Re: Schmidt kills Sherdon at County Poor Farm - 1891
SHERDON, SCHMIDT, SHERIDAN, DAWSON, HEDEMAN, OELFKE
Posted By: Ken Johnson (email) In Response To: Schmidt kills Sherdon at County Poor Farm - 1891 (Reid R. Johnson)
Date: 1/27/2022 at 22:35:32
Here is some additional information I found about this August Schmidt in trying to connect him (without success) to any other Schmidt family in Clayton County.
A man named August Schmidt from Garnavillo or Garnavillo Township was the subject of three news items in the "Elkader Register" in 1881. This man is almost certainly the same August Schmidt mentioned in the Circuit Court news of 1884 and also in this 1891 article about a murder at the Clayton County Poor Farm. The other newspaper items are below.
An August Schmidt is enumerated among the “insane” inmates of Clayton County in 1885, 1900, 1910, and 1920, and a man with that name died at the asylum in 1926. While his age varies somewhat in each record, it is again almost certainly the same man. If he was given any sentence for the murder he committed in 1891, he was back at the Clayton County asylum by 1900 and remained there until his death. The Elkader newspaper of 1926 does not mention his death.
His death certificate notes that he was buried at Iowa City, but it may be more likely that his body was given to the university medical school. However, it may be that a relative lived in Iowa City and had him buried there. At least two different Schmidt families lived in Garnavillo in the 1880s, one of which I descend from, but August Schmidt doesn’t seem to be related to either of these families. It is also not clear if he is related to any other Schmidt or other family in Clayton County. An August Schmidt who fits this man’s age was working in Garnavillo Township as a farm laborer in 1880 although that census record gives his birthplace as Ohio. Every other census record gives August Schmidt’s birthplace as Germany.
The poor man had a sad life (as not doubt did the man he murdered, Martin Sherdon, who would be worth researching as well: he is likely Martin Sheridan, age 45 years in 1880, enumerated among the “insane” of Clayton County, married, born in Ireland). Did August Schmidt immigrate to the United States on his own? The 1900 census gives his immigration year as 1868; no obvious matches for him appear in Clayton County in 1870. Did he have relatives in Clayton County or elsewhere?
Fri., 2 Sept. 1881 issue, "Elkader Register," page 3, column 4: WHO IS HE? / The Dubuque Herald, of Tuesday, says that a fellow from Garnavillo, named August Schmidt, was the victim of an outrage Sunday evening, in the vicinity of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad depot. A fellow accosted him with “Spooney, let’s trade watches.” Schmidt refused to trade, as the watch shown by the rough was a snide affair, while Schmidt’s watch was a fine Elgin hunter-case, worth $50. “You won’t trade?” ejaculated the rough; “then I’ll make you trade!” and with that he commenced thumping Gus in truly pugilistic style, and when he had completely pasted the face and head of the astonished Garnavilloian, he took his watch and walked off, saying that he would return in the morning and give Gus some more boot. Schmidt is now looking for the man who victimized him.
Fri., 9 Sept. 1881 issue, "Elkader Register," Home News, page 3, column 2: August Schmidt, of Garnavillo, mentioned in our last issue as having been beaten and robbed of a watch in Dubuque, is again in trouble. The Times says that on Sunday last, while services were being held at the Baptist church, in that city, Schmidt threw a rock through the window. He was arrested, and has since been declared insane. He is laboring under the hallucination that all ministers are engaged in the work of corrupting the morals of the people, and he deems it his duty to obstruct their work. He is now in the insane department of the Dubuque jail.
Fri., 16 Sept. 1881 issue, "Elkader Register," Home News, page 3, column 2: Young Schmidt, of Garnavillo, who was found at Dubuque in a deranged condition, has been sent to the asylum for insane at Independence.
Tues., 27 May 1884 issue, "Elkader Register," The Circuit Court, New Cases, page 4, column 4: Clayton county vs August Schmidt, law. R. E. Price, guardian adlitum [ad litem] for August Schmidt. Submitted to court and judgment for plaintiff.
1880 census, Garnavillo Township, Clayton Co., IA:
August Schmidt, age 26, hired man, single, farm laborer, born in Ohio, parents’ birthplaces not given, living as hired man in household of D. B. Dawson and family with one other hired man (Charles Hedeman, age 21) and domestic servant (Anna Elfke [Oelfke], age 21)1885 state census, enumerated in the Insane Asylum, Clayton County, Read Twp.:
August Schmidt, age 26, single, born in Germany1900 census, enumerated among those in Clayton County’s Home for the Incurable Feeble Minded, Elkader, IA:
August Schmidt, inmate, born Oct. 1845, age 54, single, born in Germany, immigrated in 1868, naturalized, cannot read or write, speaks English1910 census, enumerated among those in the Insane Hospital, Elkader, IA:
August Schmidt, inmate, age 51 yrs, single, born in the United States, both parents born in Germany, speaks English, cannot read or write1920 census:
August Schmidt, inmate, age 63, single, year of immigration and naturalization unknown, unable to read or write, born in Germany, speaks EnglishDeath certificate (available at familysearch. org):
August Smidt [sic], died 3 Nov. 1926 at 12:00 p.m. at the Asylum in Elkader, IA.
Cause: “Hemorrhage Stomach & Old Age”; contributory cause: “Insane”; Where was disease contracted if not at place of death? “Institution”; no operation preceded death; no autopsy; What test confirmed diagnosis? “Vomiting Blood”; W. J. McGrath, M. D., Elkader, IA
Length of residence in city or town: 26 years
Age about 75
Date of Birth: “Unknown”
Single
Occupation: “Inmate Asylum”
Birthplace, names and birthplaces of father and mother: “Unknown”
Informant: D. M. Delzell, Supt., Elkader, IA
Place of Burial, Cremation or Removal: Iowa City, Iowa
Date of Burial: 4 Nov. 1926
Undertake: Witt and Firman, Elkader, IA
Clayton Documents maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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