The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-21


Police officials having the case in
charge said after communicating with
the Schenectady. police that they were
satisfied that the man arrested in that
city was Leon Ling, in whose room
the body of Miss .Sigel was found. The
description of the man was stated to
coincide in every particular with that
of Leon except that he was a few
pounds less in weight AS to the other
Chinaman under arrest at West CAL
way, the New York authorities did
not feel so positive.
The New York authorities will have
Leon brought to this city.
The fact that Leon Ling called at
the Sigel home on Tuesday, June g.,
the day before Miss Sigel's disa ppear-
ance and threatened to kill Chu Gain
unless Elsie stopped going with him."
was made known today by Paul Sigel,
the father of the murdered girl. Mr..
Sigel said also he believed Elsie was
induced to visit Icons room under
the representation that Leon was ill,
that she was killed on the day she left
her home. and that she did not go to
Washington.
Mr.. Sigel said Leon was under the
Elsie told him she would have nothing
to do with him while he was in that
condition. eff you don't stop, going
with Chu Gain I will kill him, and do
something else, too," Mr.. Sigel quoted
Leon as saying.
The brutal murder has driven the
mother of the girl insane. Mrs. Sigel
was removed to a sanitarium shout
ing reproaches at herself for having
interested her daughter in the Chi
nese mission work.
Motive Is Found
In the love letters of Elsie SigeI to
two Cinnamon is found the motive for
Sigefs granddaughter. The night the
body was discovered wedged into the
old trunk in the rooms of Leon Ling
ir Eighth avenue. the police found a
score or more of letters which the girl
had addressed to him. They were en-
dearing in tone and indicated a friend
ship more than platonic. In searching
Chinatown the detectives raided the pri-
vate rooms of Chu Gain. owner Of the
famous Port Arthur Chinese restaurant
which had been addressed to him by
Elsie Sigel. These letters were even
more endearing in tone than those
found in Leon Ling's room. In these
she addressed him as my Own Dearest
Beloved My Own Dear Chu'' and
ouently signed herself. The Chu Gain
letters gave the first information as to
the motive for the murder Miss Sigel
told Chu Gain, in some of these letters
X
him not to be jealous and explained her
object in maintaining her friendship
for Ling.
The police will not give out the full
contents of these letters.
1t is now supposed that Leon Ling
decided to tragically end the romance
of the girl he loved and his rival. Her
affection for Chu Gain was known as Is
shown by the letters received by Chu
Gain in which he and the girl are
threatened with death unless their rela-
tionship ceased The murder was ap-
parently the execution of that threat.
Girls Recreation Rooms Closed.
The Chinatown mission, popularity
known as the Girls Recreation
Rooms,,'' was closed last night for the
first time since they were opened eight
years ago. No explanation was given
for this action but it is supposed that
the murder of Elsie Sigel was RESPONSE
bit 1t was in these rooms that Miss
Sigel undertook missionary work in
Chinatown and it was here that she
was brought in contact with many of
youno girl missionaries of Chinatown
like Elsie Sigel use these rooms in
which to meet the unfortunate women
of Chinatown and there talk religion
with them. On stated occasions China
men were invited to the rooms and
there they met the young girl mission
aries In that manner many China
men were induced to attend Christian
Sunday schools in different parts of the
city and from these first meetings
many romances have developed, the
Cinnamon. marrying white women. The
first of these weddings which occurred