New Britain herald., 1924-12-26
ANOTHER WOMAN IN MIDDLETOWN CASE
Wife Slain, Accidentally, Hus-
 band Declares
NIECE CAUSED TROUBLE
Caspar schmidt Charged With Man slaughter As Police Seek To Check Up His Story of Shootlng-Wifc Depressed. Medium Asserts.

Up Ills Story of Shooting-Wifc
 Depressed. Medium Asserts.
 MIddletown Dec. 26.--Caspar Schmidt, local photographer and property owner, was 10 be arraigned in the local police court today on a charge of mansaughter, as q re- suit Of the death of his wife, Minnie, who was shot and killed by the dis charge of shotgun in the apart ments Of the couple late Wednesday afternoon. Schmidt, 1t was learned has retained Thomas c. Flood as counsel.
 Niece Caused Trouble
 Coroner L. A. Smith and the local police continued their investigation of the shooting today. The coroner summoned az a witness Mss Marie Schmidt q grandniece of Schmidt, about 30 years of age, who was said to have been present in the Schmidt home at the time of the shooting. The presence of the grandnlece, who came from Germany about two years ago. in the Schmidt home, was re- ported to have been the cause of some controversy in the home.
 Coroner Smith said today he had not received an official report of the autopsy on the body Of Mrs, Schmidt, The police had report, they said, that the autopsy showed that the shot which killed Mrs. Schmidt took a downward course. According to Schmidt's story to the police Mrs | schmidt was seated at table when he entered the room with the shot gun intending to clean it: that he slipped on a banana peel on the floor and In attempting to break his fall threw the shotgun on the table where it was exploded. The shot en- tered Mrs. Schmidts left breast causing death a few moments later
 Gun Was On Roof
 The coroner said today that ht would commence an official inques either tomorrow or Monday. Mist Mary Lamb, a ncighbor Of the Schmidts who reported to the DO lice that she heard the gun ahot fol lowed by groans of pain and heart schmidt conversng n German, ] Irxpected 10 he . witness. Miss Lam also discovered the shotgun on
 roof adjoining the room where th shooting occurred. Schmidt said tha the discharge of the gun h7' "kicked" 1t out of wiIdow. Ms Lamb Is reported to have tol1 DO lice that she heard a crash ,. sla> about five minutes after the s"l shot,
 It was learned today that Mrs Schmidt had paid a number c visits to a local spirttualistic medi Sr. Mrs. Lester Sanhorn, Of 97 Cen tar street. during ;he past thre' months. Mrs. Sanborn, today ad mitted that she had been is,5' y, Mrs. schmidt, the last visit ha'ni been on last Saturday alt'rnoon
 Mrs, Sapborn sad that Mrs. Tohmi' appeared 10 be depressed an troubled but that CT each cc'4glo
 she had declined 70 "reaI' '"- her
 Police expected today 70 'F1lHin Miss Grace Bailey a nurse, VII
 lived in the same building wher inc Schmidt apartments nre .ont'-
 Miss Bailey Is said to hnN" ,-@,t on
 of the first persons to arH -- in th j schmidt rooms after he SA"'lihs 5 schmidt is silent
 . Schmidt, who was arrested i'm , rl.4iatelv after the shooting 7a I,ssn at the home of lis Soa-lr-1u' Harry G. Holmes at liberty und~ tho,as of s5.o0o since he ShooNNs 1 He ba4 declined to make any state : rnorts "on advice of counsel. II w,s a former game Tari'0 ao . hunter and told the poll" 'hn n had loaded the shotgun 'aS' MoT dav to Kill some rats, Inter placed
 ii, his bedroom from whence he .oo
 if "Wednesday night h.'niihE
 clean thc weapon.
 Schmidt was tormaHv srTa'E''
 h-fnre Judge g. Harris ' rn'r
 ,na police court rare 'h.s ..'' r"0'
 and held in $5,ooo bal. W"''nS
 roroner's inquest into 'he d'a7h ( , his wife. Miss Marie scnrio'. crar} nj"2"
 schmidt for thrar nrors today. Sn
 was present ia :' e Sorml't home 2 inc time of inc shooting. hall , lived there for two ye7 $, h' | nrcsence was repor'Nl 10 ha> r5rsai contro. vsy httv.'n @-hmi ,and his wife, , schmidt WIS .aH ny ''r ro''o@ , claim 10 have h.cr tn 'h" N"'hrc0 , or the schmtlt bonn" oft'r f, , shooting ead s'artel n '"1'" ~ n honea but WIS dcwr.I T. Mi schmidt and r~- n~c'a Aa eo ars1
 mont in G,rr,an f"'r"i. g 1T 8 shooting police .91:,
 , Losses Total S325,0OO n In New Rochelle Fire