The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-28
CRIME IS STRANGE
Young Woman Is Murdered and
Authorities Are Baffled.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. Oct. 27.-MabeI
II. Bechtel, aged twenty-one years, was
murdered last night and her body
placed in an underground alley adjoin-
ing ing, ner nome, where it was found to-
day by her mother. Her skull was
crushed, but there were no other
marks of violence on the body. Miss
Bechtel went driving yesterday morn
Ing with David Weisenberg, and that
was the last time she was seen alive.
MRS. Bechtel, mother of the muir
dered girl, was aroused early this
morning by the barking of dogs Upon
looking out of her bedroom window
she saw two men carry an object from
carriage and place it in the under
ground alley. She made no investiga-
tlon, but upon arising this morning she
found her daughters shoes, hat and
coat In the dining room. Later the
body of Miss Bechtel was found in the
alley.
The police are mystified. That it Is
case of homicide is undoubted, but
who did 1T and when and why are still
unsolyed questions. Chief Eastman
mas put the entire police force at work
assisted by other detectives. but up to
late hour tonight they are baff1ed.
Alfred Einstein, one of the girls
lovers TO whom she was engaged, and
whose engagement ring was found iE
her pocket, today proved that he had
not seen the girl since Sunday evening
and he accounts satisfactorily for all
MS movements. Members of the Bechtel
household, especially the girls four
prothers, were also under suspicion,
put tney nave cleared themselves to
the satisfaction of the authorities.
David Weisenberg, of South BethIe-
hem, with whom Miss Bechtel went
driving yesterday, left for Newark, N.
D., TINS morning, his parents say, and
th1ther detectives have gone. Weisen-
berg was in a theater in this city last
night and then left for home. The
girl was not with him at the time. 1t
was two hours later that the girls
mother saw her body being carried
from carriage near the house.
The post norton examination TODAY re-
veaiS that the girls skull was crushed
by punt instrument probably a heavy
bone crushed and shattered and the crown
battered IN. Mingiing 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 po-
nee nave found no trace of the horses or
carriage 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 unclad when the assault
was made. Some of her clothing had
been placed about her, the remainder
having been laid in the dining room when
the body was placed in the underground
NEW YORK. Oct. pa well dressed
good looking young man, who said he is
David Weisenberg, asked the police at
headquarters tonight if they were look
ing for him. The chief of police of AL
lentown, Pa, was communicated with by
telephone and replied asking that Weisen-
berg be detained until one of his men who
was in Newark looking for Wesenberg
could go to New York to take charge of
him. Weisenberg told the police that he
was innocent of murder and that he knew
nothing of 1t until he read the account in
the afternoon papers.
Weisenberg said he left Allentown on
the. IL, o'clock train last night He did
not say when he was last with Miss
'Bechtel, but he declared that she was in
perfect health when he did see her last.