Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-10-31
ALLENTOWN GIRL
FOUND MURDERED
Body OfMiss Mabel Bechtel Discovered
in Areaway of Her Home.
POLICE COMPLETELY MYSTIFIED

Of this city are completely mystifed
by the murder of Miss Mabel II. Bech-
tel. aged Is years, who was found
dead in the areaway of her home. Her
skull was crushed and she was other
wise mutilated. The case appears to
have many points in common with the
murder OF Jennie Bosschieter in Pat
erson. N. j., several years ago.
Miss Bechtel, who worked in q silk
mill here. was engaged to be married
to Alfred Eckstein. a young man OF
Allentown. and was to have wed him
soon. Lately, however, David Weisen-
berg, 80 years of age, of South Beth
lehem, 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 go
ing driving with David weisenberg,
and began to cry. This was o'clock
In the morning. told her not to cry
She replied: IT may be your turn to
cry soon She did not come home
during the day or evening, and we
went to bed at I o'clock. During the
night I was awakened by the sound OF
carriage wheels in the alley back Of
the house. 1 looked out and saw a
carriage with two horses. Two men
were carrying something up the walk
In the back Of the house next door.
thought that one Of our neighbors had
been away in the country and brought
home apples or potatoes in bags. Soon
after our front door opened and some
body entered the house. ] 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 a 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. 1 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
She had two love affairs, one with AL
fred Eckstein, a furniture finisher,
who kept company with her three
years. They were engaged year ago.
The other with David Weisenberg,
with whom she seemed infatuated"
Chief Eastman has his entire police
force at work, assisted by other de-
tectives, but they are baflcd. Alfred
Eckstein, one of the girls lovers, to
whom she was engaged, and whose en-
gagement ring was found in her peck
cts, proved that he had not seen the
girl since Sunday evening. and he ac-
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 1880 that night
and then left for his home. The girlwas
not with him at the time II was two
hours later that the girls mother saw
her body being carried from q carriage
near the house.
The post-mortem examination re-
vealed that the girls skull was crush
ed by blunt instrument, probably a
heavy cane; the nose was broken, the
frontal bone crushed and splintered,
and the crown battered in. Mingled
with 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 analysed
The police have found no trace of
the horses or carriages said by Mrs.
Bechtel to have been used in carrying
the girl home. From the appearance
Of the body and the clothing the girl
had been assaulted. and had been I'M
clad when the assault was made.
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.