Year: 1875

Boston, Mass, May %.


Another murder, even more horrible
in its details than that of Mrs. Bingham
few weeks since, was perpetrated in
this city this afternoon. A bright little
girl, five years of age, was murdered in a
church and, bruised and mutilated, the
body carried up in the tower and thrown
upon the floor of the loft. The victim of
the cruel tragedy was Mabel Ii. Young,
who, with Ter widowed mother, resided
with her grandfather at so East Chester
Park. This afternoon little Mabel, in
company with her aunt, attended the
Sunday-school anniversary exercises of
the Warren Avenue Baptist Church. On
coming out of church at half-past three
o'clock the aunt remained in the vesti-
bule about ten minutes Conversing with
some friends, and on starting home
missed the child, who few minutes be-
fore was at her side. AT first it was sup
posed she had gone back into the church,
but when she was not found inside and
persons outside declared that she had
not come out the aunt became alarmed,
and search was commenced in
every direction. About four o'clock
some ladies at an open window
across the street heard faint cries of a
child, apparently from the church tow
er, and noticed an unusual commotion
among the doves that swarmed in and
out of the window Some Young men
who had Joined the search started at
once 10 ascend the tower. They found
the door leading up from the organ loft
locked, and on forcing it open were
startled to see fresh blood upon the
floor, and steps leading up to the next
landing. They also found a strip of
board covered with blood at one end,
and heard low meanings from above.
Ascending long, steep flight of stairs
and raising the scuttle, which resisted
the strength of strong man, they found
the mangled body of the child lying near
the edge of the scuttle as though it had
been carried up the steps and hastily
thrown down there. Carefully they
carried her down into the church, where
large number of persons had congre-
agoniZed friends. From the top of her
head, which was broken in, blood and
brains were slowly oozing, while
the nose was crushed in and the
face terribly mangled. She was car
ried to her grandmcther's residence
and surgeons at ence summoned,





her death question of but few hours
at the farthest. Thomas Piper, who has
been sexton of the church for about a
year, was soon after arrested and is now
confined at the Chiefs Office. He was
engaged at work about the church, but
his suspicious manner and his denial
that he had the keys when the two keys
fitting the doors to the tower were taken
from his person point strongly to him as
the party. He is dark, heavy-set man,
about twenty-six years old, and has once
before been under suspicion of murder,
but was discharged for want of suf-
ficient evidence Many of the police
sIiil believe him guilty of the murder of
a young girl in Dorchester District
about fifteen months since. This last
affair has caused a profound sensation
in the community, and intense excite
ment prevails. The very boldness of the
affair lends additional horror to it.
Scarcely three-quarters of an hour
elapsed from the time the child came
out of the vestibule of the church un-
til she was found in a dying condition.
How she was enticed away, and for what
motive, has not transpired.