The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-24
HORRIBLE MURDER.

LITTLE GIRL KILLED IN cHURcH-HER
THERE-THE SEXTON ARRESTED ON SUSPICION
EXCITEMENT AMONG THE PEOPLE.
BosToN, May %, 1875.
Another murder, even more horrible in It's de-
tails than that OF Mrs. Bingham, y Inch SO shocked
and startled the entire community a few weeks
since. was perpetrated in this city this afternoon.
bright little girl 1--WE years OF age
was murdered in church. and the
bruised and mutilated body carried
up into the tower and thrown upon the floor OF
the loft for years the abode OF hundreds or doves
and pigeons. The victim OF this cruel tragedy
was Mabel ii. Young, who, with her
widowed mother. resided with ner
grandfather, at No. 90 East Chester
Park. The latter Mr.. James Hobbs, Is well
known and highly respected merchant, senior or
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 church. at half-past three
O'Clock, the aunt remained in the vestIDule about
ten minutes, conyersing with some friends, and
on starting home missed the child, who
a Few minutes BEFORE was at her side.
AT first 1t was supposed she nad gone back
into the church; but wnen she WAS not found In
Side ana persons outside declared she Dau not
come out the aun: became alarmed ana search
was made in every direction. About iour O'Clock
some ladies' at an open window across the street
heard
FAINT CRIES OF CHILD
apparently from the church tower, and noticed
an unusual commotion among the doves that
swarmed in ana ont Of 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 II open, were startled
10 see fresh biood upon inc floor and steps leading
mn Vhn 14p ole nd
strip oil noald covered with blood at one
end and heard low meanings from above. As
cendlng long, steep hight OF stairs aud raising
tue scuttle, which resisted the strength OF
strong man, they found the mangled body
OF the chld lying near the edge OF the
scuttie, as though 1t had been carried up
the steps and hastily thrown down there
Carefully they carried her down into the
churcn, where large number or persons mad con-
gregated ana INTO the presence Of her agonized
friends From the top or her head, which was
broken blood and brains were slowly ooZtng
while the nose crushed in and the face terribly
manged. She carried to her grandfather's
residence and surgeons at once summoned, VINO
pronounced the case hopeless anu her death
question or but q lew hours at the farthest.
Thomas Piper, who has been sexton OF the church
for about year, was soon alter arrested, and Is
now confined at the Chiefs office. He
engaged at work about the church, but
SUSPICIOUS MANNER,
and his denial that he mad the Keys when the two
Keys fitting the doors TO the tower were taken
from his person, point strongly 10 MN as the
party. lie is a dark. heavy set maj, about
twenty-six years old, and has once before
been under suspicion OF murder, but was
OF the police still believe him guilty ofthe murder
OF young girl IN Dorchester district about fifteen
months slnce
in the community and intense excitement pre-
walls. The very ooldness Of the affair lends addi-
tional horror to II.
Scarcely three quarters or an hour elapsed from
the time the child OF the vestinule OF the
church until she was found IN dying condition.
How she was entlced away, and Tor what motive
has not transpired.