Out of Mind, Says Bishop.
Slayer Not in Responsible Condition, Is Prelate’s Belief.
By Telegraph to The Tribune
Trenton, N. J., Sept. 14.- The Right Rev. James A. McFaul, Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Trenton, said this evening that he believed that Father Hans Schmidt was not in a responsible condition. The priest was under the jurisdiction of Bishop McFaul for about seven or eight months during the year 1910, when he was acting as pastor of St. Francis’s German Catholic Church during the illness of Dr. Joseph Rathner.
Bishop McFaul said that he received this impression as a result of conversations with members of the congregation, Dr. Rathner and others with whom the priest had had dealings. Nothing that might be construed as a criminal tendency was noticed, however.
Father Schmidt came to this country from Germany, where he was born, educated and ordained as a priest. He was graduated from the University of Munich. He was in this country but a short time when he came to Trenton.
Father Schmidt was in Trenton for about two days during the middle of July, while on his vacation. At that time he was a guest at the home of Dr. Rathner.