Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-09-06
YOUNG ALMA GIRL
KILLED TUESDAY
Beatrice Epler Brutally Murd'
cred AT Night Within Sight
OF Her Home
NO TRACE OF MURDERER
Victim Was Strangled, And Torn
Clothes Indicate Brave Fight
That She Made

One of the most shocking crime:
in the history of Alma was revealed
shortly before five o'clock yesterday
morning, when day was just breaking
Charles Hooper, at that time finding
the body Of Beatrice Epler, aged sew.
enteen, in a clump of bushes, near {
pasture gate on Grover avenue. DARK
streaks around the girls neck, showed
most plainly that she had been vie
tim of foul play, having been chokec
t. death several hours before.
Every effort so far to locate hel
murderer has simply brought the Of.
ficers up against blind wall. Sus.
picious characters were quickly round
Cd up by Sheriff Bradford. who hac
been called from Ithaca, and Officer
Campbell, but their stories were such
that the officers did not feel that any
thing was TO be gained by holding
them Two were questioned Wednes.
DAY morning, one a colored man anc
the other former resident Of thi,
city, who chanced to be here.
1t seems that Tuesday evening
about six o'clock the young girl called
up her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. S. II
Epler, who live ON small farm out
Grover avenue, and informed then
that she would be home soon. A
short time later she was seen by var
ious people headed towards Grover
avenue, out East Superior street
About seven o'clock it is reported, that
she was seen coming back towards
the city, but during the meantime she
had not been home This was the last
that was seen of her until about 1926
p. M, when Claude Struble coming
from fremen's meeting at the city
hall, saw her talking with a young
man on a corner across from the hall
Struble did not take particular no
tice Of the couple and is unable to give
good description of the man who
was with her and the officers have
rot yet been able TO find out who il
was So far as the officers have beer
able to ascertain, Nh Struble was
the last person, and for that matter
the only person who saw her, with the
man, who probably is now "A murderer
The body was discovered shortly be.
fore five o'clock by Charles Hooper
al he WAS going down Grover avenue
from the farm home Of the Hooper's
TO a pasture, whore he intended tc
drive some horses and COWS back
e the barn He opened the gate and
X out the horses and started across
the field for the cows Happening tC
look around at the horses, he saw a
white object in a clump Of bushes by
the fence. At first he thought it was
piece of paper and then impulse
made him 90 over to look at it, II,
was greatly shocked to find that il
was a human body, the body of a
neighbor
He went back to the house and Mr.
Hooper Immediately sent after Night
watch Nibber and doctor, and
brought both back.
Ii the mean time Mr.. Eper hac
started down the road, and just as
MI Hooper returned with the doctor
and nightwatch, he discovered tht
body of his daughter, lying in tn,
bushes, where fend had left It, prob.
ably shortly before midnight.
' There was every indication that the
girl had put up terrific battle with
her assailant Her clothes were badly
torn, both shoes were off. and lying
near the road, a number of feet from
the bushes where the body was found
Scattered nearby were portions Of
torn letters, but whether or not they
bad a bearing on the case was not
known at noon today The letters
were torn in small bits, which were
carefully gathered up by Sheriff
Bradford who is endeavoring to fiji
the pieces together and find out their
contents A letter to Mr. Epler con.
tanning check for fifty-one dollars
obtained al the post office Tuesday
evening by the girl was also found
nearby.
The officers are making every en-.
deavor to solve the mystery, which
seems dlIlOSl UtNDlO OF tlueS. y lew
parties, who have been hangers
around in Alma for sometime past
are being given most careful going
over by the officers. Several little
things have made suspicion point al
various young men, notably the two
whom the officers gave a taste of Tho
third degree Wednesday morning.
Mr.. and Mrs. 5. H. Epler are harc
hit by the untimely death of theil
daughter at the hands of a fiendisf
murderer Mrs Epler in particular
is almost distracted by the crime
and the loss of her daughter.
The inquest called to meet today
was started Immediately after dinner
Charles Hooper was the first calleC
after the inquest opened and ther
Mr. Epler was called. From the early
indications it may be shown that tn,
girl did not meet her death at thi;
point, but in an automobile and that
she was left at this point near hei
home. Inquest not finished at time
of going to press.