Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Monday 24 August 1903, page 4


BERTHA SCHIPPAN'S HEAD.

NEVER IN DR. SMITH'S POSSESSION.

The Government had equally strong rea-sons for withdrawing the charge that Dr. Smith improperly mutilated the body of Bertha Schippan, who was murdered at Towitta on January 1, 1902, by some person or persons unknown. It was thought that the unfortunate girl's throat was cut by a knife, which was found, but the Crown wanted to be absolutely certain on the point. To that end Dr. Ramsay Smith was instructed to exhume the body of the mur-dered girl, and make an examination of the wounds. As in the Hickman case, the local conveniences were not adequate for the pur-pose, so the head was severed from the body and conveyed to the city by a detective.

All sorts of wild rumors have been ex-tant of late regarding the manner of the disposal of the head, and some people have not hesitated to assert positively that it had been sold by Dr. Smith at a good price, and sent out of the State. It transpires that the head never left the care of the police. Regarding the suggestion that the skull was sent away it is now known that after Dr. Smith had examined the head it was decently buried by the authorities.