Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-30

Philadelphia, March 29-John Rech,
the Estelville, N. j., farmer who was
arrested in Bustleton, Pa, on suspicion
of having murdered his wife, at their
home, was brought to police headquar-
ters in this city to-day, and is held
pending investigation.
1t has been learned that Mrs. Rech
was none other than Bessie Weaver,
whose trouble with her father and his
usekeeper, afterwards her step
mother, gained wide publicity a dozen
years ago. She was the daughter of
DR.. Martin Weaver, a wealthy but &C.
centric resident of Germantown. He
died leaving an estate OF over $4,000
entirely TO his second wife. Soon after
his death Bessie married William Heft,
of Germantown. She had previously
instituted proceedings to
BREAK HER FATHERS WILL,
but subsequently compromised, an ar
rangement by which the income Of the
estate was divided between Bessie and
her step-mother during the remainder
of their lives. In 1887 Heft procured a
divorce on statutory grounds, and she
soon afterward married Henry W.
Bachman. of this city. Bachman also
obtained a divorce.
Attorney c. w. Williams, OF the PhlI-
adelphia bar, was trustee for the es-
tate. Upon the occasion Of Mrs. Rech
last visit she told Mr.. Williams that she
had made up her mind to leave her
husband because he treated her Dadly,
and he noticed that two OF her front
teeth were missing.
Rech, it is said, to-day
MADE A CONFESSION
to the police. admitted that he murder
ed his wife for the purpose OF enjoying
the money left by DR.. Weaver to his
daughter Elizabeth. The authorities
refuse to reveal the details of the con
fession. It is said that Rech claims the
couple were not lawfully married, al
though a ceremony was gone through
before a Justice of the peace in Jersey
City. in May. 1895. He is said to have
confessed that he has a wife and daugh-
re- n Catasaqua. Pa. but whether she
ever obtained divorce papers is not
known. 1t is claimed that he and Eliza
beth Weaver conspired to let him be-
come the beneficiary under the Will OF
her father in case of her death. As the
first step in the conspiracy, it is said,
the woman made a will leaving her in
heritance to Rech in trust for her child.
They had yet to obtain a child. When
they appeared in Estelville she began
to make it appear she had child in
this city. About six weeks ago they
are said to have come here and adver-
tised for an infant about ten months
old One was obtained, which is said
to be the illegitimate offspring of
A PROMINENT SOCIETY WOMAN
by a New York business man. With the
child they returned to Estelville. The
resolve to murder the woman, it is said,
entered Rech's mind suddenly, but the
manner in which it was done is not
known. 1t occurred last Saturday
wee. It seems. however, that he strang-
led her while she slept and then carried
her TO the grave he had hastily prepar-
ed With an axe he chopped the branches
of a tree to hide the spot. He came
here Thursday night and Friday went
to Foxchase and on Saturday to Somer-
ton, where he stopped at an hotel He
had previously left the child in Phil
adelphia in "baby farm" On Satur-
day night he read of the discovery of
the body and began trembling so that
the hotel propriteors spoke to him. He
admitted that he was John Rech. He
was then turned over to the police.