Evening star., 1932-03-22
1IJ s "MEDICINE MAN, CREDITED
INAPACHE SLAYING CONVICTION
Taciturn Indian Admitted
Crime, Fearing Magic
of J. A. Street.
Agent Pretended to Know
Details of W0man's
Death.
BY REX COLLIER.

How "seance" by a white "medi-
cine man" of the United States Bureau
of Investigation broke the barrier Of
Apache taciturnity and compelled a
reputed descendant of the warrior
Geronimo to confess the brutal murder
of woman research student of Co.
lumbia University was disclosed for
the first time today with the conviction
in Arizona of the slayer, Golney Sey-
mour.
The medicine man" was Special
Agent j. A. Street, former trapper,
cowboy and Western sheriff, who at
tanned fame for his solution of the So
called Usage Indian murder cases Of
a few years ago.
Street, long familiar with Indian
customs, was assigned to investigate the
murder of Henrietta Schmerler. who
had gone to the White River reserva-
ton to study tribal rites of the reticent,
unfriendly Apaches.
Fortified with information obtained
from other sources, Agent Street sent
for the suspect, Seymour, placed him
in a chair directly facing him and
began to tell the Indian the story of
the Staying.
Breaks Under Strair.
Seymour knew the murder had been
committed In lonely spot, unseen by
any one. Yet here was the white man
unfolding a faithful picture Of the
tragic events Of the fatal night.
"On the evening of the tribal dance"
Street said, In husky monotone, you
came to the girls house on horseback
and she asked you to lend her a horse
to go to the dance.
You replied that you had only one
horse, but that she could ride with
you. Then, little after sundown, you
went to her house and she got on the
horse in front of you and on arriving
in the little canyon where the f1ume is
you pulled her off the horse and as
saulted her and then killed her with
rock and knife"
Seymour could stand it no longer.
Overcome with the superstitious belief
that Agent Street could commune with
the dead, his eyes widened and his jaw
dropped as though he were seeing a
ghost.
Suddenly he threw up his hands and
exclaimed, 'T might as well tell you
everything" He proceeded to give a
detailed account of the incidents lead
ing UP to the Staying and willingly
signed it, as though in great relief.
Holds Secret Information.
Even the trusted interpreter who aided
Street In understanding the dif1icult
Apache dialect was impressed with the
medicine man powers of the Govern
ment agent.
Had the Indians known the real ex-
PLANTATION of the investigators apparent
command OF the spirits, however, they
would have been quite disguised
Street had built his story of the kill
ing on statements made In secret by a
brother-in-law Of Seymour, to whom
the latter had come and confessed the
murder, with an admonition to remain
silent upon threat Of death. Parts of
the story the agent merely surmised.
The Indian made cold, matter-of-
fact confession.
He said it was true Miss Schmerler
had asked him for the loan of a horse
with which to attend dance that eve
but would be glad to let her ride with
him to the dance, and she accepted
the offer.
I'VE went on past the 7-mile canyon"
Seymour said, land we turned of on
the trail that leads in south of the old
Fort Apache Cemetery and goes south
Of the Fort Apache town. We arrived
at a little canyon where there Is
fiume that crosses the canyon
"It was muddy in the canyon, and
we each got down and walked across
the canyon to the far side. there took
hold of her and attacked her. She got
mad and commenced to fight me. She
threw a rock at me and hit me in the
breast She got knife out of her purse
and also picked up another rock and
started to throw it at me, and just as
she did I threw a rock at her and
knocked her down.
Victim Falls on Face.
81 do not know whether hit her in
the head or not. She fell on her face.
After I hit her with the rock I went