Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-11-04
BECHTEI. TRAGEDY.
The Mothers Story Believed tC Be
Invention.
POSSIBLE RESULT OF FAMILY ROW.
Police Find Blood Stains on WalIs Of
Her Brothers Room and Also His
Bloody Overa,is.

Allentown. Pa. Special. With David
WelSenGerg under 5000 bail. stumbled
by Congressman Kline, ani with Thos.
Eerhtel. her brother. and and Alfred
Eckstein. her accreditc lover. locked
up in d police station cell. the Allen
town police are resting in their work
on the Mabel II. Dechtel murder case
VI lNeSday morning. until Coroner
Schierer's jury meets tomorrow even
ing. The mystery is still practically
unso,ved. except that indications point
TO family row in which Eckstein nav
have figured. as he admits he was at
Miss Bochtcrs homo on Monday even
ing for an hour and a half. Because
Mrs. Bechtel HAD said her daughter
left for drive on Monday at a. m.
efforts were made to trace the girls
movements away from home. Runors
that she was ut Il road house near this
city We're found to be gTounIless and
the police 10 not believe the girl was
away from home at all on Monday.
Her brothers. Thomas John and Chas.
say they diI not see her on that day
ard SO also says her sister Martha.
Martha usually slept with her wild
owed mother n the second floor. -ear
room. Thomas occupied tie middle
room and John and Charles the front
room. In the latter the police today.
OF thorough search. found blood stains
on the carpet and on the wall paper.
and il looked as if vigorous efforts had
been made To Wipe them out Thomas
bloody overalls were found this after
noon in n noiEhhor's yard. In a drawer
cy closet in the third story was found
part Of Charles Ratchet. such as sla-
tc-s use in slate roof. being his trade.
The remainder of the tools were found
III another drawer. The break in the
handle looks new ana fresh.
The police this afternoon prt tho en-
tire Bechtel family. except the mother
under thorough examination. All deny
any knowledge of how Mabel came to
her death or who placed her body in
the allcy-way under the home or Tues
Gay morning. The mother was not
called bccaUs2 of her hysterical con
dition.
Eckstein was Miss Bcchtcl's accepted
lover. though she also received atten-
tons from Wcisenberg. Eckstcin and
the girl were to have been married CT
November %. but the date was recently
postponed until Christmas They had
frequent quavrels over Weisenbcrg'a
attentions. Eckstein being jealous OF
eral persons that he would Kill both. 1t
is said lie occasionally beat Miss Bech.
tel severely.
The Bcchtcl family sided with Eek
stein. Wc;senbcrG was not allowed to
enter the Bcchtel home
Police Sergeant Knauss returned to
Allentown from New York today with
Weisenbcrg The latter gave de-
tailed statement OF his movements
since Sunday which are corroborated
fully. lie had not seen the girl since
Sunday evening, when he met her by
appointment on one street corner when
she had just left Eckstein at the next
corner. The police incline to the be
lief tnat the girl was not away from
home on Monday; that a family row
occurred over the girls g Jposed du-
plicity TO Ecksten, and her attach
ment for Weisenberg: that a blow was
struck in anger which may have been
more severe than was intended. and
that the mothers story is sn invcn-
ton.