our work was cut out for
us. we set about to check our sus-
poets up, and soon we eliminated
six. Then we began to investigate
the seventh. Our Investigation OF
this one lasted long time-until
midsummer.
Four houses away from the I'M
assuming cottage that was Marie
Smiths home, and on the route to
the school, was the property of Max
Kruschia, thriving florist. There
were several greenhouses set out in
front of the main house where his
family and two employees lived.
Back of the house was barn, and
near the fence that bounded his
property, in little rear courtyard,
was a dog house where an ugly loud
mouthed hound was kept.
we questioned Kruschka and
learned from him thatlhis place had
been almost deserted on the day of
the murder of Marie Smith. There
had been lett in charge while he was
x,-axy ~, bnS;nssS Frank Heidernann