The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-15
THE BELFRY BUTCHER.

THE MURDERER OF MABLE YOUNG IN BOSTON
CHURCH TOWER ON TRIAL FOR HIS CRIME.
A Boston special to the Chicago Times OF
yesterday says: Thomas w. Piper was on
to-day placed before the bar of the Supreme
Judicial Court, on trial upon q charge %
numbering the child Mabel n. Young, who
was killed in the belfry of the Union
Avenue Baptist Church, on May 23d last, a
full account of which has been already
given in these dispatches. The court came
in few minutes past O'Clock, when Chief
Justice Gray and Associate Justice Ames
session was formally open. The jurors had
been summoned. Having been called,
Thomas w. Piper, the prisoner, was placed
in the dock, when, on motion OF Attorney
General Train, a jury was impanneled to try
the indictment against him. The defend
ant exercised his right to challeoge 10 times.
The commonwealth challenged two, and
seven were excused from having formed or
expressed such opinions in the case az
would preclude them from finding verdict
according to the evidence. J he foreman Of
thejury is the Hon. Frederick w. Lincoln,
ex-msyor, and a merchant of wealth and high
standing, having been appointed to the po-
sitiOn by the court. The attorneys who are
to conduct the trial are Attorney General
Charles r. Train and District Attorney Oil
yer Stevens, for the commonwealth and
II .
Brown for the accused. The indictments
we're read to the jury, which charged the de-
iendant, Thomas w. Piper, with an assault
on Mabel ii. Young on the sd OF May last,
from the effects of which she died on the
next day, and that he committed the muir
derous act by some weapon unknown. The
Indictment was wOrded in but one count,
and was quite bries. District Attorney Ste
vens opened for the common wealth. He first
stated the facts connected with the attend
- In oh FL of k0 Grrn 6ar
school on the afternoon OF the I'D of May
quent discovery OF
HER HORRIBLY BRUISED AND DIsyIoURED
in the belfry of the Warren Avenue Church.
To make his remarks clear, he introduced
several plans of the tower of the church.
made for the purpose. The search for the
perpetrator was rapid and thorough, and
the circumstances soon pointed TO the de-
PENDANT as the man who committed the
crime. So strong were they that in June
last the grand jury bad sufficient testimony
before them to find an indictment against
him, charging him with the murder. It
would be shown that at the time OF the
murder Piper was not seen in his usual place
or attending to bis usual duties; that be had
a key to the tower in his pocket, which was
uupNcteo VI tuo Aoy iokuioiiy uoou sn"s
he ridiculed the idea, as the sssrch was go
ing On; that she child wss in the belfry, as
it had not been opened for
months; that everyho but Pr
per was hunting for the child; that
he denied having been in the belfry or hav-
ing key at hand that would open the door.
The evidences in this case would be mainly
circumstantial as was gener ally the case in
the commission Of high crimes. The fact
was patent that a most horrible murder had
been committed, but the motive no one
could conjecture. Attorney General Train
moved that the jury be allowed TO view the
premises where the homicide took place,
and the jury proceeded in charge of officers.
In the afternoon the testimony OF Mrs.
Hobbs, the aunt OF the murdered child, who
accompanied her to Sunday school on the
day of the murder; Drs. VIM. Reed, Benz.
Il. Getting, David w. Cheever and VIM. +.
Bodies was taken. The doctor testified to
the injuries of she child, aud the result OF
tho autopsy. Mrs. Hobbs aud Miss R0undV,
the sunday school teacher OF the cniio,
testified to the facts already given 10 these
disI ches. The trial will probably last n
week.
The Fit. Wayne Sentinel says that the
tramps who infest the country have another