Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-12-27
Doctor, Two Children
And Mother Found
Dead in Cabin
By the Assoeietsd Press

BIG BEAR, Calf, Dec. 27.-The
table was set for Santa Claus, but
death came instead for young DR.
Jerome G. Schnedorf, two of his
children and his mother.
Their bodies we're found yesterday
among Christmas decorations and
unopened presents in their rented
mountain cabin. While the cause
of death remained an official mys-
terry, theories Of possible carbon
monoxide poisoning from a gas
heater or that the heater burned up
the oxygen supply were advanced.
Victims of the tragedy were DR..
Schneider, IS, Of Santa Barbara;
his son Tommy, 8; his daughter
Judy, 8, and his mother, Mrs.
Josephine Schneider, GA, of River
Forest, III.
Wife Awoke From Coma.
The bodies were discovered by the
physicians wife, Mrs. Mary Mar
garet Schneider, 81, when she awoke
from q coma of more than 80 hours.
She and the eldest child. Jerry. 10,
were found in rear bedroom and
thus narrowly escaped the fate Of
the others.
On a table, in keeping with an
Old World Christmas custom,
plate was set for Santa Claus. Next
to 1t was a note in an envelope
addressed to the three children. It
read:
Dear Judy, Jerry and Tom, it
was too cold to bring a baby girl
kitten and female canary to Big
Bear Lake. With this letter you
can get a bird and kitty later If
you are good.
80 tell your Mother and Dad,
and to all good night. Thank you
for the milk and steak. 1t was very
good. Santa Claus"
Heater Was Burning.
Preliminary autopsy by Dr. c. S.
Small disclosed no evidence Of
monoxide "or any other poisoning"
but chemical analyses of the bodies
today was expected to shed light
on the mystery.
Sheriff's Deputy Kendall Stone
said he found butane gas heater
burning, but added that the high
banked snow may have stopped up
one or more Of the vents.
Chief Deputy Coroner E. p. Doyle
advanced the theory that the heat
er may have burned up all the
oxygen In the room. He said We
house was closed tightly and some
Of the vents were clogged by lum-
Der piles. He said Mrs. Schnedorf
and Jerry collapsed on the floor and
thus had the advantage OF the last
traces Of oxygen.
The doctors wife and the surviv-
ing child were taken to San Bernar-
dino County Hospital. The boy Is
In critical condition.
Wrapped Their Presents.
Mrs Schnedorf was able to tell
investigators this story:
Her husbands mother arrived at
Santa Barbara last Tuesday and
they all went up to the rented
mountain cabin here Thursday.
They spent most Of Friday deco
rating the tree and wrapping pres
ents. They ate dinner early Christ
mas Eve and went to bed at 9:30,
leaving turkey ready for roasting
In the oven. =
That wan the last she remembered
until she awoke at dawn the
morning after Christmas. Her weak
cries brought neighbors who sum-
! uaoned, officers.
The father was found Id u tft&ir
before the tree. The other bodies
were on beds.
DR.. Schneider, a Northwestern
University graduate, set up practice
In Santa Barbara 10 months ago
after resigning a commission in the
Army Medical Corps. He met his
wife, daughter Of a Cape Girardeau
(Mo) college professor, while both
were Northwestern students.
They celebrated their 18th we'd
ding anniversary m Christmas Eve