Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-05-02
Body Of Three Year-Ol Girl
Found with Throat
Cut.
YOUNG UNCLE SUSPECTED
Last Seen with Child-His shirt
sleeves Observation-Disclosures Also
Understanding Deed Commit
ted in North Bcnnipgton-
An Autopsy Tuesday.

Bennington, April Gone of the most
shocking deeds in the criminal history of
Vermont was committed near Lake
Paran in North Bennington early last
evening The victim. Ethel Mahan. the
little daughter of German Mahan, an EN-.
ploye of the Cushman Furniture Co., lies
dead at her home with her throat cut
from ear to ear and her supposed muir
derer, Albert Mahan, about % years old
this child's uncle. is in county Jail in
| this village. The childs body was found
about eight o'clock last evening by Alfred
Hunt, Drother-in-law of the little oncs
father. IT was lying on its face in a small
gravel pit that was made some years
ago when the race track at North Ben
nington was constructed. The body was
rigid and cold when found showing that
| the crime had been committed some time
previous. The underclothing was disar-
ranged indicating that murder is not all
that the prepetrator of the deed may have
charged against him.
The little girls father and a brother
in-law, Alfred Hunt were fishing for
suckers yesterday in Lake Paran and
ooservng Albert Mahan passing near the
pond requested him to 80 to German
Mahan's house for a lunch. This Albert
did but when he started to return to til;
pond the little girl begged to accompanr
him and the mother allowed her to go
After watching the fisherman for a few
minutes, Albert and his little niece who
would have been four years old May L.
eft the pond to return home. German
Mahan and Hunt returned al the pond un-
il nearly seven o'clock as they remem-
Der the circumstances.
When they arrived home the father nat
orally inquired where the child was Mrs
Elahan replied that she had not returned
nd that she had supposed Ethel was with
i'm. The father at once went to the
ouse of Thomas Nathan where he found
he son, Albert and asked him what had
ecome of the little girl The reply was
hat she wanted to return to the pond
where her father was and that he told her
he might go. A search was at once in
t'tuted but II was nearly eight when AL
red Hunt stumbled over the body in the
ravel pit. Seeing that the child had been
Dully dealt with he hurried to the village
Or physician while the child was taken
her fathers arms to the nearest house
1at of her grandfather. Thomas Mahan.
WHERE THE CRIME WAS COMMIT
TED.
The crime was evidently committed I'M
r a large half dead butternut tree
anding at the junction of a stone wall
nd a board fence just a few steps from
lie top OF the rock cut on the shore of the
pnd. While the tree is on much higher
nd and out Of sight Of the pond. the
led was nevertheless committed within a
ones throw from the spot where the
ther and Hunt were fishing. On the
round under the tree and the stones tina
Frmed the wall were numerous blood
aims. There was also found a safety pin
hich fastened the childs undercloth hing
I'd a button that had been torn away
er little cap lay n short distance away
After cutting the chid's throat the
urderer must have taken her in his
ms and carried her through a gap in
le stone wall and in the direction of
Pc village for distance of about !;
IDS. He must have carried the body
ce up for the most dilgent search to.
~ failed to disclose single drop Of
God over the path that must have beer
ken. Where the body was found was
large pool of blood and the child's
othing was saturated with the fluid.
After the child's body was found. sus-
cion pointed to Albert as the murdere,
ld he was arrested by Officer w. J
urley of North bennington and turned
fer to Sheriff Fred Godfrey. He is nov
Jail here and in the possession of the
Eerif Is a shirt on both sleeves Of which
e blood stains and which Albert told
pdfrey he bought four weeks ago e
tend his grandmother's funeral
OFFICERS ARREST A TRAMP.
fThe officers also made another arrest
tramp was found sleeping in Georg
wells barn at North Bennington anC
hs taken into custody on suspicion tina
may have been guilty of the crim
It there Is no evidence against him t.
ntradict his story that he walked int
prth Bennington from Manchester Sun
afternoon and went to sleep in tn
IN because he was tired.
When an examination OF the child'
dy was made by DIR. d. A. Gleason o
'rth bennington 1t was plainly evi
Mt that the slash across the throa
d been made by a keen edged in
Fument. presumably a razor. Earl,
is afternoon a blood stained razo
fs found in about four inches o
tier In what is known as the Nortl
nnington mud hole, a section of Lax
ran cut off from the main body o
tier by the Bennington branch rail
ad and only a few rods from the bi,
be under which the crime was com
tied.
II was impossible for the pathologis
the State laboratory at Burlington
b. n. Stone, to reach here to-da,
Attorney General Clark c. Fit
Brattleboro telephoned that he an
Stone would be at North Ben
gton o-morrow morning for tn
topsy, provided 1t Is thought neces
ry to hold one. The examination d.
pathologist will be for the purpos
marily OF determining whether O
criminal assault was attempte
the murderer