The Washington times., 1904-11-13

the. keenest detectives In the country
have been put on the case, no clue has
been found which seems 20 point 20 the
criminal The evidence that has been
collected so far leads to the isslief that
the man who committed these murders
Invariably wears a dark SLOUGH hat. is
short. perhaps five feet six inches. and
heavily built. Such a description has
been given by all the women who have
been ~aylaid and escaped.
Methods Of Attack.
Cincinnati's ''slouch hat man" is pos
sessed Of great strength. His method
OF attack has been the same IN all the
murders and assaults. Each girl, after
she has been choked into insensibiiity.
was struck on the back OF the head
with some heavy, mace-like weapon and
then had her teeth knocked out. Either
knocked out or loosened with a power
ful blow. and then yanked out by a
strong thumb and forefnger Curious
~ enough, the first conclusion OF the
authorities IN the three murder cases
was that the girls had been killed by
accident. Their lifeless and disAgured
bodies were found only short distance
showing that the perpetrator had with
devilish cunning sought to throw sus-
picion from himself. And IT was only
by the accumulation OF evidence that the
police were forced TO admit ia at least
two cases that the girls had been bru-
tally killed.
A reward Of s. 600 will be given 10 the
person who discovers the murderer Of
pany by which she was employed has
offered $1,000. and another 81, 900 has been
pledged by the citizens or Cumminsville.
The first discovery TO startle the com
munity was the body Of Mary Mcdonald
near the tracks OF ;he Big -Four Rail-
road, east q Dane Street crossing. The
engineer Of a freight train saw the girl.
and. stopping his engine. went 10 her
rescue. The left leg OF the woman had
been severed above the knee. A bruise
on the head back or the ear led 10 the
suspicion that she had met with foul
play. Miss Mcdonald was sim alive
when found, but died shortly afterward
at the hospital She regained conscious
ness long enough 10 tell her name, but
could give no account OF the supposed
accident which led 10 her death
The First Murder.
Mary McDonaId's tragic end came on
the night Of the SOth Of April. She was
% years old and a working girl. who
lived with Mrs. Finley, OF a East
Seventh Street The girls movements
on the day she was killed have never
been fully accounted for. II was satur-
day afternoon when she dressed I'm her
best and left her home IN high spirits.
lt was presumed that she went 10 Ches-
ter Park OF 10 some or the ragtIme re-
sorts In that vicinity. for several per
sons testified to seeing her there. Later
IN the evening she visited the home OF
Mrs John Stagman. near Knowlton's
Corner, and after talking with her q
while Mr.. Stagman volunteered 10 take
her 10 the car for the city. At the cor
Oner's inquest Mr. Stagman testified that
he pat the girl on a College Hm-Main
Street car just at II o'clock. and that
was the last he saw OF her.
At g O'Clock Sunday morning the diving
woman was found on the Big -Four
tracks, some fouF blocks from where Mr.
5tagmau left her. And here the mysc s4.y
btghS. Some witnesses said that the
girl vas seen about midnight IN the Elk
saloon, and that she was very much in
toHlcated but how she happened to leave
the car after she had boarded n 8nd
wandered 200 or 500 feet east an HE al
-Four Road has never been explained
The police insist that her death was am
accident that she was with a drunken
companion. and that they together. not
knowing where they We're going. strolIed
along The Toadroad tracks. where the