Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-22
TERRIBLE ORDEAL
For Aged Mother Of Murdered
Mabel Bechiel.
On S!aHd fyr a ~ Hours, but Testi-
monyls Unshaken.
Swc2rs Mabel Was Not Killed b,
Her Brother Tom.

Allentown, Pa, Jan. Z1.-Mrs. Cathc-
rine Bechtel, whose trial on the charge
OF being an accessory after the fact 10
the murder Of hcr daughter Mabel, haa
been In progress here since last week,
took the witness stand in her own do
feHsc. this afternoon. She Vas Oh the
stand for four and a half hours and
proved q good witness. She told q
plain, straightforward story in low,
rlaintiye voice which frequently broke
rs she related the incidents and con-
Fcrsa,l9na that wIuHg her heart.
Briefly stated. Mrs. Eechtel positively
denied that her son Tom killed Mabel,
OF that she had guilty knowledge Of
the crime. she was under c-O5S-ex.lnn-
ination when court adjourned, but the
common wealth up to the time failed to
shake her story.
..Irs. ICchtcl IS a Pennsylvania Ger
man and thc entire proceedings were
carried on in the Pennsylvania German
dialect, which was understood by the
judge, jury and attorneys and most Of
the spectators in the crowded court
room.
Mrs. Bechtcl stated that she was III
her Goth year and mother of II chill
dfcn. In answer to questions by Attor-
hey rchaadt, Mrs. Bechtel said she had
warned her daughter Mabel against as
sDci4tiuG with Weisenberg. but that
the girl only laughed at her. She de-
clare1 she had heard Weisenberg say
That fgl s. he could have both Mabel
ana AiO.s Eckatein Drained.
DID you ever strike Mabel?" the VT
ness Was asked.
Il never laid hand on the girl re-
Piled the mother.
She sa!d Mabel worked when she
pleased.
Did she ever stay away from horne
All night?"
YES, often on Saturday she would %
away ana not come home until sun
day.
Did you demonstrate with herr"
"A begged her not 70 stay out all
night, but ID come home at a proper
hour IiAe other respectable girls
did Mabel and Tom quarrel"
only ike brother and sister some
times would"
did re ever strike Mabel"
No"
IN describing the second story front
room Gf I4cr house which was used ~
Il spare ro";n. Mrs Ecchtel testified
that there was a rag carpet on the (;
floor. /
How .o''g lave you owned that car /
ret? ghc IVES asked
Ten Or II y4Yrs." answered the Wit
ness.
Witness sail the rag carpet mad been
Pr thu stlouI story front room for FIVE
i-oHths rre.i-us TO Mabers death.
tbs testimony is contradictory to
he s,",o:-crjs made by Chief Cohn
ana the tao officers who testified for
the commonwealth that on the da-
Mabel's Dolly was found there was an
iHCrAiu ';l:i'a, cL Itis floor. and on the
following, f."y this carpet had been re-
inovei ami 4 las carpet substituted.
The ;yso ra,-s Of Tie fathers Ratchet
Thica ne commonwealth introduced !
as the possible weapon with which Ma
bel Was i:illci were placed before the
witness ami skl claimed that the
Ratchet Wls llckn Ey herself.
1t * II 9Is,e,.." said Mr.. Sc!laadt.
that CT sunday niE,l. Tom struck Ma
bel in anger ana killed her. Now, you
are an oil woman. ara have not much
longer 10 live. as you must some day
answer to your Creator. SO tell us. now.
did anything ke that occur in your
house,?
The tears wciiel in the gray haired
wcman's eyes. her hands were clasped
as if in Qrayr.' before her breast, and
with her l-aod toward heaven she fer
vently replied:
Il swe7.. ny my God that Mabel was :
not killed or struck by Tom in my
house.
Then her attorney led UP to the
Of the family on Monday
morning. ';oHl left the house at 8 !
o'clock to 50 TO work. Mabel came down
stairs she said at $50. and helped her 5
self 10 breakfast. The sobbing mother !
then said:
she came out into the kitchen and :
said she was going out driving. l asked !,
her With whom. Weisenberg"' and !
when she answered yes l exclaimed
oh. Mabel III a rebuking tone. Mabel
pat her han Is ever her eyes and began
% cry. | asked her why she cried, and
she answered. L am crying now. maybe
you'll cry later After awhile she went
Up stairs. re-Gressed herself, and then I
eft the house. That was the last time Q
saw her alive. 1t was about 8 o'clock.
possibly a little later" a
Mrs. Bechte! told of hearing dogs s
park in the yard at midnight on Mon
lay. Tom was asleep. she said. and F
rad one dog With him in his bedroom. A
Another dog vas in the cellar. Arising,
she went - the rear window and saw ]
cab in the alley. She saw two men ]
AIRY something into Miller's yard, g
leXt door. .
The witness told Of finding Mabel's
,ody. Tuesl,y morning. in the area
way under the house When she went TO
ret a washing machine. This recital
md what followed were identical with
he statements told by her before the
rial end as given by other witnesses
Replying TO a question as to whether
he knew how Mabel had come to her
ieath, she said:
God KNOWS I don't. I have often
and prayed that it might be
evealed before l die. AS it is now,
many people stare at us innocent pec-
lie and don't care to go on the street.