The sun., 1903-10-30
tom BECHTEL KILLS HIMSELF,
SUSPECTED MURDERER or HIS
SISTER CUTS HIS THROAT.

Commits Suicide in His Cell in Allentown
Dead when the Watchman Came
Around--Family Hurried to the station
and Warrants sworn Out Agains,
Them-The Mother. Three sisters and
One Sou Permitted 10 10 Home
ALLENTOWN. Pa. Oct. ?9.-Tom Bechtel
whose sister Mabel was murdered and
whose body was found on Tuesday morn
ing in an slleyway beside her home, in
edar street committed suicide late this
afternoon in his cell at police headquarters,
where he had been detained on suspicion
Of being his sisters murderer. He cut his
'hroat wit a knife. Fifteen minutes after
+ Hes discovered that he had killed him
self typewritten letter bearing Phila-
ielphia postmark and unsigned was re-
reiyed by the Mayor, the writer of which
neclal.d that Tom Bechtel was the mur-
derer and descril ed the murder and ever is
leading up to ii almost exactly corre-
spending to TIE theory the police had
worked out and which they hoped to sub
,tantiate at the C)roner's inquest this
evening The letter read:
She was killed by her brother. The body
va, taken down stairs with the assistance OF
the mother and laid IN the Iassagcway. The
story was then made up between them about
the carriage. The struggle with the girl to
gst her to release herself from the jew Welsen-
berg, who was dragging her down to iufGmy.
eliminated that night in terrible scene in
killed her. II is the same story, Nirainius
and his daughter 10 save her from TarQuin,
with the same result; Taruun not killed,
nut he child, hy Nirginius and so the cursed
Icv, WeisenberR, escaped and the girl paid
tho penalty of his crime.
OC' 2S 1908.
The letter was addressed to The Mayor
Allentown. Pa it was mailed at 1890
his morning The Bechtel girl had sister
named Mrs. Davis living at Twenty fourth
and Spring Garden streets. Philadelphia
1t was she whom the girl visited on Satur-
day, coming back on Sunday with Weisen-
berg The police suspect that 1t was this,
sister who sent the letter. but with no idea
that its arrival here would find her brother
dead by his own hand. The story told
In the letter tailed so closely with that
which the police had followed from one
point to another that the inquest tonight
was hardly necessary to fasten the crime
on Tom.
II was 5:25 o'clock when the body OF tho
brother was found in -, cell hy Sergt
Roth The letter reached the Mayor at
si5 this afternoon, as he was standing in
his office discussing the suicide.
THAT settles IT, said the Mayor when
he read the letter. which was not made
public until later in the evening Bechtel
cut his throat with large jackknife. He
and Eckstein, the girls fance, since their
arrest. on Tuesday, occupied adJoining
rells in the rear OF police headquarters.
The police insist they were both carefully
was found on Eckstein. which he wt.s allowed
to keep. Policeman Jacob. who did tie
searching. found no knife on Becttel. al
though he says he searched him care
fully.
All day to-day Bechtel showed effects
OF the strain on him. He paced Zip and
down his cell, occasionally talking to Eek.
-tein, who has been also under suspicion
According to Eckstein. Tom made the
remark once during the day that he wished
they could die together. Eckstein says
that he was talking to Bechtel as late as
Is O'Clock this afternoon. He could not
-ea into the adjoining cell A few minutes
ajer he says he heard gurgling sound
and called to Tom, getting no answer.
When Sergt. Roth came in on his rounds
fclsten asked him to look into Toms
relI, as he feared something had happened
~ him Roth lit a match, looked in and
saw Bechtel lying on his cot, his head over
tho edge and pool Of blood on the floor.
Beside him on the cot lay jackknife with
a three-inch blade Bechtel was dead.
Tie Coroner, Chief Of Police and the Mayor
were summoned at once.
The suicide so convinced the Mayor and
the chief of the correctness of their SUR
misses that they sent two cabs with police
men In each to get the other members OF
the family the mother. three sisters and two
other brothers One Of the sisters was Mrs
Davis, who came up here to attend the
funeral this afternoon. They were brought
70 police headquarters for the inquest,
but were told Immediately ofthe brother s
suicide
The inquest was held tonight behind
closed doors Coroner Schierer declared
that he had legal right to have II in secret
In the interest OF justice. District Attorney
Dichtenwalner and the Mayor took part
In H.
The theory Of the police had been all day
that II was Tom Hs2htel who slew his sister
In A. Of rage because she had been at a
hotel with Weisenberg for several hours
on Sunday night. Their visit to the hotel
followed the trip to Philadelphia. where the
girl went on Friday with Eckstein. Weisen-
berg came home with the girl. leaving
Philadelphia on the o'clock train on Sun
Gay afternoon. They reached hero at 8
O'Clock. and the girl went home. On Sun
Gay night she met him at the Eighth Ward
hotel. place where many appointments
OF kind not uncommon here take place.
"eisenberg and the girl had room and
eit at il:So O'Clock, Weisenberg taking the
grl 10 her home on Cedar st rect Tom,
mo ldest brother and the most quarrelsO me
member Of the family, 1t was shown, was
downtown on Sunday evening and was In
me neighborhood Of the hotel For weeks
ne had refused to speak 10 his sister for
.eepins appointments with Weisenberg, the
var sale man, and refusing 10 marry
~. nks'ein, DIS the family wished
Tom got hons before his sister and was
an1ng for her whom she came In.