The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-06-02
Fiendish Child NHr.teT

BosToN, Nav 23.-Another muT-
der, even more horrible in its details
than that of Mrs. Bingham a few
weeks since, was perpetrated in this
city this afternoon. A bright little
girl, five years of age, was murdered
in q church and her bruised and mu-
tiIated body carried up into the
tower and thrown upon the floor of
the loft. The victim of this cruel
tragedy was Mabel II. Young, who,
with her widowed mother, resided
with her grandfather at so East
Chester Park. The hitter, Mr..
James Hobbs, is a well-knewn and
highly respected merchant, senior of
the firm of Hobbs, Pope & Co. This
afternoon little Mabel, in company
with an aunt, attended the Sunday
school anniversary exercises of the
Warren Avenue Baptist church, On
coming out of the church, at half-past
three O'Clock, her aunt remained in
the vestibule about ten minutes con-
versing with some friends, and on
starting home missed the child, who
q few minutes before was at her side.
At first it was supposed that she bad
gone back into the church, but when
she was not found inside and per-
sons outside declared she bad net
come out, the aunt became alarmed
and a search was commenced in
every direction. About four O'Clock
some ladies at an open windew
across the street heard faint cries of
a child, apparently from the church
tower, and noticed an unusual COM
motion among the doves that swarm
ed in and out the window. Some
young men who had joined the search
started at once to ascend the tower.
They found the door leading up
from the organ loft locked, and on
forcing it open were startled to see
fresh blood upon the floor and steps
leading up TO the next landing
They also found a strip of board
covered with blood at one end, and
heard low meanings from above.
Ascending along the steep fight of
stairs and raising the scuttle, which
resisted the strength OF a strong man,
they found the mangled body of the
child lying near the edge of the scut-
tie as though it had been carried up
the steps and hastily thrown down
there. Carefully they carried her
down into the church, where a large
number of persons had congregated,
into the presence Of her agonized
friends. From top Of her head,
which was broken in, blood and
brains were slowly ooZing, while
the nose was crushed in and the face
terribly mangled. She was carried
to her grandfathers residence and
surgeons were at once summoned,
who pronounced the case hopeless,
and her death is a question of but a
few hours at the furthest. Thomas
Piper who has been sexton of the
CnuTCu lOE ADOul YEA "o 1OON
ter arrested, and is now confined at
Chiefs Office. He was engaged at
work about the church, but his sus-
picious manner and his denial that
he had the keys, when the two keys
fitting the doors to the tower was
taken from his person, point strongly
to him as a guilty party. He is a
dark heayy-set nam, about twenty
six years old, and has once before
been under suspicion of murder, but
was discharged for want Of sufficient
evidence. Many of the police still
believe him the murderer of q young
girl in the Dorchester district about
ifteeDsmonths since. This last affair
has caused a profound sensation in
the community, and intense excite
ment prevails. The very boldness
of the affair lends additional horror
to it. Scarcely three quarters of an
hour elapsed from the time the child
came out of the vestibule of the
church until she was found 10 a dy-
ing condition. How she was en-
ticed away, and for what motive has
not t%ranspired.