Evening journal., 1904-02-13
WOMAN MURDERED
ESSIE ALBIN SAY
DETECTIy II FRANCIS


when neighbors would engage her in
conversation.
Powell, on the other hand, manifested
the greatest interest in all the events.
He greeted the visitors and seemed
eager 10 show them through the house
and up to the bare room where the
mangled form was discovered. He ex-
pressed his willingness to tell all he
knows of the affair, but can prove that
he was away from home all day on
Tuesday until late in the afternoon.
rms. Powell and her little son were
the only occupants of the dreary farm
house on the day Of the crime. She de-
clares that Estella was i'm the kitchen
early i'm the morning but she missed
her after . o'clock. An old farm hand
was the cnly other person about the
place that day. and he y being care
fully examined.
Detectives Theory.
The girl was at the wash tub when
she was attacked" said Detective Fran
els. and was probably struck on the
/ nose at first. Then clothes line was
fastened about her neck and she was
dragged to the attic, when she was
felled with a blunt weapon. in her
hand was found a big jackknlfe. and
this gave the impression that she had
cut her own throat. But we learn that
the back of the knife blade was toward
the body and the cash in the girls
throat could not have been inflicted
with the knife held in that mialner. for
the blade would have closed up had
ANY pressure been brought TO bear on
lit
'The cash in her throat was one that
lrequired a powerful thrust to make.
land it has the appearance of having
been made by person in a frenzy.
Then there are many little details
(which make a smooth case. OF these
cannot talk, but they will all come
Tout at the trial"
The Sheriff's Theory.
Among the first things found by the
detectives at the house was a gingham
lapron which had been used in an ef-
fort to wipe up the stream of blood
which was flowing across the. room
from where the dead girls head rested
Ito the doorway. The assailant had evil
identity forgotten 20 remove this apron,
land it froze to The ground. In the kit
Ichen the police also found two other
laprons, a small one and a large one,
lupon which were bloodstains. These
laprons." said Sheriff Melvin, Eve be-
llieve were used to wipe away the blood
from the girls nose. My theory is
THAT Essie was struck a powerful blow
on the nose while she was standing az
1.-THE washtub. This knocked her down
Then the rope was put iround her necH
fand an effort was made to strangl,
her." The girl. however. fought hard
but she could not resist the strength o.
her assailant. So she permitted herself
to be dragged to the attic room. where
the real struggle took place.
Whe nshe was attacked Essie had hei
sleeves rolled above her elbows. and hel
bare arms show how she tr ed to de
fend herself. But she was too weak I,
overcome the brute strength which wa,
pitted against her, and she went dowI
on her knees. There are two distinc
sets of finger marks on the floor show
ing where the girl fell and tried to sup
port herself
There is also trail of blood Ieadin,
from the room down the stairs to thl
; lower floor. The small blood-staine,
apron which we afterwards found n
I the kitchen belongs to 10-year-old gir
- NAiANn AAAN A.nNElir nave alr0 ldken u
] adopt. This girl was az school all da,
{ on Tuesday. We asked her how a bloc,
a stain came TO be on her apron, and. sh
e said her nose bled. ] am Inclined I,
believe that the child was told 10 sa,
G so. One very signicant fact which w
] have not overlooked was that Mrs
h Powell has her right hand tied W
s When we asked her the reason for tn
e bandage. she told us that "A splinter hal
found its way into her niger. also no
ticed a fresh cut on her lower lip an,
, a slight cash on her forehead. We hav
4 not as yet asked her TO explain thei
presence. 1 at once suggester the ar
rest of both the Powells, but the stat
i detectives hold different views, believ
. ing that If they were arrested the.
would say nothing, while If permittel
to remain at large and made to believ
that suspicion was not directed TO
= wards either Of them. something Nigh
= be said or done to incr inmate or betra.
I the woman"