New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-31
ALMA KELLNER MURDERED
MutiIated Body of Missing Child
Found Under Parish House.
HUNT FOR FORMER JANITOR
Clothing Said To Be Blood
stained-Child Disappeared
on Way to Church.

louisville May 30-With the hndins 70
day of her mutilated and decomposed ooos
in an old cistern under one OF the paris"
houses of St Johns Roman Cathohc
Church, Clay and Walnut streets, part Oh
the mystery surrounding the disappearanee
on December S, 1909 of Alma Keilner' eisht
years old daughter of Fred j.. keiiher'
was solved.
The police are searching for Joseph
Vending, formerly ianitor of 81 Johh
Church. He has been missing since Jan
uary IA. His wife is under arrest
A gold ring and pin were found IN Idrs
Weddings trunk After the PIN nao pee"
identified by Mrs. Kelner as one A'ti'a
wore the day she disappeared Mrs wen
ding maintained stolidIy that the ring ana
the pin had been given to her by a boy VINO
said he found them in the street
Frank Fehr. millionaire brewer, uncle
of the child, who since her disappearance
has spared neither time nor money IN inc
search for her, positively identified the
body
The body vas found only a few yards
from tbs entrance TO St. Johns Church,
where Alma had gone to attend services
the morning of her disappearance.
Mrs Lena Vending, wife of the missing
janitor and housekeeper for Father Schuh-
mann, pastor of 81. Johns Church, In
sworn statement made before Chief of De-
tectives Carney to-day, admitted washing
the muddy clothes of her husband shortly
after the disappearance Of the Kellnar girl.
The detectives declare these trousers, shirt
and hat are still blood stained
A little more than a year ago, according
to police records, Vending was arrested
Irr1t
toward a young girl, whom be accosted in
the street.
The parents of Alma Kellner have NOT
seen the body found to-day Both are
Frustrated, but expressed some relief at
learning finally the fate of their child,
whom they feared had been kidna ppsd.
Because of the lack of clothing found with
the horribly mutiIated and decomposed
chiId's shoe.
The finding Of the body after months Of
Eearch throughout the United States, was
By accident.
On Saturday the janitor at st. Johns
Church told Father schuhmann that water
was collecting under one Of the parish
buildings. Plumbers began to pump cut the
water. After pumping only short time
the water began 10 smell bad, and later n
child's foot. with shoe and stocking on. ap-
peared. The police and Coroner were called
by Father Schuhmann.
After working for five hours all the trsg-
ments of the body were collected except the
top of the skull and the lower part of the
| right leg. All the ribs on the left side
were broken.
ut appears that the body was partly
burned" said Coroner Duncan, "and ] be
lieve quicklime was used TO cid in destroy
ling the body.
Father Schuhmann said that he could re-
member nothing extra ordinary in Wend-
ling's actions after the disappearance of
Alma Kelner.
Vending left the church without say
| ing he was going to quit" said the priest
He said nothing even to his wife. I thought
at the time that possibly the fact that llis
wife, who is forty-two years old, was much
| older than ne caused him to leave He
often talked of returning 10 his old home
| in France. His wife wrote his parents ut
! GenIis, Cote dor. France, but they had
heard nothing of him.
According to the wife's statement. Wend-
ling was a deserter from the French army.