The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-09
SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
MURDER OF 4 GIRL AND DISAP-
PEARANCE OF WOMAN.
Chicago Police Looking for n Man
Who Is Suspected of killing Minnie
Mitchell and His Mother.

CHICAGO, Aug. S.-The body of the
young woman found last night in the va
cant lot at the corner of Seventy-fourth
and State streets has been identified as
that of Miss Minnie Mitchell. of Goa Forty
fourth street, in this city, and the police
are looking for William Bartholin, young
mechanic who was with her at the time
of her disappearance. The case is shroud-
ed in mystery, but the police are firmly
of the opinion that the girl was murdered
by Bartholin, and that he also murdered
his own mother Mrs. Anna Bartholin, who
mysteriously disappeared three weeks be-
fore the Mitchell girl went away with the
young man.
The body of the girl was beyond identi-
fication, but her sister, Lille Mitchell, to-
night positively identified the dress, the
petticoat of lavender silk and the hat worn
by her sister at the time of her disap-
pearance, and there is no doubt i'm the
minds of the police that the body is that of
Minnie Mitchell.
Miss Mitchell was last seen by the mem
bers of her family on the night of July 30
when she left her fathers house in COM
pany with Bartholin, the couple saying
that they intended to take walk. She did
not return to the house that night and
nothing was heard of her or of Bartholin
until two days later, when the girls father
received a note from Bartholin saying that
he and the girl had eloped and had started
for California to spend their honeymoon.
Mrs. Anna Bartholin, the mother, whom
the police firmly believe was killed by her
sen, disappeared from her home, at No. 1910
Calumet avenue, month ago. Her son
made no report of her disappearance TO the
police, and a man who had boarded with
her for years reported the matter, saying
that he was confident that she had met
with foul play, for the reason that she had
said nothing about going away and had
disappeared on washing day so suddenly
as to leave the clothes in the tub. He
p thought she was lying dead in her room.
Ohcers were at once sent to the house and
forced the door of her apartment but found
no trace of her. Her son said that she had
gone to Milwaukee, and, as there was no
reason at that time TO think that she had
been murdered, the matter was allowed to
drop. The day after the visit of the police
TO the residence of his mother Bartholin
called for the Mitchell girl and they went
away together. The letter written bV Bar
tholin to Mr.. Mitchell was posted in Chi
cago ten days after his disappearance.
Barthelin is twenty-eight years of age
and has been employed as a mechanic in
wagon Shop at Auburn Park. He has not
been seen by his employers for more than
two weeks, and they have received no word
from him. There is no known motive for
the murder, but the wound in the back of
the Mitchell girls head is so situated as to
render it out of the question that she
would have inflicted ii herself, ana there
is no doubt that she was murdered.
Why the should have tried to make
way with his mother is not known and
there is no evidence that she has been killed
beyond the fact that she has disa appeared
and cannot be found. She kept roomers in
her house, some OF whom had lived with
her for twenty years. She not in The
habit OF leaving her home and the men in
her house are confident that she would not
have done so without saying something 10
them before leaving.
The police base their belief in her muir
der on the fact that Barthelin disappeared
quickly after he knew that his mothers
disappearance was being investigated.