The Washington herald., 1907-06-28
GIRLS BODY FOUND
Little Viola BOylan Victim
of Human Fiend.
POLICE SUSPECT ITALIANS
Nine-year-oId's Corpse Located in
Coal Bin in Tenement House
Where Mother Liyes-Had Gone for
Bread-AIay Have Been Lured Into
Wine shOp-Aghust at Crime.

New York. June 27.-ViOla BOylan. who
would have been nine years old next
month. left her playmates at the corner
Of Second avenue and 117th street last
Monday afternoon and ran UP the long
flights Of stairs to her home on the fifth
floor OF 200 Second avenue.
Her yellow hair was Tumpled and tan
gled. and her round cheeks were flushed
from an afternoons hop scotch with small
friends in the block, and she burst in on
her mother excitedly.
Can 1 have a long skirt Of yours to-
night?" she asked. Were going TO give
a party at Annie Donnellys, and Annie's
mother is going 10 let her dress up. and so
is Margarets mother, and I want TO if
you'll let me have your old blue one"
"An right. w." said Mrs. Boylan tired
out from a long afternoons caring for
yiola's seven brothers and sisters. But
I want you TO run around to Purdy's
Bakery and get two loaves Of bread for
supper. There's a quarter on the table.
Now. don't stop and play on the way,
and you can have the skirt"
"Oh, I'll be right back the child cried
the steps three at a jump.
Last Seen Monday.
That was at $50 O'Clock on Monday
afternoon. Until early this morning,
Viola's disappearance was complete.
They held the party at Annie Donnelly's,
and everybody was there but Viola TO
play grown up, although it wasn't much
fun
Mrs Boylan, worried sick. went around
20 the East 18th street station that
night. after she was sure Viola had come
TO harm, and told Capt. Walsh about it.
The police took a description Of Mrs.
BOylan's little daughter, sent out a gen.
eral alarm and told Mrs Boylan not 10
worry about it, that Viola would GER
ta;nly be found.
Fred Scropple lives on the top floor Of /
22gG, just above the BOylans. He got up
early this morning to 90 down. into the /
cellar TO get some kndllng wood for the |
breakfast fire. Scropple got his frewood |
and was about TO start back upstairs /
when he noticed that the door of the |
only unused bin was swinging open. |
Something prompted him to pull it a lit |
tie farther open and peer inside.
FINDS Girl I'm Bin.
There was just enough light hittering /
through the gloom Of the cellar for him |
to make out something like a bundle /
crumpled up in the farthest corner. He |
took a step or two inside and put out
his hand gingerly. His fingers closed on
a small foot
My God" said Schropple. I bet it's
that little BOylan girl"
He ran back upstairs and got his friend,
Fred Hatstadter. They threw open the
back door of the cellar and let in a food
of light II was clear enough then, and
the two men wasted no time In finding
Mrs. Boylan to tell her that Viola had
come back home For an hour after that
the police passed In and out, asking ques-
tons which got no answers. and Second
avenue outside was jammed with silent,
open-m0uthed people.
Presently Coroner Hamburger got there
and found the childs body exactly as
Schropple had first seen it. Viola lay in
a corner Of the long. deep bin. partly on
her back and partly on her right side. her
knees drawn up TO a level with her chin
Part of her ClCthins had been torn off
and the rest was disarranged Her skirt,
worn only a little way below the knees. I,
was partly twisted about her waist.
Had Been Choked to Death.
She had been choked TO death and her
body had been flung into a corner Of the
bin. Tt was clear enough what had hap
7ened to the child before she was
straugled.
There were purple marks on the neck =
which showed exactly how strong fingers '
lad gripped il until she died.
Since the discovery of the body OF y
Viola. little school girls of the neighbor-
hood have been telling tales of the action [
y young Italian hO0dlums making their q
at a basement shop at the Y
northwest corner OF Second avenue and c
l7th street that have served further 70 S
rouse the fathers and mothers of that q
,art of Little italy. d
Italians Suspected. :
The police have learned that a gang ,
4 Italian loafers have hung about the
hop and the saloon. and made a business
4 trying TO lure little girls passing by.
There is evidence TO show that the Two ,
Italians under suspicion selected Viola
35ylan, who was remarkably pretty, as
victim many days ago. Only last Sat
rday they tried TO pull her away from
Ter sister and drag her into the wine [
hop. III
The young men have been missing from
ne neighborhood since Monday night.