Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-05-31
CREDITORS cLAKoR FOR MONEY.

l SnSDhh SHhS SSSWkSA heOsSAI
The Whiskey Trust i'm Bad
Financial Straits.
| ANOTHER HORRIBLE MURDER
| 1t Rivalled the Borden Tragedy-Ber.
tha Manchester, Twenty-Five
Year Old Girl Found Fearfully Mu.
tiIated-A Bloody Axe Was Found
Near a wood Pile-She Had Dragged
Herself Through Her own Blood
Great Horror Excites the Commun.
ity.
FALL RIVER, Mass, May 30.-The city
is in state of excitement tonight, due to
the discovery of an atroeious murder,
rivalling in many respects those of Mr.. and
Mrs. Borden. The victim WAS Miss Bertha
Manchester, aged twenty-five years, q for.
mer student in the High school and de.
scsndsnt Of one of the oldest families in
this section of New England. Miss Man
chester lived at farm house, four miles
from city hall, on what is known as the
new Boston road, very near the Wilson
road.
She was last seen alive at 7:30 this
morning, when her father, Stephen Man
chester, left for this city, accompanied by
his son and hired boy to deliver milk on
his regular route. About 2 o'clock this
afternoon they arrived home. Freddy,
his twelve year-old boy opened the gate for
his father to drive into the barn and ran
ahead into the house to get something to
eat. He opened the kitchen door in the
ell of the house and saw his murdered
sister lying in pool of blood on the floor.
He ran back to the barn and told his
father. The latter ran to the house, and
taking in the situation, started for the
police station, leaving the two boys on the
place, not bothering to notify the occu-
pants of an adjoining farm house.
1t was after O'Clock when the police
arrived, and Medical Examiner Dolan ar
animation was made of the house and Its
immediate surroundings. A bloody axe
was found in the wood pile, near the back
fence. After hunting all ever the prem
ises and being satisfied that the murderer
escaped, closer investigation of the case
was made. A photographer and engineer
innumerable measurements were taken un
der the direction of 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 through
pools of her blood. 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
eral cuts on the face and nose and two of
the girls teeth were on the floor. Her
loose hair was matted with blood and her
arms and face were covered with 1t.
The space in which she was found
measured about six by eight feet and the
windows were spotted with blood. Some
few spots of blood were found leading
from the kitchen and to the cellar door.
On searching the house the police found
that the girls bedroom had been rifled of
some of It's contents, including a lady's
gold watch, valued at about $50, presented
to the girl by her father four or Eve years
ago. The dressing case drawers had been
pulled open and an empty pocket book
was found among some cheap jewelry.
The missing watch, opened drawers and
pocket book cause the police to believe
that the motive of the awful butchery was
robbery. Although they have reached
theory as to the motive of the murder they
are all at sea at this hour regarding the
identity or the whereabouts of the assassin.
Everyone working on the case has been
cautioned against talking with reporters.
Policemen have been instructed to shadow
every member of the family and warn
them to say as little as possible regarding
Al, IL LAT o,E khaf or t.
Manchester is sixty three years of age and
is we'll known throughout this section.
His family consisted of the murdered girl,
q second wife, who has not lived with him
for some time, Freddy, the boy, a daugh-
ter married to W. w. Coolidge, and son,
Harry, who ran away from home about ten
years ago.
Mr.. Manchester told q reporter that he
found Bertha in the condition stated. He
last saw her just after she had prepared
his breakfast. She had no lovers of any
kind that he ever knew of and she seldom
bothered the neighbors. He had lived on
his farm about twenty six years, had nine
teen COWS and three horses and looked
after them himself, except for the assist
snce he obtained from his boy and another
lad named John Hunstall. He thought
Bertha had some money of her own, prob
ably $15 or $50. He thought she kept 1t
in her room. He had not seen his runaway
boy since he ran away. Freddy has no
idea who committed the murder and knows
no more about the affair than has already
been related. John, the work boy, has
| only been employed since last Friday.
Mics Read, neighbor who lives across
| the road from the Manchester farm, said,
this evening, that she had been at home
all day, but neither che nor the other mem
1 of Lor had onukhfnc
usual about the place. Her statement
| deepens the mystery surrounding tue
tragedy, as Manchester AWAY kept dogs OF
his farm. Two of these are bull mastiHl
and the third is Newfoundland. It woult
seem that these dogs would make consid
cradle noise under circumstances tina
would produce such noise. But no sucl
noise was noticed, and the police are in
clined to believe that the deed was com
mitted by some one familiar with tn
| premises.
The medical examiner has decided tina
| no outrage was committed before or afte
death. There was ample opportunity TO
the deed, Just as the Borden murders wer
committed last August, while the opportu
mites for escape were much easier. a
though the house IL within the city limit
It is remote from surroundings wher
strangers would attract particular after
| ton. ---@~
! The horror created in the community
something dreadful, and 1t is eonsidere
certain that If the murderer Is discovere
, | he will be lynehed. The body Of the mul
dered girl has been removed to an unde
takers rooms, The house has been vscate
fer the present by order of the author
ties. .-...
At midnight City Marshal billiard, q
| ,olioe oantains and four detectives were