The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-08-10
MURDER HOAX
CHEMIST DEAD
BY OWN HAND
Discovered in Hiding at Oak
land Apartment. Schwartz
Commits Suicide
TRAPPED by PHOTOS
Complete Identity Of Hoax
Victim, Killed in l.abOra-
tory Blast Fire

Oakland. Calf, Aug. O.-R)-
With Charles Henry Schwartz, dead
by his own hand and his too per
feet crime plot in complete collapse,
police today worked to establish
legal proof Of the identity Of the in
surancc hoax victim AS G.. W. Barbc.
wandering lay minister Of the gos-
pei.
Having the positive associations Of
three persons that it is Barrie who
was killed. authorities feel that the
identification is virtually certain
but 4 few loose ends remain to be
gathered in the writing Of the final
chapter of the grim tragedy to dis
close irrefutably the name Of tho
murdered man.
Dramatic End
Thc end Of the mystery that puz-
zled authorities for nine days came
dramatically. Trapped in the apart
ment in which he had taken refuge
the night Of July 80. after setting
fire to the laboratory of the Paci-
fic Ceilulose Company to cover u
his crime. Schwartz sent bullet
through his brain. When policemen
knocked upon his door in an Oak
land apartment house they heard "a
mutfled shot and breaking in, found
him dying.
An explanatory note addressed to
his wife, Mrs. Schwartz. said the
fugitive chemist had come to the
point Of saying goodbye, because he
had killed a stranger who had asked
him for Il job and attacked him when
refused. But the Investigators
brand the explanation as false
hood.
j Proof Complete
They believe their proof is COM
plete that Schwartz planned the
killing for months to defraud the
insurance companies out Of more
than 100000 which he carried in
favor of Mrs. Schwartz and the
Ccllulosc company in which she was
heavy stakeholder.
His note, the police believe. was 4
dying effort to erase the image of
himself as murderer in the minds
of his wife and children when his
suicide should reveal his plot to
fake his own death.
Fate is Nemesis
Throughout this scheming. fate
worked against the Berkeley chemist
who was vice president and general
manager Of the Cellulosc Company.
The explosion and fire which were to
have wiped out evidence Of the Stay
ing of the man, lured to the plant
under promise of employment failed
tors learned, because a night watch
man Schwartz had sent on an err
rand returned unexpectedly and eX
tinguished the blaze. His plan to
escape the same night failed when
he missed train on which he had
! a reservation for Barstow, Calf. His
hiding place in Oakland was reveal
ed in a casual way, another stroke of
fate.
Proprietor is Detective
The apartment house proprietor
attending dinner party Saturday
night became suspicious of his ten
ant when shown newspaper photo
graph of the murder fugitive. After
reflection, he became certain as to
the identity Of his new tenant and
early next morning notified the po-
lice.
The house was quickly surrounded
and the suicide followed. Mrs.
Schwartz who had consistently main
tanned that the charred body found
in the wrecked laboratory was that
of her husband tainted when inform
ed that he had taken his own life.
Police have heen unable to determine
whether she had knowledge that he
had not persisted in the fire as at
first seemed to be indicated.
Blast July 30.
The blast occurred on the night Of
July 30, and the charred body found
in the laboratory was at first be-
lieved to be Schwartz. Doubt as to
the identity of the corpse, which was
burned beyond recognition, crept in
to the case the next day. Evidence
indicating that the body was not that
of chemist continued to pile up and
on August, d, Schwartz was officially
charged with murder and nation
wide search for him was begun.
Identification of victim was made
after week of exhaustive investi-
CATION. Several religious books found
in the laboratory contained hand
writing which later proved to be
identical of the letter written by
Barbe, the victim, to friend.
1t has not been definitely deter
mined to what extent Mrs. Schwartz
will receive insurance. OF the $780,
600 insurance her husband carried,
his widow will receive not more than
$25, 1000 and some doubt has been ex-
pressed if this amount will be paid.