The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-28
GIRL in TROUSERS KILLED.
Fell Under q Train Near Lancaster-S
Had Been Here.

The dead body Of o comely young woman
the Pennsylvania Railroad track near
Lancaster early yesterday morning, and
thereby hung q what was at first most
interesting mystery that has since been
solved.
The sensational find was made by John
Childs, a brakeman on crew No. SO. His
train was west bound and 1t was signalled
to stop ut st. Davids. Dismounting from
his car to ascertain the cause of the delay,
and hurrying to the station, Child's found
the operator and track walker stupetied
with horror. They finally made known to
him that man had been struck and kill
cd, but they refused to accompany him to
make an Investigation.
Childs started Alone and short distance
from the station. no stumbled over tho
horribly mangled remains of human be-
ing. He turned the body OF the supposed
man over and thrust his lantern in its face
The features of a handsome girl, probably
twenty years old, were revealed. Death
had been, beyond doubt, instantaneous.
While her death had been horrible one.
the face wore u neat expression. Each foot
was eDcased in little No. 2 shoe. and the
hands gave evidence that the owner had
never used them at hard work.
Word was sent to the Delaware County
authorities at once, and an Investigation
WIS begun, but the young wonlal had
evidently taken great care TO conceal
her identity.
Her injuries consisted of several huge
gashes ABOUT the body, any one Of which
would have proven fatal,
The body was removed to the baggage
room at the station and the Coroner OF
Delaware County WAS notified.
1t seems that Annie Spence was way
ward girl, fond of adventure She had
frequently said that she rode On freight
trains. She went from Wrighusvilo to
Lancaster, and has II sister, Irene Spence,
at the latter place. who thinks the body Is
that Of Annie who had been missing u
week.
CLUES TO HER IDENTITY.
Chester, Pa, Oct 27-:Sinco Coroner
Minshall has carefully examined the body
of the young woman killed in mans at.
tire by II train at st. David he gives this
description of her: She is II finely aevcloh-
cd woman, 25 or ~ years of age, D feet tail
and weie thing about l45 pounds. In her
pocket We're lound a number OF dice. sachet
powder, aknife, u pair of scissors, box
Of cisaretts, u pack OF cards, and two hand
kerchiefs marked with tho name, 'Annle
Spence, Lancaster, Pa, She was dressed
III dark sack suit dark sweater, mem. UNI
derclothing. pair of women's aud balr
of mems stockings, a mans bicycle shoes,
u soft black hat and dark trousers.
Her hair was worn short like IL mans
A distinguishing feature is the absence
OF two teeth in tho upper and right lower
jaw, and two front and three lower teeth
out i'll the left jaw.
A diary was also found In which the
young woman had kept an account Of her
wanderinss from Oct 2 to rs, inclusive.
1t seems that she started Oh October Z, at
1880 o'clock, and reached Columbia by
trolley. going thence to Wrightsvilie and
York, where she arrived at ) ~ O'Clock Oh
Sun lay. She stayed in York Sunday and
Monday and went to the opera i'll the eve.
ming, ana started for Baltimore. but miss
ed the train. She finally left York IN II
box Car, and arrived in Baltimore on
Thursday and slept in tho woods until
daylight; then got Il fifteen cent break
fast aJ Schizers. on Baltimore street. She
writes that she walked around all day and
| took in the play at kornan's Theatre.
Tho next day alter got ing breakfast at
| Il lodging house, She boldly GOT on the
bumpers OF II local freight forWilmington
where Sue arrived on saturday at 10 80
| and slept in Il straw stack. Evidently
She lad pcnchant for the theatre, Ion,
| after seeing play AT tho Wonderland
Theatre, she retired for Tho night in Il box
car, The next day she went " Iron Hill,
| but doesu' t say THAI she played the races.
| She passed the night in the woods.
She got back to Wilmington Oh Monday
| and had lunch and supper and took tho
steamer for Philadelphia, and after en- joy
| ing The Bijou Theatre, she retired to rcst
under u railroad bridge. Tuesday she had
| breakfast ut Ninth and Arch streets, and
went to tho thcntIa at night and again
| slept under Il railroad bridge Thursday 5
! breakfast she had at Broad and CailDwhill
streets, and wuikeI around all day, then
slept in the woods After taking in the
sights Of tho city again she says she took
Il high class freight on bumpers Tor LaL-
caster" and wcnt ~ far aI Glen Loeb ana
| finally reached Lancaster on tho 10th,
passing the night in Il sandholo.
| THEN SIZE TOOK To TROUSERS.
All thi, time this most remarkable
creature had been travelling on freight
trains, not ii II man, but in skirts She
; writes that after staying i'll one place from
Saturday until Tuesday, vt Lancaster,
sho went to Eichmans where she discard
cd her woman'5 apparel and put on IA
mans clothes SO that she could travel with
less discomfort. She went to the Cutoff
Railroad to take n freight, but "a; nonu
came, shU walked to Glen L1Hh, where She
jumped nimbiy into II lumber car and rc'
turEed TO Philadelphia.
On w ouneauay she put up at tho HoSt
House, and was not recognized III her
male clothes, which gave her tho appear
uuco Of II good,looking boy She passed
tho time on Friday and Saturday in Il
Matchbox along the railroad evidently 4,
the guest Of dad Kline, lis she mentions
:hut name, and on Sunday slept in II
shanty, and again Oh Monday, rs it was
raining hard.
On Tuesday, with clear weather, she left
tho shanty at e. and walked down to tn,
wharf, and her notes at this point iiuisl
Dor diary. She wrote:
saw u follow act his thumb cut of al
1850 by II p!le-'!rtvtr at the foot Of Chest
nut street" An hour later, probably hay
ing jumped upon freight train, TIL
| woman met lcr own sad fac.
Rich and poor alike suffer tho torture:
,hnt rnIun with TINT tnrri lila nlHnun Itch.