The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-31
AGAIN THE BLOODY AXE.
Fall River The Scene Of Another Afro
CiOuS Crime.
THE VICTIM A YOUNG WOMAN
The Horrible Deed shrouded I'm Mystery.
and the FaIl River Police Have An
other Opportunity To show what They
Can DO I'm the Emergency.

FALL RIVER, Mass, May 3l.-The city
is in state of intense excitement, due to
the discovery last night of an atrocious
murder, rivalling in many respects those
of Mr. and Mrs. Borden.
The victim was Miss Bertha Manches ter,
aged % years, former student in the
high school, and descendant Of one of the
Oldest families in this section Of New Eng
land Miss Manchester lived at a farm
house. four miles from city hall, on what
is known as the New 30 ston road, very
near the Wilson road.
Miss Manche ster was last seen alive
about 7:30 clock yesterday morning,
when her father, Stephen Manchester left
for this city, accompanied by his son and
hired boy, TO deliver milk on his regular
route.
About O'Clock in the afternoon they
arrived home. Freddy, his l2-year-old boy,
opened the gate for the father 10 drive tn,
milk wagon into the barn, and ran aheao
into the house To get something to eat. He
opened the kitchen door in the l. Of the
house, and
Saw His Murdered Sister
lying in pool of blood on the floor. A
hasty examination was made of the house
and iminmediate surroundings. A bloody
axe was found in a woodplle near the back
gate
After hunting all over the premises and
being satisfied that the murderer, whoever
he was, had escaped, a closer investigation
of the case was made. A photographer
and engineer were summoned and IL mega
tives and innumerable measurements were
taken under the direction of the authori-
ties.
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 her body,
her clothes were partly drawn from her
hips and her head and face were frightfully
multilated.
There were four long, deep cuts on the
back of the head and the top of the skull
was crushed to a jelly. There were sew
eral cuts OH the face and nose and two OF
the girls teeth were found on the floor
beside her Her loose hair was matted
with blood and her arms and face were
covered with il.
Inc space IN WDlcn she was fOund meas
ured about by feet, and the sheath
ing and windows all around it were spot
ted with blood. Some few spots of blood
were found leading from the kitchen
the cellar door, aud there were pools @
blood on the floor of the cellar just b..
meath where the body lay.
Nelg hbors Saw Nothing.
Miss Read, n neigbbor who lives acros,
the road from the Manchester farm. sal,
that she had been at home all day, but
neither she nor the other members of her
family had heard anything unusual about
the place. Her statement deepens tht
mystery surrounding the tragedy, as Man
chester always kept dogs on the farm
Two Of these are bull mastiffs and a third
is Newfoundland.
kBecause no such noise was noticed by th
neighoors the police are inclined to believe
that the deed was committed by some one
familiar with the premises.
The body Of the murdered girl has beer
removed from the house to an undertaker's
room. The house has been vacated for the
present by order of the police authorities
On searching the house the police found
that the girls bedroom had been rifled of
some of its contents, including lady's
gold watch, valued at about $50, presented
to the girl by her father four or five years
ago.