The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-31
Mother, Daughter and Two Sons
Charged with Being Accessories
After the Fact OF the Crime.
ALoIs ECKsTEIN ALSO HELD
HE WAS ONE OF THE LOVERS OF
THE DEAD MABEL BECHTEL.
John and Charles BechtcI Committed
to Jail and the Others Re-
leased ON. Bail.

ALLENTOWN. Pa. Oct. s0.--The coro-
ner's jury which has been investigating the
murder Of Mabel Bechtel tonight returned
the following verdict:
I'VE believe that Mabel BechteI came to
her death at 627 Cedar street cher hOme),
between Sunday evening. Oct. p and Tues
day morning. Oct. q, and that death was
nicted by some person in the house unknown
20 the jury. We believe that the inmates
Of the house. Mrs. Gathering Bechtel,
Martha Bechtel. John Bechtel. Charles
BechteI and Aloise Eckstein are accessories
after the fact Of the crime"
Warrants OF arrests were served upon
Mrs. Bechtel and the members of her fam
lily and Eckstein this evening. They were
taken before Mayor Lewis who accepted
ball for Mrs. Bechtel in $1,000. Martha Bech-
tel In 500 and Eckstein in $500. John and
Charles BechteI were committed 10 jail. APP
picatIon for a writ Of habeas corpus will
be made tomorrow.
When the inquest was resumed this after
noon, Fire Chief Cohn and Policemen L.
c. Jacoby and William Hickey testified
10 finding blood spots on the carpets and
wall These were the first officers 10 enter
the house after the body found. They
saw Mrs. Bechtel. her daughter Martha
and one of her married daughters. They de-
scribed the location Of the hall and rooms
and stated that the family did not hesitate
but willingly showed the way They gave
their movements in detail as they went
through the house, but nothing new was
Cleaned.
POLICE CHIEF TESTIFIEs.
Police Chief Eastman was called next.
He testified to the finding OF the body OF
Miss Bechtel and to the procuring of the
different blood stained articles in the Bech-
tel house Thomas Bechtel accompanied
Chief Eastman on his first round of the
premises when he looked for foot prints in
the yard and tracks Of the supposed team
in the alley. The chief saw pair of over
alls In the Miller yard. next door to the
Bechtel home. which Thomas said were his.
The chief related how he followed up the
clews, which finally centered in the Bechtel
home. He showed the carpets taken from
the two bedrooms In the Bechtel house, I'm
which were blood spots. He spread the rag
carpet in the court room and showed that
several spots were directly under the place
the wall where the blood had spread
over the wall paper. There were traces OF
blood also on the washboard and on the
floor directly under the spots In the carpet.
Witness told of visit 10 Thomas's room.
Here were also spots on the carpet what he
believed were blood stains but which
Thomas said were tobacco stains. Thomas,
he said. hoped the guilty one would be
found. Chief Eastman next showed five
boards taken from the steps leading from
the kitchen 10 the basement On these steps
the chief said there were blood spots. The
chief told of the arrest of Thomas Bechtel
and Eckstein. He said TO Thomas: I'll have
10 arrest Eckstein." Thomas flushed and
hurriedly exclaimed: Don't do that, he is
innocent"
The attorney for the Bechtels had the
chief relate what Mrs Bechtel told him
last Tuesday morning This was the story
OF the barking dogs. the team In the al
lev man carrying something through the
Miller yard. He saw fresh carriage and
horseshoe tracks in the alley. Witness SAID
there were no freshly made footprints or
the board walk OF the Miller house. HI
saw mud stains the Bechtel board walk
the color of the mud corresponding will
that I'm the alley.
Mrs. BechteI Miss Bechtel Mrs. Brobst
married daughter, John and Charlie:
Bechtel and Charles Eckstein were sepa
rateIy called before the jury. Each re-
FUSED To answer any questions whatsoever
stating that they might say something tina
would tend TO incriminate themselves. i
was while Mrs. Bechtel was in the court
room that she learned that Thomas wal
dead. Her attorney. Mr.. Schaadt asked
Chief Eastman;
Where Is Thomas now?
The chief hesitated and said: az ghess a
the morgue. He committed suicide in hi:
cell yesterday.
pletely weeping violently. DIR. Eshbacl
was quickly at her side and she was lee
from the room in state of collapse.
DR. John Lear. biologist of Muhenberg
College testified that stains on Ratchet
wall paper. bed sheet and overalls wer,
blood.
The police officials say they searched
Thomas Bechtel thoroughly before he wa
placed i'm cell They thought he had th'
knife with which he killed himself bidder
in a shoe While the Bechtel family wa.
attending the funeral OF the murdered cir
yesterday Chief of Police Eastman made
thorough search of the house. Blood spot
were discovered on the stairway leadin,
TO the cellar and five boards were removed
and taken TO police headquarters