Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-25
mot GUILTY."
Mrs. Bechtel Acquitted by Jury
of Her Peers.
Charged With FEC essoryAfter Fact Of
Daughters kurde-.
iE1.i-f4
Verdict Also Clears the Memory Of
Woman's Son.

Po'i ciu .iIS. Itcliiei, even though she
had prayed for it and confidently ex-
pccted il. The verdict also cleared the
memory of her son Tom, who killed
himself in prison cell within a few
hours after he had been locked up on
| the charge of having murdered his sis
| Ter Mabel. The verdict leaves the case
more than ever Il mystery. with the
l;ochtel family and their attorney MAX
ing vague threats that they will dis
| over and drag to punishment the MUIR
dcrcr of the Maynard girl.
The Judgment was the result chiefly
| of two factorS-tlle failure OF the new
Ia4i more or less experimental Dordet
biological test to determine the pres
| encc of blood and the great sympathy
t@!t by every man on the jury for the
poor old mother, hailed to the bar to
defend herself upon the charge of hav-
| in@ aided her unfortunte son Tom.
1t was Il pathetic scene that brought
This remarkable murder trial to an end
The mc1 of the jury returned to their
places after an absence of l hour and
| 10 minutes. One or two of them nod
| dcG coVertly to friends and smiled for
Il moment as il to say, It's all right
Judge TreNler announced from the
bench that the court would await the
larriVal OF the defendant. Five minutes
elapsed before Mrs. Bechtel came
walking slowly up the steps from her
attorneys office. Preceded by her law
yer and followed by her three black
r0Ecd daughters, the bent mother pro-
cccGed down the aisle. Very old ard
worn she looked; bowed by the weight
Of years and almost at the point of
exhaustion from the trying scenes of
the last nine days and the peril of pris-
cn fare.
One glance the aged widow stole at
the faces of the T. men in the jury box
The jurors met her inquiring glance
with kindly looks, but she was still
in suspense rs she went with infirm
steps 10 the place beside her lawyers
table. There she sat and remained gaz-
irg at the floor, her biack-gloved hands
folded in her lap, fer attitude the i'm
RI sonation of patient resigna ton.
Clerk Hoffman slowly called the roll
and noted with precision that each jul
~ answered. Then the jurors arose
nd Il aged mother who was threat
cued with imprisonment for shielding
her SCH trcmblngly arose, too: stood
"lHnc and looked pitifully toward them
Nay no one who reads these lines ever
look upon 50 sad a mothers face. Her
attorney and nor children had told her
there could be no danger but here she
stood and awaited the words that
HCant freedom and tho respect of he;
neiehbors. or the prison coll, the con-
vict's -arb and the stain of murder
upon the family name.
Gentlemen of the jury" asked the
clerk, have you agreed upon 4 verdict"
We have replied Foreman Eruch, a
big. apple checked, hcavy-limEcd Penn
sylvania German. standing as ease. his
hands thrust deep in his trousers peck
cts
How do YOU find the defendant. Cath
crime Eechtnl. guilty or rot guilty as
charged in the indictmcnt?"
Not guilty. said Bruch.
The bent. frail old woman stood Il mo-
mint IN WavcrinC doubt. then turned and
locked inquiiingIH at her daughter, Mrs.
i:robst. The girls black-drdped ann stole
around hcr mother. She whispered the
word innocent" The mother collapsed
The iron determination that had carried
her thus far was in an instant swept away
now that the peril was past. She SINK
into her chair as if a blow had fallen upon
her. She buried her face in her handkcr-
cElct ANA tor Il moment her Soh:i could
W lltilu throughout inc GCcp court
room, where the last gray light OF the dy-
ing winter day made everything seem I'M
real.
First. the pattng of one pair Of hands,
then Il rumble and quickly Il roar of APP
pL.iiSo Shoui, thc ancient court.
Adjourn court until Monday morning
ri . c!"ch. ordered the judge, and the
tUmult ceased
The Old woman remained weeping and
shaken - great sohs, hCr daughters fut-
;crin- ut her side, her sons. John Charles
and Sam. chewing very hard to refrain
from showing emotion.
Gentle men Of the jury" said tn judge,
Il thank you for the conscientious man
nrr in which you haze performed your
Guty. You are discharged"
Sud Mrs. Bcchtel presently TO one who
con. SIMULATED her: God knows ] am i'll
accent. q. low ] have prayed for this.
now only ask one thing m0rc-that some
time my Mabels murderer may be
known.
Il should have been wofully disarpo;nt-
cd," said Mrs BcChtcrs attorney. IF the
verdict had been anything else. But
am rot going to rest with this. I intend
10 go further ana =" That the murderer
is discovered and punished"
Il have no doubt" said District Attor-
ncy Lichteuwallcr. that the jur:.'s yer
dict was caused by their lack OF faith in
the i:prdct biological test to determine
the presence of blood. 1t is q new test.
ir,t | have great faith in it. and We de
pended upon it to prove tn" presence NJ
blood stains in the Bcchtel house. i THINK
sympathy for the Whitc-haired mother
had much to do with the verdict.
"As to the indictments against the 9th
or members Of the Bechtcl family | shall
let the matter rest for Il time, and then.
if nothing new develops. | shall submit
the bills to the court and enter nole
proScqui."
The Jurors were all happy to he released
from the long and tedious trial. AS soon
as We went out" said one of their num-
hcr I'VE found that we were all of one
mind about the case. but we wanted to
hear one another's opinions. so we all
talked the matter over. We did not send
FOR any of the exhibits. We did not need
them we took only one ballot and then
we went in.
We agreed upon verdict of not gull
ty on these four points;
Il. The absence of any motive for Tom
Bechtel to commit the murder
- The absence of any circumstantial
evidence outside of the doubtful blood
stains.
IS. Witnesses who were not contradict
ell swore' that they saw Mabel Bechtel
alive on Monday.
~. The confederation in part of Mrs
Bcchtcl's story of hearing the dogs bark
CONTINUED on page 81