The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 16, 1903, Page 14

14 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, FRIDAY; OCTOBER 16, 1903. BECAUSE SHE SPURNED HIS ATTENTIONS PRETTY JOSEPHINE MEADE IS BRUTALL SHOT DOWN BY PAUL L. SCHMIDT, AN INSISTENT SUITOR, WHO THEN KILLS HEGTHERS S S Tragedy Is Enacted| Shortly After Noon. ——————— Many Horrified Wit- nesses to the Crime. aflame with unre- diseased in body nd the ken of normal man F L. Schmidt shot Josephine Meade shortly tragedy oc- alking down Laguna street to he block, the mur- revolver of the and, placing the ed his own ne was witnessed by half living in the block ere the deed was windows of their ing and end bullets in her the desperate an essed ast also wits ¥ N <k attempted to im- answered no. He rrest him after the deed, but watched walk slowly away FIREM CAUTION. AN'S ng u ainst a man with He walked away eve on him. It ng in the nejgh- rence from the e oe ompléte account of window when I down passed the corner sted by a wel noticed loite r the butcher t from Bush street, He ot and shook his hen he first spoke to her he wore t he removed these dur- He kept running his pocket, and it a revolver y from him toward He followed her, stills protest- dged from his actions. dumb with terror, and in my wishing that some one would , as I felt a premonition that A fireman was standing and” she approached and As she did so I saw the owed her draw a revolver pocket, place it to her back see her agonized face now way round and faced He continued to shoot un- to the sidewalk. I was ab- numb with the ghastliness of it even against my will I stood and the last scene of the tragedy. MURDERER ENDS HIS LIFE. murderer walked slowly down emptying his revolver as y followed him. After gO- he backed up against an h he had reloaded during He held the revolver up in the one shot. Then he looked up 1 the street and, placing the re- > his forehead, fired again. He his tracks and apparently never & After he fell a crowd of ning up and shut the hor- ht from my view.” fels, who conducts a butcher and Laguna streets, in front e Miss Méade met her death, tory of the murder and suicide v it, corroborating, the details Steinfels s; t various times ¢ above he nogjced ing the fore- around the corner, but paid n to him. He was sitting in hen Miss Meade passed the a2 few minutes afterward s McGarry, who lives on Bush stre. tween Buchanan and Laguna, stood ap. site the murderer when he took his own 1 She was on her way home to lunch nd had reached the middie of the block b T 1 between atter and Bush on s when she heard. the quirkx‘:fpu:: of four shots. She paused and saw king toward her, emptying er of the exploded cartridges ng them with loaded ones, She the outer edge of the sidewalk stopped oppos.ce her, leaning an iron fence. g SHOOTS GIRL FOUR TIMES, BEdward Green, a deputy y Sheriff Lackmann’s office, wfipl:fie‘iy: witness of the shooting. Green was on his way home to lunch and alighted from Sutte treet car at Laguna street with the intention of proceeding to his home. st 25 he got off the car he heard a pistol shot, and looking up toward Bush street he saw the murderer deliberateiy shoot four times at his victim. The wom- kept- moving toward ber assailant shooting and finally fell for- ward almost into his arms. For more than an hour the bodies lay the street where they fell. A morbidly i crowd gathered, composed largely of women and ¢ and peeked and ated by fiendish- | and Bush | horror they | sink to the | tron | hand the | the | n I would have taken | rer accosted his vic- | e | | | | | | | peered at the corpses, Struggling among | themselves with frightful insistence to | maintain their proximity to the horrible | sight. Three policemen from neighboring beats guarded the remains from molesta- | tion until the arrival of the morgue | ¢ Coroner Fennells had the in the morgue wagon®im- | mediately upon his arrival, and the prop- erty owners shed away the evidences of the ghastly occurrence in front of their premises. IDENTIFIES DEAD WOMAN. The identity of the dead girl was first established by Mrs. Robb, who lives at| 1819 Laguna street, where Miss Meade had roomed ever since her arrival in this | city, about three weeks ago.” Mrs. Robb | thought that the girl had come Los Angeles, where her mother resided, and at first intended entering the Uni- versity of California at Berkeley as al student. She paid one visit to the uni-| versity and finding the charges greater than she had expected had held her de-| cision in abeyance until she heard from | her uncle, from whom she expected as- sistance. Mrs. Robb said that the girl| had made a favorable impression on her | and her family. She had never had any | visitors, except on one occasion, when a | man called whom she understood to be| an attorney. Under the body of the dead girl was | found a bundle of letters from school | friends in Boston enclosed in an envelope | addressed to Rev. John Hartnett, assist- | ant pastor of St. Joseph's Church. The letters contained nothing of importance, but the address of Father Hartnett speed- ily solved the mystery of the dead per- gons’ identities. Father Hartnett was loth | to talk of the tragedy, but he consented | to tell what he knew of the relations ex- | isting between Miss Meade and her slayer. He sald that the girl was a cousin of his and that she was a niece of Father Hartnett, who 18 Vicar General of the dio- cese of Los Angeles. She was one of three children of Mrs. Helen Meade, her father having been dead several years. The girl was born and reared im Los An- geles and was a graduate of the Normal School there. After her graduation from the Normal she had taught schools of Los Angeles for two years. He had un- derstood that Schmidt, whom she had known for several years, became so in- sistent in his attentions that her mother concluded to send her East for further schooling. She went to Boston and spent two years there, attending school and making her home with another cousin, John Hartnett, and his sister at 31 Win- throp street, Charlestown. She came to San Francisco from Boston three weeks ago, intending to obtain if possible a place in the pyblic schools here. HAD FEARS OF SCHMIDT. On September 23 last she made applica- tion to the Board of Education for a po- sition in the San Francisco Evening School Department. She statedin her ap- | plication that she had had one year’s | fer' Company. iraining in the State Normal School at Los Angeles and was a graduate of the Boston Normal School. She also held a grammar school certificate valid in Los Angeles County, and had had three years’ experience in teaching—two years in schools of Los Angeles County and one year in the Los Angeles city schbols. It was her intention to attend lectures at Berkeley iIn the daytime and teach school in_the evening. She had frequently told her friends that Schmidt had threatened her life on occa- sions and she had a fear of him. Her family did not share her fear, but consid- ered his attentions objectionable and wished her to remain away from him. She was 23 years old and of a lively and lovable disposition. On the body of the girl were found a N considerable amount of money, a lady's gold watch and a handsome rosary. Among her effects there was nothing to indicate that she had encouraged the at- tentions of her murderer, and from all that could be learned she had discouraged his advances for several years. - Father Hartnett, her nearest relatige in the city, took charge of the body and the effects. The body was removed to an undertaking establishment late in the afternoon and willl be prepared for shipment to the dis- tracted family in Los Angeles. The only clew to the identity of the murderer was a baggage check calling for a trunk delivered to the Union Trans- Detective Harry Braig solved the mystery promptly by locaung the trunk, which bore the 'murderer's ame in large letters. He made a thor- ugh sedrch of its contents, but failed to find anything that would throw any light on the cause of the tragedy. He fiund two typewritten letters from Boston, signed *‘Your cousin, Leo.” The first was dated October 29 and among some unim- portant matters sald: “I found that party lived at 31 Winthrop street, Charlestown, Boston. Are living with a man named John Hartnett and his sister, an old bachelor and an old maid. I did not have much time to find out any more, as I had to get back to New York.” The other letter was dated February 2 and said among other things, ‘‘That young woman is still here that I told you about.” These prove that Schmidt had kept close track of Miss Meade's move- 2 | ments. PHOTOGRAPHS IN TRUNK. On Schmidt’'s person was found a check for a sleeper on the Owl train dated Octo- ber 14, showing that Schmidt had arrived in the city only yesterday morning. He had a gold-filled watch and a few dollars in money, but no papers to indicate his identity. His trunk was brought to the Coroner’s office last night. In it were a number of letters from a woman who signed the name “Etta Gardmer.” Their general tone indicated an attachment on the part of the writer toward. the recip- jent, but the last one, dated in February, spoke of breaking off tite intimacy. This was dated at Riverside, Cal., and as Miss Meade was in Bosten at that time they could not have been written by her. There were photographs of several other women in his. trunk, . without names, which were taken by a Los Angeles pho- tographer. The only thing to indicate his connection with Miss Meade was one of her cards. The trunk contained all his wearing ap- parel, considerable medicine, prescrip- tions and the tools of a machinist, but not a thing to indicate that he had contemplated the horrible tragedy. - About 9 o'clock last night Charles X. Schmidt, a brother of the murderer, ac- companied by a male companion and two young women, went to police headquar- ters. The brother said that he resided at 1933 Geary street and was an ' elec- trician by trade. He said that on arriv- ing home last evening he had béen -in- formed by Miss Pearl Doty, one of the roomers in the house, that his brother had called there about 10 o'clock and had left a telescope grip. The murderer told Miss Doty that he wanted to surprise his brother and asked her not to tell him that he was in town. He appeared to be in a jovial mood at that time. He asked Miss Doty to keep his brother at home last night, as he would call in the even- ing. \gvhen the brother returned from work he found the valise and was informed of the presence of his brother in the city. He went to the grocéry at the cor- ner and saw there an evening paper men- uoning Miss Meade’s name. He knew that his brother had been an admirer of hers and on*reading the account llru mised that Paul was the murderer. | his holding his position. o —— - SCENE OF THE GHASTLY DOUBLE TRAGEDY ON A PROMINENT CORNER OF THE RESIDENCE DIS- TRICT OF THE CITY, PHOTOGRAPHS OF MURDERED GIRL AND CRAZED SUITOR, PICTURE FOUND ON BODY OF MAN WHO COMMITTED THE CRIME. < | | e — — In the grip was found a . letter ad- [left shoulder, one wenf through the cen- | sent for her at once. Father Hartnett dressed “Dear Katy,” which, the brother sald was intended for Miss Kate Hannon, a cousin of the murdered girl. The let- ter was written on the Owl train and covered only a page. It merely spoke of the journey, without any reference to its object and contained not the slightest hint of the tragedy that was so soon to follow. Detectives Freel and . Bunner searched the valise, but found. nothing in it to account for the killing. BROTHER IS CALLOUS. The brother of the murderer bears much resemblance to him and exhibited the ut- most callousness regarding the affair. He said that he did not. want his name men- tioned because it might interfere with Otherwise he did not seem to attach much importance to the occasion and expressed not the slightest sorrow. or ‘regret. He explained his indifference naively. “Perhaps I would feel bad over this if I knew my brother better,” he said, ‘‘but I have seen him only once or twice with- in the last few years and we were almost strangers.” ; 4 © An examination of Schmldt's body at the Morgue gave strong evidences that he was afflicted with ‘an incurable disease, which seemed to be further borne out by the character of the medicineg and pre- scriptions found in his trunk. According to his brother he was 25 years of age and the son.'of Leon Schmidt, who is em- ployed at'tHe Llewellyn Iron Works: in Los Angeles and resides at Florence and Vermont avenues. Paul Schmidt did' not live at home, but roomed at' 22415 Sopth Main street. ~ W.. A, Fouchet, superintendent of schools of Los Angeles, who was in the then was granted leave of absence. He understood that she was going East to take a more extended course. When she returned to Los Angeles during the sum- mer he heard that she did not intend re- suming her position and only the other day he forwarded to her her resignation to her address in this city. He had heard of some love affair which had given her annoyance, but did not know any of the particulars. Schmidt’s body remained at the all night. The only wound it showed was the bullet hole in the center of the fore- | reading head. His victim's body bore of - four bullets. Two struck her Morgue | her lip the marks | believing that their ter of her back and the last and imme- diately fatal bullet pierced her left cheek and imbedded itself in her brain. bR PROMINENT IN THE SOUTH. Murdered Girl Highly Connected in City of Her Nativity. LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15—Miss Jose- phine’ Meade, ‘Who was killed by Paul L. Schm'dt in San Francisco to-day, was born in this city nearly twenty-three years ago. All of her life has been spent here, and she was a favorite in school | and in soclal circles, graduating with high honors from the Los Angeles High School with the class of 9. She taught -in ' the Twentieth-street School for some time. - Her mother, Mrs. Ellen Meade, lives. on Compton avenue, in the southwestern part of the city, just south' of Twentieth street, and owns a valuable place of forty acreés, worth at least. $65,000. Besides, the Meades own other tracts here and are quite wealthy. There is no belief among. her friends that she ever encouraged the ardent at- tentions ‘of the selfish brute who shot her in Sfin Francisco. His first attempt upon her lile \az made more than a year ago. Very Rev., H. Hartnett, Vicar General:of the Catholic diocese of Los' Angeles,. is an uncle of Miss Meade, and- was startled one morn- ing in the fall o 1902-to see Schmidt and Miss ‘Meade suddenly. appear before him in his study in the parish house of.St. Viblana's Cathedral. - Schmidt averred that they wanted to get married. Sus- pecting that all was not right, the priest (told them they must wait until after the following Sabbath, when the bans would be published. Questioning them, he then found that the girl had been forced there at pistol’s point upon peril of her life. Realizing that his niece’s life was in peril, Father Hartnett had her sent to Boston, where she entered upon a course of study. - A peculiar slip in letter writing was the real cause of her return to California. Sending a message through the mails to her mother, Miss Meade remarked that swollen; of course, a slight But her anxious family note read-*lip” as “hip,” dear one had fallen disease, in thea Victim to some grave chronic interposed and insisted that it was not safe for her to come farther south than San Francisco. Accordingly she stopped there, and was preparing to take a spe- cial course in the State University. Her people were almost prostrated when the dreadful news came to thém. The mother, raising her hands to heaven and mentioning the name of her child’s slayer, gasped almost inaudibly, “May God have mercy on his soul.” This was her only remark. Her sister, Catherine Meade, and her brother, James Meade, were equally overcome. < Among the teachers with whom she had worked at the Twentieth- street School profound sadness was felt, for she was a favorite here, as every- where. Miss Meade was an instructor under the principalship of Mark Keppel, now Coun- ty Superintendent of Scheols, and did ef- ficlent work for several terms. Her final resignation was only accepted last Mon- day. Her relatives are at a loss to know how Schmidt discovered her presence in San Francisco, but believe that he saw the published. notice of her resignation in the daily papers and then from some member of the Board of Education pro- cured her San Francisco address. The funeral arrangements have not yet been | completed, but the body will be brought from the north as soon as the formali- ties of the law are complied with, and the last rites will doubtless be hgld in St. Vibiana's Cathedral, where Miss Meade had been a consistent member for years. Paul Schmidt, the murderer and sui- cide, was 26 years of age and was raised on a small ranch at Vernon and Vermont avenues, in the extreme southwestern part of this city. His parents and two sisters still live on the ranch. Schmidt left Los Angeles on the Owl ‘Wednesday night. All that day he had been anxiously awaiting for letters. He never mentioned Josephine Meade at the house, although he told about his pre- vious love affairs. His sister is Mrs. Edward Zobelin, who lives at 3755 New Main street. She was at the races yesterday whem the newspa- per men told her of the tragedy. She was almost frantic and went into hysterics: Her pitiful cries could be heard all over | Spring-street books | of the disp the course. In the midst of it she would moan over and over again, “That poor girl; I am so sorry for her, too. That poor girl.” She knew very little about the private affairs of her brother. He rarely came to the house. had not seen e Ay HIMSELF The Murderer Pleads With Doomed Girl, — e Her Appeals to a By- stander for Help Are Unheeded. B3 * him for months and they never had heard of Josephine Meade. Lately Schmidt had been employed as an extra plumber by the Holbrook, Mer- rill & Stetson Companay. Little was known of him at the place of his employ- ment except that he was a man of good habits. arently was more inters ested in social doings than in his work.” % This affair with happy Josephine Meade was the last c ee pas jilted another g e ago he was madly ner, daughter of a ller. T understocd to have languish leasure of Mps. Gar two going to the tournamen love affairs. He her. A year or devoted to Effle Pasadena without consulting h next lavished his affections on Bessia Brown, the daughter of a contractor in this city. This is the gir! he is said to have jilted. P WELL LOVED IN BOSTON. Girl Victim of Tragedy Mourned by Eastern Relatives. BOSTON, Mass., Oct. 15.—The relatives with whom Miss Josephine Meade lfved while in this city were greatly shocked when the nmews of the young woman's murder was brought to correspondent San Fr While in Boston Miss Meade the family of John H throp street, in the C nder the shadow ment. Hartnett liquor dealer and his wife is a coust the murdered girl. Miss Meade came to Boston Angeles fifteen months ago. W the greater part of r She left for California c tember 7last, rding to the Har They sa studious, served. T she adm she Last ey heard fr mentioned gure in a Miss Mead chool, receiv did not o the Norm: qualifying b Massachusetts to remain thinking that in and te greater ered in | East. H insisted on her retu s Angeles. Much against her will the girl ret | ifornta. Mrs. H t from Miss Meade at the time of £ writ had not visited her o ay. t Musicians Form Corporation. The Philharm nic Soclety of San Fr cisco was incorporated yesterday. It organized fc pose of promot interest in all 1 rectors are Robe gomery, E Hec Jacoby and Joel Heck very superior, prir . Ed Knowles, 24 Second ————— Fighters Post Forfeits. OAKLAND, Oct. 15.—Al Weinig and Joe Millet have each posted $200 as a guaran- tee for th appearance in a fistic bout before the Reliance Club on O« it The fight will be at catchweights for teen rounds. 1 ADVERTISEMENTS. fw omen’s Suits. High ir} Quality, Low in Price. The stock in our cloak and suit department is ever changing—al- ways new. Many of the swell things you see here to-day are sure to be gone to-morrow, but others equally charming at once siip tn to take their places. Here's a word of four very recent arrivals: PANNE CHEVIOT SUITS —Blye and other fashionable colors. Long coat—made military effect and lined with satin. Latest model flare skirt. Entire suit handsome- ly strapped and trimmed 525 with silk and buttons.. FINE CHEVIOT SUITS—Silk lined long coat—blouse effect. Pleated flare skirt. Effectively trimmed with silk and braid . r N IMPORTED CHEVIOT SUITS--Black and colors. Strictly man-tailored. Forty-two-inch coat—taffeta lined. Graceful hanging flnre$45 skirt. Beautifully stitched. ENGLISH BROADCLOTH SUITS — Black and colors. Long blouse with triple cape—taffeta lined. Habit-back skirt — handsomely tucked. Trimmed with silk sss braid and butto: Hetskell's Ointment accomplishes aston- mhing wures of skin diseases, after the most powerful internal remedies have failed. A!ht'bclhtnlx the part with Heiskell’s Svap Femove sl Blotem P i quiekiy 3 X 2 and Sores. -Cures Tetter Brpainony H 1 “Rineworms, leves and Scaids. Makes the ..:;- by phy- ruggists sue, Ammunition, Huntirg sad - & Goods. Largess & stock. Drices. dead for cai SHREVE & BARBER COo st and 34 : a