Mary Von Hammerschmidt: Murder 1st Degree

Mary was born in 1848 in Ireland, she married a German man with the last name of Von Hammerschmidt, she eventually dropped the Hammerschmidt and was call Mary Von. He maiden name is unknown at this time.



Inmate: #12705 San Quentin Prison
Rec: 18 Oct 1887
Crime: Murder 1st Degree
Term: Life
Age: 39




She murdered George Wesley Bishop, aboard the Alameda, he had just purchased a ticket for Australia to go home to his wife and children. She shot him and he died three days later.

















She was also:

Inmate: #11573 San Quentin Prison
Rec: Dec 1885
Crime: Assault With a Deadly Weapon
Age: 37
She did about a year for this one, she assaulted L. Haight, shooting him.

According to the census records she was divorced by 1900 and a widow by 1910. She was a dressmaker.

Here are some newspaper articles for her first crime:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37448909/mary_hammerschmidt/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37449046/mary_hammerschmidt/

Mary was paroled from her life sentenced on 20 Dec 1911, but she eventually asked to go back, she had no family left and all her friends were in the prison, the warden let her come and go as she pleased until her death.

Mary Von died 16 Feb 1913, I found several astonishing newspaper articles about her death.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37447900/mary_von/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37448496/mary_von/

The paper said if no family came forward she would be buried in the Pottersfield at San Rafael, CA.


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