The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-29
KILLED BY RELATIVES.
Theory of Police Regarding
Murder of Mabel Bechtel.

Allentown. Pa, Oct. 2s.-With David
Weisenberg under $500 bail supplied by
Congressman Kline, and with Thomas
Bechtel. her brother. and Alfred Eek
stein, her accredited lover. locked up in
a police station cell. the Allentown po-
lice are resting from their work on the
Mabel H. Bechtel murder case until
Coroner ScheireF's jury meets. The
mystery is still practically unsolved,
except that Indications point to a fam
fly row in which Eckstein may have
figured, as ne admits he was at Miss
BechteFs home on Monday evening for
an hour and~a half. Because Mrs
BechteI HAD said her daughter left for
a drive on Monday at s a. M. efforts
were made 10 trace the Slris move
ments away from home. Rumors that
she was at a road house near the city
were found to be groundless, and the
police do net believe the girl was away
from home at all on Monday. Her
brothers, Thomas. John and Charles.
say they did not see her on that day.
and so also says her sister Martha. The
police put the entire Bechtel family ex-
Cept the mother under thorough eX3ull-
nation. Ali deny any knowledge of how
Mabel came to her death or who placed
her body in the areaway under the home
on Tuesday morning. Martha, John
and Charles we're discharged after they
as a witness before the corOner's Jury
because of blood stains found on his
overalls and in his room. Eckstein was
similarly held. Neither could get the
bail of 81 00e asked for. The mother
was not called because of her hysterical
condition.
Eckstein was Miss BechteFs accepted
lover, though she also received atten-
tons from Weisenberger. EcksJein ana
the girl were to have been married No
Vember %, but the date was recently
postponed until Christmas.
They had frequent quarrels over Wells
enberg's attentions. Eckstein being Jeal-
Gus OF him. He had expressed threats
to several persons that he would kill
both. It is said he occasionally beat
Miss Bechtel severely and as recently
as last Thursday evening when they
went to Philadelphia Eckstein was seen
to pummeI her on one of the principal
street corners whence the trolley cars
leave for Philadelphia. Because or this
and because EckStein was at the Bech-
tel home on Monday evening he IS be-
ing held. The Bechtel family sided
With Eckstein, preferring him TO Weis-
enberg as a prospective member or the
family.
Weisenberg was not allowed TO enter
the Bechtel home. and in the year and
a half that he courted the girl he never
did SO in her own home. They met on
the street and went to public places
together.
Police Sergeant Knaus returned to
Allentown from New York with Weisen-
berg. The latter gave a detailed state
ment of MS movements since Sunday
which are corroborated fully. He bad
not seen the girl since Sunday evening;
then he met her by appointment On one
street corner when she had just left
Eekstein at the next corner. The police
do not credit Mrs. Bechtel's story that
she saw a team drive up to the rear
Of the home at 1 a m. on Tuesday and
that TWO men carried a dark object into
an adjoining yard, nor her story hat the
girl left for a drive with Weisenberg on
Monday morning They incline to the
belief that the girl was not away from
home on Monday: that a family row &C.
CURED over the girls supposed duplieity
to Eckstein, and her attachment for
Weisenberg; that the blow was struck
in anger, which may have been more
severe than was intended, and that the
girls murder was thus accomplished and
the body disposed of as found the story
being concocted as related by the moth
ed