Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-22
MOTHER TESTIFIES.
Calls God to Witness That All the Bechte1s Are Innocent.
4. PLAIN, STRAIGHTFORWARD STORY
Prisoner Denies All Guilty Knovv1- edge oR Her Child's Death and Said She Would Not Shield
 the Slayer of Mabel.

ALLENTOWN, Pa, Jan. 22. - Mrs Catharine Bechtel, whose trial on the charge of being an accessory after the fact to the murder of her daughter Ma. bel has been in progress here since last week, took the witness stand in her own defense. She was on the stand for four and 8 half hours and proved good witness. She told plain, straightforward story, in low, plain. tive voice, which frequently broke as she related the incidents and conver. sations that wrung her heart. Briefly stated, Mrs. Bechtel positively denied that her son Tom killed Mabel or that she had guilty knowledge of the crime. She was under cross examination when court adjourned, but the commonwealth up to that time failed to shake he1 story
 Mir. Schaadt, examining her, thus put the most pointed question of all.
 Tt is charged" said MT. Schaadt, "that on that Sunday night Tom struck Mabel in anger and killed her. Now, you are an old woman and have not much longer to live. As you must some day answer to your Creator, so tell us now, did anything like that occur in your house7"
 The tears welled in the gray haired woman's eyes, her hands were clasped as if Tn prayer before her breast, and with her head toward heaven she fer vently replied
 T swear by my God that Mabel was ; not killed or struck by Tom in my homer'
 Then Mrs. Bechtel told of hearing dogs bark in the yard at midnight on Monday. Tom was asleep, she said, and had one dog with him in his bed room. Another dog was in the cellar. Arising, she went to the rear window and saw cab in the alley. She saw two men carry something into Miller yard next door. The witness did not awaken Myrtha. She heard Tom snor- ing. The witness told of finding Ma bel's body Tuesday morning in the areaway under the house when she went to get a washing machine. This recital ard what followed were fdenti- cal with the statement told by her be- fore the trial and as given by other wit nesses. Two aprons placed in evidence belonged to the witness, who accounted for the blood stains by saying that in handling meats she wiped her hands on the aprons.
 MT. Schmidt asked, "Is it true that you wanted Mabel to go with other mera?'
 Never in my life," was the answer.
 Did you say to Eckstein that you wanted Mabel to go with men and bring In money? ?'
 "Never in my life, and she did not either. TheSe was never such thing said"
 Replying to another Guestion as to whether she knew how Mabel had come by her death she said:
 "God knows that don'I. If did it I would not be here now. I would have said it long ago. If it was from the youngest tot or the oldest of my chiI- dren would not shield them, and I would not he saved myself. have of ten implored and prayed that it might be revealed before die. As it is now, many people stare at us innocent peo- pie, and ! don't care to go on the street.
 Mas. Bechtel is Q Pennsylvania Ger man, and the entire proceedings were carried on in the Pennsylvania German dialect, which was understood not only by the judge, jury ard attorneys, but by most of the spectators in the crowd ed court room. It is probable that night sessions will be held In order to hasten the end of the trial.