The Washington herald., 1909-06-20


/ and dressed in black suit"
p It was received by the slain girls
father the same night in his home at
2o9 WadswOrth avenue The girl had dis
/ appeared from her home on June 9. and
\ the telegram received three days later
was the first word from her
/ The telegram read:
/ "Wil be home soon Sunday. Do not
worry"
/ Signed with Initials.
It was signed with Elsie SigeTs I'M
tials. Mr. Sieel did not believe the tel
egram was sent by his daughter because
Of the peculiar phraseoIogy. The Wash
ington police learned that the telegram
was not written in Elsie SigeTs hand
writing, and also found that the girl
was not present when the telegram was
filed.
/ well dressed Chinaman. whose de-
scriPtion tsllies with that OF Leon. en-
tered the telegraph Office and filed the
telegram. He was alone and acted ner-
vously. The man mentioned that he was
stopping at the St. James Hotel. but
this is believed TO have been said as a
ruse 70 throw the police on the trail.
/ Detectives assert they believe Elsie ST.
gel was murdered before the telegram
was fled. and it is thought the China
man sent the message 10 further delay
the search for the girl and give him
time 10 make his escape.
Whether Leon left Washington after
1 Ming the telegram or went 70 a hiding
! place in this city. the police are ar q loss
/ 70 say Detectives familiar with the FMS
and outs OF Washington Chinatown saw
( a fugitive Celestial would not seek a
hiding place here. because the chances
/ or his discovery are greater than in other
! cities where more Cinnamon live.
| IL IS believed probably that Leon is still
/ IN Washington, and the police say the girl
JOSEF will be found here If she Is To-
Gated al all She IS well known In New
! York. and would not return 70 the
metropolis II she wished 70 elude the
! police
Frederick Stoffregen Is the operator AZ
the branch Office in the National Hotel
who received the telegram from the
Chin2man- Stoffregen has been ordered
10 give out no information by officials
Of the Postal Telegraph Company. and
ne has obeyed these instructions refus-
Ing 10 talk 10 detectives.
Stohregen was alone In the telegraph
Office when the Chinaman entered. and. as
few CelestiaIs send teleErams. Il is
thought ;he operator noticed the man
more carefully than the ordinary. sender
Of telegram. StOfregeu can identify
Leon. or the Chinaman who sent the
telegram, and If the man is caught the
operators testimony viii be important.
Manager Guards Telegram.
F. E. Travis. manager Of the Postal
Telegraph Company. is said 70 be IN
possession Of the telegram. Mr.. Travis
| is quoted as saying he viii not give I'D
the telegram unless by order or the court
as the telegram is the property OF the
company which cannot produce II ex-
cept by order OF the sender. It Is under
stood the police will ask District Attor-
/ ney Baker 10 petition the court % order
I the company 10 produce the paper.
/ Concerning the theory that Elsie sigel
was murdered in Washington. detectives
/ say the method by which she was put
( to death shows that the murderer was
afraid her cries would be heard Her
death resulted from strangulation. and
no blood was split. It is believed the
/ girl could have been killed in a hotel
room at any hour OF the day or night
\ without persons in adjoining rooms sus-
/ pecting a tragedy was being enacted.
I Her death once assured. the disposal
! Of her body was simple, say the police.
7 Tying the body In such a way il could
/ be forced in large trunk, the murderer
1 placed the body in the trunk, forced
( down the lid, and locked II.
Bound with Ropes.
With ropes he bound it so It would not
break open while being handled. Ad-
/ dressing IL TO the chop suey restaurant.
/ the man PROBABLY asked TO have the
trunk shipped, and left the room. The
I trunk was removed 20 4 railway station
/ and placed on a train for New York.
/ New York police have been unable 70
/ learn when the trunk was placed in the
room where II was found and detectives
| have been unable 10 find any one who
knows who placed the trunk N the room.
/ The trunk was not discovered until the
/ proprietor Of the restaurant below was
annoyed by a strange odor and inves-
/ ugated.
Police Search the City.
Every Chinese restaurant, laundry,
store. and lodging-house in Washington
was searched last night by detectives
looking for the murderer Of the Sigel
L girl
\ Shortly before p O'Clock the detail re-
/ ported to Night Chief Of Detectives Hart
ley that no man answering a description
Of Leon had been found. The detectives
reported they were unable 20 locate
( Cinnamon who had seen the Celestial,
/ although It IS known Leon was In Wash
ington. and is believed 70 be stil here.
A man whose name the police decline
10 make public notified the central Of
fee he had seen a Chinaman who looked
like Leon early in the morning The
Chinaman was walking north IN Eighth
street between D aDd E streets north
west. The man who gave this informa-
ton said he did not pay particular at
! tention TO the incident until he saw a
/ description Of Leon in a newspaper. Then
! he remembered, he said, that the descrip-
/ ton fitted the Chinaman he had seen in
/ Eighth street.
! The police do not believe the Chlnaman
was Leon. as the man would not venture
/ in the streets in daylight. The in
/ formant said he had no idea where the
/ Chinaman was going.
/ MAY RE IN pITTCRUPG