New-York tribune., 1910-06-01
FORGE KELLNER CHAIN
Police Discoveries Point to Miss.
ing janitor as Slayer.
CHILD SEIZED AT PRAYER
Believed to Have Been Dragged
to Death from Altar-Mrs.
Vending Firm.

| Louisville. May 31.-Discoveries made to
| day in the basement OF St Johns Catholi
/ Church, according TO the police, reveal al
most every detail of the murder OF Almt
| Kellner, eight years old, who disappeared
on December s, 1909, having probably beer
snatched from the altar, where she wa.
praying alone.
Buried in the church basement, just un
| Der the saeristy, were found Alma's gaunt
! let glove. her handkerchief and two men:
! handkerchiefs, covered with blood.
| II Is now the police theory that Aims
was late for the regular church service
that she wss discovered alone praying ir
| the church, and was seized by JOSEPH
Vending, the parish house janitor, who
the police believe, assaulted and murdered
the child and dragged her body into the
basement through a hole In the sacristy.
The police believe that Vending tried tc
burn the BODY In the church furnace. and
failing, later threw II into an old cistern
under one of the parish houses. There II
was accidentally discovered yesterday.
telegram from New Orleans says g
man thought TO be Vending has been seen
there. vending is said TO have relatives
in New Orleans, and the old French quarter
Of the city is being searched.
The girls body was buried In St Louis
Cenete-y this afternoon. Only Frank Fehr,
g wealthy uncle. and friend. accompanied
the body 60 the grave
Relatives to-day offered reward of
81 go for tfe arrest and conviction of the
murderer. Mrs. Joseph Vending was pre-
sented IN police court this morning and
her ease vas continued until June s. The
matter Of bail was deferred until 20
morrow.
The most persistent questioning OF Mrs
Vending, who is charged with having been
an accessory 70 the murder, has failed to
shake the pFonlan's first declaration that
she knew nothing about the crime. She
adheres TO her statement that a ring and
pin found in q trunk at her home both Of
the property OF ths murdered girl, we're
given her by q, boy, and further than her
admission that she had sesn nothing Of her
husband, vho was janitor at the school.
since his disappearance on January II, when
he drew 500 from the bank, she will say
nothing about him
Clothing which her husband Is known TO
have worn bears numerous stains Of blood.
A hat recovered from an old barrel, into
which Mrs. Vending sta ted she had thrown
II about the time OF the tanatcr's fight, also
bears numerous stains. The trapdoor to
the sub-cellar vas so effectively hidden
that its existence could have been known
to no one not moss Intimately acquainted
with the building
The keys TO the school building, say the
police, we're always in the possession of
Vending. who WAS employed only one
month before the disappearance of Alma.
Kellner. The carpet tn which the body
was wrapped for its hssty burial IS similar
IN quality 20 that which WIS found in the
school stereroom
Il became known to-day that Il was a
custom Of the Kellner child TO go into the
school chapel alone and knesl at the altar
in prayer II is believed that IL was in
this attitude she was seized on the morn
ing Of December and dragged to q remote
part of the school building.