Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-06-01
a savl,sa, laasssy.


FAIl RIVER, MasA, May si.-lfia Ber.
tha Manchester. aged ~ yeAra. fornR
student in the high school. and . dssesad.
snt Of one of the Oldest families in this
section Of New England. was the victim Of
q horrible murder yesterday. She lived At
. farmhouse, four miles from city hall. On
what 10 known u the New Boston road,
very near the Wilson road
She was last seen alive about 1.So ysstsr-
day morning. when her father. Stephen
Manchester. left for this city, accompanied
by his son and hired boy. 70 deliver milk.
About o'clock yesterday afternoon they
arrived home. Freddy, . laysAr-old boy,
opened the gate for his father 70 drive the
milk wagon into the barn and ran ahead
into the house He opened the kitchen
door and saw his sister lying In . pool Of
klood ON the floor.
The father started for tho police station.
four miles distant. 1t WAS after o'clock
when the police and Medical Examiner
Dolan arrived.
a Dlessiy Ass Was Fsaaa
In 4 woodpile, near the back fsnce After
hunting all over the premises aud being
SttlcutNt tu6t tut iluturhVE, WuucNVE uC
was, had escaped, u closer Investigation Of
the case WAS made. A photographer and
engineer wer summoned, and ~ nega.
tives and innumersble measurements
were taken. under the direction o. the
authorities.
The examination Of the body disclosed
Horrible Conditions.
The young girl WAS lying close to the foot
Of the stove. where she had evidently
dragged herself Her right leg Was drawn
under the body, her clothes were partially
drawn from her hips, and her head and
face were frightfully mutilated. There
were four long, deep cuts on the back Of
the head. and the top Of the skull was
crushed
There were several cuts on the face and
nose. and two Of the girl's teeth were
found on the floor beside her. The space
in which she was found measured about
6xs feet, and the sheathing and windows
all around 1t were spotted with blood
Some few spots of blood were found lead
ing from the kitchen TO the cellar door,
and there were pools Of blood ON the floor
OF the cellar, Just beneath where the bo,l,
lay.
On searching tho house the police found
that the
Giri's BEDROOM Had Been RIM ID
OF some Of its contents, including n gold
watch. The dressing case drawers had
been pulled open and an empty pocket
book was found The missing wa,ca
and pocketbook cause tn polics to bell, We
nat the motive Of the awful butchery WAS
robbery.
Mr.. Manchester is ~ years Of ags. His
immediate family consisted OF tho mur
dered girl, u second wife who has not lived
with him for some time. Freddy, the -
year old boy. a daughter, married TO W,
w. Coolidge, and n son Harry, who ran
away from home about 10 years ago.
MH Manchester told . reporter that
Bertha had no lovers Of any kind that he
ever knew Of. and she seldom bothered the
neighbors. He had lived on his farm
about 26 years and looked after II himself.
except for the assistance he obtained from
his boy and another lad named John
Hunstall. He thought Bertha had some
money Of her own, probably SIS or so IIc
thought she kept IL in her own room. II
had not seen his runaway son since he lett
home several years ago, although he h d
been told at various times that he had be,
seen about the place. John, the work bo,
about the farm, has only been employed
since last Friday