The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-23
AS ODD L|VETH
He IS GU|LTLESS
Mrs. BechteI Speaks With
Broken Voice.
TEARS DIM HER EYES
And Lifting Her Gray Head and Grief
Stricken Face to Heaven She
Cries Out That Her Son is
Innocent of MabeI's
Blood.
Blood.
(By the Associated Press.)


Allentown, Pa, Jan. 21-Mrs Catherine
Bechtel, whose trial on the charge of be-
ing an accessory after the fact to the
murder of her daughter Mabel, has been
in progress here since last week, took
the witness stand in her own defense tins
afternoon.
She was on the stand for four and hall
hours and proved good witness. She
told a plain, straightforward story In
low. plaintive voice, which frequently
broke as she related the incidents and
conversations that they had had.
Mrs Bechtel positively denied that her
son Tom killed her daughter 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 her story.
In answer to questions by Attorney
Schaadt, Mrs. Bethel said she had warned
her daughter Mabel against associating
with Weisenberg, but that the girl only
laughed at her. She declared she had
heard Weisenberg say that for So he could
have both Mabel and Alois EcksteiD
Drained.
Ibid you .ever strike Mabel?" the wit
ness was asked
II never laid a hand on the GIRL 70
piled the mother
She said Mabel worked when she pleased
did she ever stay away from home all
night?"
Yes, often on Saturday she would go
away and not come home until Sunday"
did you demonstrate with herr"
81 begged her not to stay out all night,
but to come home at proper hour like
other respectable girls
The two parts of the lathers' Ratchet,
which the commonwealth introduced as
the possible weapon with which Mabel
was slain, were placed before the witness.
and she claimed that the Ratchet was
broken by herself.
Mrs. Bechtel said that Tom was. in the
habit of chewing tobacco while in bed,
and when he fell asleep the tobacco juice
would run out of his mouth and over the
pillow case and sheets.
Mr. Schaadt at this juncture produced
the stained bolster and pillow cases and
sheets taken from Toms bed which she
identified.
Then came the most pointed question
of all.
"It is charged said Mr.. Schaadt, chat
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 house,"
The tears swelled in the gray-haired wo-
mans eyes. her hands were clasped as if
in prayer across her breast and with her
head toward Heaven she fervently re-
piled:
Il swear by my God that Mabel was
not killed or struck by Tom in my home.'
An impressive silence followed and then
her attorney led her UP to the movements
of the family on Monday morning Tom
left the house to go to work at six o'clock
Mabel came down stairs. she said. at 7:3O
and helped herself to breakfast. The Sob
blng mother lien said
'She came out in the kitchen and said
she was going out driving asked her.
With whom, Weisenberg? and when she
answered yes exclaimed % Mabel in
rebuking tone Mabel put her hands
over her eyes and began to cry. l asked
her why she cried and she answered. 4
am crying now, maybe you'll cry later"
What happened next?"
<AiICi ii WINE Sic WpUU upstairs, re-
dressed herself and then left the house.
That was the last time saw her alive
1t was about 9 O'Clock, possibly little
later"
Mrs. Bechtel related the story of finding
Mabel's body as told by her and others.
Mr.. Schaadt asked:
rs it true that you wanted Mabel to
go with other men?"
Never in my life,'' was the answer.
did you say to Eckstein that you want
ed Mabel to go with men and bring in
money!"
"Never in my life, and she did not
either. there was never such a thing said.''
Replying to another question as to
whether she knew how Mabel had come
to her death, Mrs. Bechtel said:
God knows that don't. If l did
know I would not be here now. I would
have said it long ago."
Mrs. Bechtel will testify again tomor-
row.