Schmidt Defense Rests; State to Combat Mad Plea
Sister Tries to Have Aumueller Slayer Greet Father Christmas Day.
The case for the defense of Hans Schmidt, the confessed murderer of Anna Aumueller, was concluded today with the testimony of the last of the expert alienists by whom it is sought to establish him insane, Dr. M. S. Gregory of Bellevue. Dr. Carlos F. MacDonald was called to the stand to read the records of the examination of Schmidt by alienists employed by the District-Attorney.
The narrative of the questioning of Schmidt sounded very much like an account of a police the degree. Schmidt was “warned of his rights,” and then was put under insistence demands that he admit his own sanity, that he knew himself guilty of a crime and that he had committed it with deliberation.
The father of Schmidt and the married sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Schadler, who came to this country to aid him with their testimony, are still in this city. Mrs. Schadler has been deeply hurt by the refusal of Schmidt to acknowledge Heinrich Schmidt as his real father. Alphonse G. Koelble all for council for Schmidt said that he would spend tomorrow in a last effort to bring the father, sister and brother together under the influence of Christmas sentiment, but he was most doubtful of the outcome.
Insanity Chart Gets Considerable Amendment.
A modified form of the hereditary chart of the course of insanity in Schmidt’s family was submitted by Dr. Jelliffe. It was still further amended by the cutting out of several alleged instances of insanity among Schmidt’s forbears which are only based on hearsay testimony.
The chart was hung on the wall beside Judge Foster, while Dr. Jelliffe lectured on it as showing the influence of heredity on Schmidt’s sanity. Black squares represented the male progenitors from great grandfathers down and black circles represented the women.
Only one woman was in court at today’s opening. Two young girls entered later, but did not remain long.
Dr. Jelliffe explained that he considered the map important because it showed that the taint of insanity ran through the families of both the father and the mother of Schmidt but did not become active in this generation until the two strains next. Four of Schmidt’s brothers and sisters died in infancy, two in early youth and according to testimony the others had unusual habits of mind.
The defense rested at 11.25. Judge Foster urged the counsel to use every decent effort to shorten the trial and to “avoid drowning the record in a flood of words.”
The prosecution at once called Dr. Leo, Schmidt’s own physician, as a witness in rebuttal.
Gave Schmidt Textbook On Mental Abnormalities.
Dr. Leo testified that he had supplied Schmidt with a book on morbid mind conditions by a celebrated German investigator of criminal and sex abnormalities which was stiff reading to anyone not professionally interested.
Dr. Carlos F. McDonald was the first alienist called by the prosecution.
The notes of examination made by alienists engaged by the District-Attorney soon after Schmidt’s arrest were read in full by Dr. McDonald. Schmidt, whose pulse was taken by the physicians, was excited but was clear in his answers. He was slow to the answer questions as to whether he was married or single.
Schmidt Defense Rests; State to Combat Mad Plea, The Evening World, 24 December 1913, page 2, column 3.