The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-06-02
$ BODY FOUND
Remains of Alma Kellner
in School Cellar.
MISSING SINCE LAST DECEMBER
One Leg Was Cut Off and Buried
Nearby, and Crude Attempt at
Burial Made When Torso
Was Concealed.
MISSING SINCfl LAST DECEMBER

Louisville, Ky. May 3l.-The de-
composed body of Alma Kellner, the
eight year-old girl who mysteriously
disappeared from her home last De
cember, was found in a sub basement
OF St Johns school. at Clay and Wal
nut streets. The body was lying In
three feet of water.
The body was positively Identified
as that Of Alma kellner by her uncle,
Frank Fehr, a millionaire brewer OF
Louisville.
The condition of the body Indicated
that IL had been in the biiIng place
for several months AID that a crude
attempt to bury it had been made.
The torso, a limb being missing,
was wrapped in piece OF carpet The
missing limb was found later in an
other part Of the cellar. the foot bear
ing the shoe. This latter feature is
puzzling the police.
The scene OF the gruesome find Is
only five blocks from the kellner
home. which is on Broadway, near
Jackson.
Alma Kellner disappeared Dec. s,
and from that time until the body was
found the case has been a mystery.
She left her home on the morning in
question TO attend a service at st.
Johns church, and the last seen Of her
was when she waved gOodby to her
mother in front OF the residence.
The search for the missing girl ex-
tended all over the United States.
Plumber Found Body.
The body was found b. plumber
who had been sent into the cellar to
stop leak in water pipe, which had
Hooded the basement The chief Of po-
lice gave It out that he believed it to
be a case of murder
One hundred children convened in
several rooms OF the first and second
doors were hurriedly dismissed from
their classes and sen, home when the
discovery was reported to those in
barge OF the school.
The leak in the water pipe had
caused water to flow Until the floor
was covered to depth OF about three
feet. Lamps were qaickly brought
and the relatives OF the child sum
mOned.
The school adjoins ST. Johns
church, where the Kellner family wor-
shipped.
As the coroner's investigation was
pursued 1t became evident that the
girl had met her death in a horrible
manner. Her skull was crushed and
practically every bone in the body was
broken and charred
The coroner said it was evident that
the body had been dismembered and
packed in a stove or CRATE, but this
means of disposition having perhaps
been interrupted. Quicklime had been
used.
The cellar in which the body was
discovered was searched four days af-
ter the girls disappearance by two
detectives. who inspected every corner
fthe room with lanterns and found
nothing.
People began congregat.ng in front
of the school soon after the news was
known. and by noon several thou
sand persons were excitedly discussing
the case.
Belief gained ground that the little
girl was seized by man as she was
within a few steps of the church and
taken into the dark sub-cellar, where
she met death.
On the morning OF the day she dis
appeared in December 1909, Alma
Kellner. aged eight years, the dsugh-
ter of Frederick f. Kellner, a Louis
Vile, brewer, left her home in that
city to go to church.
On Dec. IA Alma's father offered a
reward Of $1,000 fer information that
would lead to the whereabouts Of the
child, and Governor Wilson. of Ken
lucky, added a reward Of $500. For a
week or more thousands of residents
Of Louisville engaged in a search for
little Alma, and so great was the In
terest in the missing girl that mass
meeting Of citizens was held for the
purpose of forming plans for conduct
ing the search.
1t was believed that Alma was being
held for a ransom, although no nego-
tiations were made in that direction,
but the visit of a mysterious woman
to the Kellner home few days after
the childs disappearance created the
belief that she would he restored upon
payment Of cash. Since then numer-
GUS reports of the finding OF Alma,
some of them having her dead and
others alive. reached her parents
through the police Relatives OF the
missing child made many long and
fruitless Journeys by reason OF those
reports.