The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-06-08
SOLVED AT LAST
1he Myssr;ees Disappearance Of :
Little Girl Cleared Up.
BODY FOUND IN CELLAR
OF St. Joseph's Catholic School. at
Louisville. Ky. Where the Victim
Lived With Her Parents When She
DISAPPEARED q Few Months ago
Suddenly.

Suddenly.
That Alma KeIlner. the e!ght-year-
old daughter Of Fred I. kellner. OF
Louisville. Ky. was murdered and
not Kidnapped. was proven Monday
when her mueila,ed and dismem5ered
body was found in the cellar OF ST.
Johns Catholic School. AZ Clay and
Walnut streets. scarcely Ave blocks
from her home.
The mystery surrounding the girls
disappearance. on December last.
completely bafsed the police. and
Notwithstanding search in all parts
Of the United States and Canada. no
t,dings OF her whereabouts was re-
ceiyed until about 10 o'clock Monday
morning. when q plumber. searching
for a leak in the basement Of the
school. discovered the body.
The detectives e.e working On the
theory that u girl was murdered
IN the vicinity Of the SCI pol. and af-
ter attempts had been made to burn
the body j. was surreptit!ously bur
led in the sub-ce!lar and quick lime
used to disin;egrate the flesh.
Every bone in the childs body was
broken and the skull was crushed
and charred. showing that the at
tempt to burn the body. II such was
made had been interrupted or the
pe.peerato7 Of the crime had chang
ed his mind regarding its disposition
Tie finding Of the BODY has a7ous-
ed intense excitement and a large
crowd surrounded the school all day
The child's mother has not yet seen
the body. but after she recovered
collapse. she merely said: y
nave been relieved"
The torso was found wrapped II
q piece Of carpet. save for one hme
which was later discovered in a cor
ne- OF the cellar and buried in ,ht
clay foor OF the basement to a depti
Of perhaps shree feet. The leak i,
the water pipe. the cause Of which
has rot yet been learned. had caused
the water TO aow until the door va:
covered to depth Of three feet.
The scene Of the discovery IS onl.
aye blocks from the Kellner home
and th= school ndjoins St. John:
church, where the kellaer tamil!
worshiped. Tae body was very bad
II decom posed. and had p.obabl,
been IN II basement FIVE months.
Il was to attend services at St
Jchm's church on the morning o
December last. that Alma left hom'
abou. quarter before 9. aad see!
q few moments later as she cearet
St Johns by druggist. who notice.
her stopping for q moment to p!a!
with q cat which was sitting in tn
window Of his store. The dursgis
was the last known person to se'
the child alive.
The police are looking for Josep!
Vending. former janitor at S;
Johns Church, who since Januar.
II, little more thxn month afte
the disappearance OF the Kellne
child. has been missing. Mrs Len;
Vending. wife Of the missing mai
and horseseepec to- Father Schu
mann. pastor of St. Johns Church. 1
under surveillance.
In sworn statement made befor'
Capt. Carney. chief OF detectives
Mrs Vending admitted washin;
muddy clothes Of her husband shor,
" atte, the disappearance OF ,h'
Keilner girl. The detectives have
these clothes. trousers. shirt and Ia,
and declare there are still bloot
stains on them
Vending is described by the de
:ect;ves as being q years of age
about 5 feet 10 inches IN height
weight about $50 pounds. a small
black moustache and dark hair and
eyes. Mrs Vending Is -. A lit
tie more than year ago Weadlinf
was arrested and fned for improper
conduct with young girl.
Weddings parents live at Genlis
Cote dor, France According 70 the
wife's statement to Capt. Carney
Vending was a Geserte- from the
French army. Father Schamann
said he had learned since Vending S
disappearance that be had left sew
eral positions withou. notice. His
departure from she church was a
surprise 20 the priest