Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-01-30
BECHTELS HIT BACK
Grave Charges Made Against
the States Attorney.
ACCUSED OF GROSS MISCONDUCT
LichtenwaIner Charged with IntOxi-
cation and Insulting Manners To-
ward the Family of the MUIR
dercd Girl, Mabel BcchteI.


ALLENTOWN, Pa, Jan. 3O.-Pro-
ceedings have been started before
| Judge Trexler by William j. Jones, a
lawyer who assisted Captain James l..
Schaadt in the defense of Mrs. Bechtel,
against District Attorney Edwin j..
Lichtenwalner to Gust him from office
upon charges of gross misconduct. The
petition to nave the district attorney
removed is supported by the affidavits
of Mrs. Bechtel and her daughter Myr-
tina as well as by a number of other
people. The nominal complainant is
Allison X. Brobst, son-in-law of Mrs.
Bechtel. Judge TreXler took the papers
and will issue n rule calling on the dis
trict attorney to file an answer to the
charge.
Attached to the complaint of Brobst
are a number Of affidavits in support of
his allegations. The first on the list is
that of Mrs. Catherine Bechtel, the
mother of the murdered girl, in which
she affirms that when OF Oct. 81 the
district attorney called at her home he
was in a state of intoXication. She as
serts that she was ill and nervous and
was barely conscious of what was go
ing on.
81 remember" she states, "that the
district attorney staggered, and l was
really afraid of him. He seated him
self on the couch beside me and an
nounced that he had come to get evil
dence to hang David Weisenberger. He
embraced me and repeatedly kissed me-.
l made attempts to repulse him, but in
my weakened condition l was unable
to do so. l was so overcome with grief
and emotions and so frightened and in
suited at the mans actions that l be-
came partly unconscious and don't re-
member clearly what happened save
that he thrust money in my hand. L
asked my family to get some to
put the man Lichtenwalner out and
would not have tolerated his actions
but for the fact that he, had announced
himself to be the district attorney, and
1 thought he could not be interfered
with while there in his official capacity.
81 resented the manner in which the
said Lichtenwalner acted toward my
daughters. l saw him embrace and try
to kiss my daughter Myrtha. l next
recalled that the police entered to take
Lichtenwalner from the house."
Mrs. Bechtel AYERS that prior to that
date she had no acquaintance with
Lichtenwalner.
Mrs. Harry ID. Newhard y an Gfida-
Wit AYERS that "Lichtenwalaer E&s ill
sulting, and his apparel was in disor-
DER Mrs. Newhard alleges that Lich-
tenwalner made improper proposals to
other women in the house and that to
| Mrs. Brobst, sister of the murdered
girl, he offered a ring.
Mrs. Brobst makes similar charges
| against Lichtenwalner in her affidavit.
She alleges that he took her mother
| around the neck, kissed her repeatedly
| and Rugged her roughly. Then Lich-
tenwalner sat beside my mother while
lying on the couch and presented her
| with his endearments. Then Lichten-
/ walner ordered ham and eggs and drink
and cigars to be brought, as though in
l saloon, and wanted a cab to be
brought to carry my mother home, not
moving that she was then home. He
persisted in his assaults and indecent
and immoral behavior, and l was forced
10 have an officer called"
Myrtha Bechtel, also a sister of the
murdered girl, corroborates the testi-
mony of her mother and Mrs. Brobst.