Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-11-26

Wednesday evening the 18th inst, the most
atroeious murder, it has ever been our duty to
record, was committed near pleasant Grove,
a station on the Huntingdon and Broadtop
| Railroad. The victims, three in number,
Mr.. John Pechtel, his wife, and boy named
Scott Garner, we're sitting at supper, when
all three were shot. Mr.. Pechtel and Gar
ner were instantly killed aud Mrs. Pechtel
being only wounded was afterward killed with
a hatchet. The object Of the murderers was
to obtain several thousand dollars Of money
which Mr.. Pechtel was supposed to have, and
which they obtained. Aiter plundering the
honse the dead bodies of the murdered par
ties were placed on bed and covered over
and the bed set on FIRE. The design was
evidently to burn the house aud dead bodies
so as to convey the idea that the house bad
burned and the inmates perished in the
flames. This occurred between seven and
eight o'clock-about o nine o'clock two meu
passing by, discovered the light and the
smoke issuing from the house and at once
entered and extinguished the FIRE without
much difficulty. They then found the vic
tins partially burned, but not enough to pre-.
vent Identification. The alarm was at once
given and messengers dispatched to Hunting
don. The murderers in the meantime had
reached Huntingdon, and entered an oyster
saloon near the depot, evidently trying to
conceal themselves OF attract as little atten-
tion as possible. They spent about three
hours at Huntingdon, when they took the 81
a. m train for Altoona. Shortly after their
departure the parties from the vicinity Of the
murder reached Huntingdon where they
were informed of the Suspicious looking
couple referred to- A telegram was imme-
diately sent to Altoona, and oa the arrival Of
the train, the murderers we're arrested. They
were returned to Huntingdon Thanksgiving
day.
Great excitement prevailed on their arriy.
al and the excited populace threatened to
lynch them and hang them on the spot. The
murderers are Germans named Oliver Bod.
enburg aud Gotlieb Bobner. The latter is
said to have been convicted of larceny in
Huntingdon some three years ago and sent to
the penitentiary. Mr. Pechtel was quite old,
about 65 years OF age, and his wife 81, the
4 boy was about ten The money obtained
was about $1,000. When arrested 5000 Of
greenbacks were found on the murderers and
S60o'wer afterward found in the lookup at
Altoona, where they were kept. Some $50
in gold we're afterward obtained from one Of
the prisoners, who bad attempted to conceal
it in his mouth. Bohner has since confessed
as follows:
was born in Wurtemberg, in May, 1927,
aud came to This country in 1864, | was
never married. served as a private in Co.
c, 10th New York Volunteers, for two years
and Two months After being discharged
from the army l lived first in New York, then
in Huntingdon, and lately at Altoona,
worked in the coal mine on Broad Top
couple of months for Robert Hare Powell.
l was never acquainted with the family of
John Pechtel; but passed there once and
asked for work.
/ first became acquainted with Oliver Al |
bertl Bodenberg at his boarding house in Al /
toona in September last. We slept together
and boarded at the same house. Soon after
got acquainted with him, be told me that |
Pechtel had money. He said that he had |
slept there twice. He asked me to go along /
and stay outside, and said l need not know |
what be did inside We came down on the |
cars on Monday evening from Altoona, and |
walked from Huntingdon by way of NJ Con- /
nellstown to Peehtel's that evening; and /
slept all night in his (Pechtels) stable loft /
On Tuesday we %slked over the neighbor
hood and inquired for work, aud staid all |
night in barn further down the road. On .
Wednesday morning we came to Huntingdon,
and did not want to go back This was on
the morning ofth murder Oliver Albert
said if did not go back he would shoot me-
We started back after dinner and walked by
Pechtel's; but went by the Broad Top to
avoid getting there too soon. We stopped a
while at M Connellstown station, and while
at Pleasant Grove. We reached PechtePs
about o'clock. | staid on the railroad and .
Oliver Albert went to the house. heard
only one shot. The wind was blowing very
hard. He was in the house about one hour.
He brought out the bags full of gold and sill
YER He gave me one Of them, and said,
'Now, let's GO" / think Oliver Albert
had about twice as much money as had
He told me in the lock up at Altoona that he
had put the money away while he was down
in the privy, by digging hole with his hand
and burying it.
Bodenberg, corroborates this, with this ex-
ception-He alleges he staid on the railroad
while Bobner went to the house
Bodenberg also alleges that they got bot
tie Of liquor at NJ Connellstown, but that he
had only two drinks.
UNsEAsoNABLE PoETEY.-In looking over
our exchanges we are sometimes struck with
the extremely unreasonable character Of po-
etical selections. This year winter began in
this region about the middle of October and
verify seems TO have fastened on US with such
a firm grip that there is little prospect OF
L . 81 IL.