Milford chronicle., 1903-10-30
ALLENTOWN GIRL
TS}OUND MURDERED
,6dy ofMiss Mabel Beehtel DisaovcleC
in Areaway Of Her Home.
POLICE COMPLETELY MYSTIFIED

nf this city are cOnpleCely mySIIAeu
bv the murder OF Miss Mabel H. Bech-
tel, aged IS years. who was found
dead in the areaway Of her home. Her
slllll was crushed and she was ether
wise mutilated. The case appears to
have many points in common with the
murder of jennie Bosscaietar in Pat
arson, N. J.. several years ago.
81 Miss Bechtel. who worked in a silk
mill here. was engaged to be married
to Alfred Eckstein, young man OF
Allentown, ani was to have wed him .
soon. Lately, however, David Weisen- Z
berg SO years OF age, Of South Beth /
lehen, a travelling salesman for a New
York cigar firm, has been pay
ing marked attentions to the young
woman.
During the day he called for her
and took her out driving. That was
the last seen OF the girl until her body
was found.
Mrs. Bechtel, the murdered girls
mother. said: mabel said she was 60
ing driving with David Weisenberg,
OAbegan to cry. This was 8 o'clock
asstks h morning. I told her rot to cry.
bSlreplied: Tt may be your turn to
~ soon. She did not come home
during the day or evening, and we
went to bed at 1 O'clock During the
hight I was awakened by the sound of
carriage wheels in the alley back of
the house. l looked out and saw
carriage with two horses. Two men
we're carrying something up the walk
n the back of the house next door. l
hought that one of our neighbors had
5een away in the country and brought
home apples or potatoes in bags. Soon
after our front door opened and some
body entered the house. 7 think all
of us at home heard the slight noise
this made, but we thought nothing of
that. either, for our front door is never
locked. and we were under the i'm
preston that one of the boys had
come home.
81 dropped off into deep sleep i'm
mediately. When l got up I was not
surprised to find Mabel's hat coat and
shoes on a rocking chair in the dining
room. l thought she had come home
during the night. doffed her clothing
and crept into bed. We were going to
wash, and l went into the cellar to
get out the washing machine. In the
areaway l found my daughter dead.
SAN Mad two love affairs' one with Al
ia Eckstein, a furniture fnisher,
who kept company with her three
years. They were engaged a year ago.
I've other with David Weisenberg,
kgh whom she seemed infatuated"
Chief Eastman has his entire police
force at work, assisted by other de-
tectives. but they are baffied. Alfred
Eckstein, one of the girls lovers. to
whom she was engaged, and whose en-
gagement ring was found in her pock-
cts. proved that he had not seen the
girl since Sunday evening, and he &C
counts satisfactorily for all his move
ments. Members of the Bechtel house
hold, especially the girls four broth
ers. were also under suspicion, but
they have cleared themselves to the
satisfaction of the authorities.
David Weisenberg, of South Bethle-
hem, with whom Miss Bechtel went
driving. left for Newark, ". j., his
parents say. and thither the detectives
have gone. Weisenberg was in thea
tire in this city until 1870 that night
and then left for his home. The girlwas
lot with him at the time. 1t was two
hours later that the girls mother saw
her body being carried from a carriage
near the house.
The post-mortem examination re-
vealed that the girls skull was crush
n by a blunt instrument, probably
qy cane; the nose was broken, the
0Atal bone crushed and splintered.
" the crown battered in. Mingled
witHA clotted blood in her hair were
ashes and bits of wood, as though she
had fallen in a street or an alley when
struck. The contents of the stomach
are being analyzed.
The police have found Nc trace OF
the horses or carriages said By Mrs.
Bechtel to have been used in carrying
the girl horne. From the appearance
OF the body and the clothing the girl
had been assaulted. and had been un
ClaQ WueQ Lu6 dSSduAb WAS udu0.
Some Of her clothing had then been
put about her, the remainder having
been laid in the dining room when the
body was placed in the underground
alley.
Weisenbera Claims He Is Innocent.
New York, Oct 2S.-A well-dresseG
young man, who said he is David
Weisenberg, asked the police at head
,arters If they were looking for him.
Az chief of police Of Allentown, Pa,
was communicated with by telephone,
and replied asking that Wefsenberg be
detained until one of his men who was
IN Newark looking for Weisenbers
could 20 to New York to take charge
OF him. Weisenberg told the police
that he was innocent Of the murder,
and that he knew nothing Of 1t until
he read the account in the papers.
7rurIeIsh Minister'S Son Badly Hurt.