ity ▁on ▁the ▁left ▁side ▁of ▁his ▁crown ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁full ▁black ▁be ard . ▁A ▁resident ▁of ▁R ush worth , ▁Victoria , ▁he ▁initially ▁had ▁a ▁successful ▁job ▁as ▁a ▁min er ▁before ▁turning ▁towards ▁prospect ing . ▁As ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁steady ▁and ▁industri ous ▁man , ▁which ▁pres umably ▁made ▁him ▁lots ▁of ▁money , ▁he ▁got ▁himself ▁acquaint ed ▁with ▁John ▁Young ▁Taylor , ▁Schmidt ' s ▁future ▁victim . ▁The ▁two ▁men ▁travel led ▁to ▁Park es ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁where ▁he ▁with d rew ▁ 3 0 ▁dollars . ▁As ▁Taylor ▁had ▁paid ▁for ▁both ' s ▁exp enses , ▁it ▁is ▁assumed ▁that ▁Rick ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁dire ▁financial ▁situation . ▁Dis app oint ed ▁by ▁the ▁false ▁advert is ement ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁the ▁du o ▁moved ▁to ▁Lamb ing ▁Fl ats , ▁where ▁they ▁met ▁with ▁Albert ▁Schmidt . ▁After ▁prospect ing ▁for ▁some ▁time , ▁Taylor ▁left ▁for ▁R ush worth ▁in ▁December , ▁leaving ▁Rick ▁and ▁Schmidt ▁in ▁Lamb ing ▁Fl ats . ▁He ▁took ▁some ▁of ▁Jacob ' s ▁items ▁and ▁brought ▁them ▁to ▁his ▁friends , ▁telling ▁them ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁come ▁back ▁soon ▁and ▁would ▁definitely ▁write ▁to ▁them . ▁Rick ▁was ▁last ▁seen ▁alive ▁on ▁New ▁Year ' s ▁E ve ▁in ▁We e ▁Jas per , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁Schmidt , ▁on ▁a ▁horse - dra wn ▁carriage . ▁ ▁When ▁Schmidt