The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1910-06-03
CHAIN OF EVIDENCE AGAINST
MISSING JANITOR.
HIS WIFE IS STILL STUBBORN
Chastity Finds Frame Theory that the
Child Was Caught at Altar, Assault
ed and Slain, then Thrown into CHS
tern of Cellar.

Late discoveries made in the base
ment Of st. Johns Catholic church, ac-
cording to the police, reveal almost
every detail Of the murder of Alma
Kellner, who disappeared Dec after
attending services at st. John 5.
Buried in the top of an embank-
ment in the church basement, just I'M
der the sacrsty, were found a little
gauntlet glove with a red star. which
the little girl wore the morning of her
disappearance, and her handkerchief
covered with blood.
1t is now the police theory that the
Kellncr child, who was late for the
church service, was discovered alone
in the church by Joseph Vending,
the jantor, assaulted and murdered
and her body dragged through the
church and dropped into the basement
through a hole in the sacristy.
The police are likewise convinced
that Vending tried to burn the body
in the church furnace, and failing, lat
er threw it in the old cistern under one
Of the parish houses where it was ac-
cidcntally found.
Mayor w. w Head stated that he
would call a special meeting of the
city council for the purpose of offer
ing n reward of $1,000 for the convic-
tion of the murderer
e
Mrs Joseph Vending, who is being
held at the police station, charged with
having been an accessory to the muir
der, has failed to shake the woman
in her first statement that she knew
nothing of the crime She adheres to
her statement that a ring and pin
found in a trunk at her home, both of
which have been positively been iden-
tilted as the property of the murdered
girl, were given her by a boy, and
further than her admission that she
has seen nothing of her husband, who
was ianitOr of the school, since his dis
appearance on Jan. IA, when he drew
800 from the bank, she will say moth
ing about him.
Diligent investigation by the police
and detectives is weaving a strong
chain of evidence about the missing
ianitor, for the apprehension Of whom
the police department. has set out q
dragnet which will sweep every part
of the country. Clothing which he is
known to have worn bears numerous
stains which the detectives confidently
pronounce traces of blood. A hat re
covered from an old barrel where Mrs
Vending stated she had thrown it
about the time of the ianitor's flight,
also bears numerous similar discOlOr-
ations. The trap door to the sub-cel-
lar was so effectively hidden that its
existence could have been known to
no one not intimately acquainted with
the building The keys to the school
building, say the police, were always
in Weddings possession, who was Civ
en- employment one month before the
disappearance of Alma Kellner. The
carpet in which the body was wrapped
for its hasty burial is identical with
that quantity of which was found in
the school store room.
1t became known that it was the
custom of the Kellner child to 90 into
the school chapel alone and kneel at
the altar as if in prayer. 1t is believ-
ed that in this attitude she was sliced
on the morning of December 8 and
dragged to a remote part of the school
building.
The Ke1lner family has Offered re
ward of $1,000 for the arrest and con-
viction of the murderer of Alma
Mrs. Lena Vending, who was pre-
scented in police court, has hal her
case continued until June 8. She de-
MES all knowledge of the murder OF
the little girl,