Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-05
HUMAN ENIGMA
IS YOUNG WOMAN
BATTLES POLICE BY STRANGE
ACTIONS
Miss Elsie WiIdbIood Is a Puzzle to
All Who Have Met Her--ls
Perfectly Sane, Despite
Her Conduct

No more complete case of human
enigma ever came to town than Miss
Elsie Wildblood the girl who asserts
she is wanted for some terrible crime
hut when given the chance to confess
she lapses into sullen silence and will
say not a word.
There is even mystery about hel
name. She calls herself "Elsie May
but the police found a document in hel
valise which gave "C'' as her middle
initial. When confronted with this con,
tradiction she just fell back on hel
invariable defense, she was poutingly
mum"
There is a suspicion held by the police
that her distress and mysterious man.
ner may be accounted for by the prob
ability that she is shielding some male
criminal with whom she is in some way
entangled.
She was first discovered in the city al
the Arcade depot by Miss Steele of the
Deaconess' home, who acts as a Good
Samaritan guard to needy and friend
less women who arrive there. Miss
Wildblood was very anxious to have
Miss Steele go with her to the postoffice
to meet a man whom she desired to
find
They arrived at he postoffice and the
man was there sure enough, and the
girl slipped away with him while Miss
Steele and a mail carrier and policeman
were looking for another officer, they
being under the impression that they
had a desperate criminal to deal with.
Disappears Suddenly
That was the last seen of Miss Wild
blood for week, when Miss Steele
again found her with her hand baggage
IN OF aclFai
about the mysterious man she was, or
affected to be, greatly agitated, but
refused to give his nIme or any ex-
planation about him.
A reporter called at the Door of Hope
last night and sent in request to Miss
Wildblood for an interview. The matron
of the home, Mrs. w. B. Bell, preferred
the request and the young woman
promptly threatened to go into Mysteries
if she insisted upon the proposition.
She acts in precisely that manner when
policeman calls, and nearly as
strangely when the doctor calls.
There is no apparently good reason
to believe she is deranged. Her fine
gray eyes are clear and possess no
characteristics of wildness. The ply
sician yesterday tested her with this
question, suddenly flashed at the young
woman: did you kill Phelps?" The
question never touched her. She curled
up her lip in perfect self-possession and
scornfully retorted: You think you
are foxy don't you?''
Constantly Agitated
Mrs. Bell says she seems agitated all
the time, nevertheless, and continues
10 repeat often: IT won't be long with
you. The officers will come for me soon
and I'll have to go with them" She
means to the police station.
When taken to the Jail several days
ago at her own earnest entreaty, to
confess the dreadful crime which is
weighing upon her mind not a syllable
would she utter.
In all the talks Mrs. Bell has had
\ ith her she has never in one instance
made a slip of as much as a word that
would lead to any definite idea as to
whether she has any guilt upon her
own head, except In a reply she made
yesterday, apparently in a moment OF
inadvertence. When asked what she
had done that so preyed upon her mind
she looked up quickly and apparently
reproachfully and said: "I haven't done
anything" placing the emphasis on
the "I."
When she came from the jail yester-
day with the matron she saw some
apples in a window and remarked: "I
have a few pieces Of small change and
believe I will buy some of those apples"
Mrs. Bell answered.: Eyes, and treat
the girls in the home"
Peculiar Actions
Instantly Miss Wildblood flew into
pout. refused to buy the fruit and de-
clared she would not enter the house.
1.-THE girls there know all about me and
I'm not going in" And not step
would she stir until Mrs. Bell called the
grocery clerk, who was passing, and
told her that unless she went into the
house the young man would help put
her in. She instantly marched into the
house.
The matron says the only way to
manage her is to command her firmly
and she will usually obey, except to tell
any of the secrets of her life. She
draws the line there.
The impression Of those who have
studied her closely is that she is not
guilty of any crime herself, but Is
shielding the mysterious man who met
her at the postoffice ten days ago.
And he is the fellow the police are
looking for, doubtless, although they
wont say whether this is true. Mrs.
Bell intends to keep Miss Wildblood at
the home as long as she cares to stay.
The girl has beautiful features, a
Greek profile fine enough for an artists
model. She has light brown hair and a
clear skin, with considerable color in
her cheeks. Her face Is thin, however,
and shows traces of trouble.
She is of slight figure, not Weighing
more than 100 pounds.
co. oTs inn