Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-23
CHINESE TELLS
DETECTIVES OF
TRUNK MURDER
LEON LlNG'S ROOMMATE is
FORCED TO CONFESS
SAYS HE WAS WITH SLAYER OF
ELSIE sIGEL
"Third Degree" Process in New York
Eliclts Story of Mysterious sIay-
Ing of White Girl by
Oriental
tBy Associated Press,o

ia
intimidated by detectives, threat
~ ened with prosecution and con-
fused with rapid fire questions, Chung
Sin, one-time room mate of Leon Sing,
told this afternoon of Elsie Sigel's MUIR
der.
Under pressure of the third degree"
the little Chinese admitted that he had
seen the body in Leon Ling's room,
that he had touched 1t while it was still
warm, that he had smelled drugs and
had watched Leon Ling's preparations
for placing the body in the trunk where
it was found decomposed last Friday
night.
Chung Sin, if what was learned at
the criminal court building is correct.
described almost everything concerning
the murder except the actual commits
sion of the crime.
He denied completely in it, and pro-
tested stoutly that he was ignorant of
the whereabouts of Ling, the supposed
murderer
He was held in $4,000 bail to avail
the inquest.
Chung Sin is So years old, and is a
native of Canton. He was arrested
yesterday at West Galway, N. Y, and
was brought to New York today.
Girl First Drugged
From the story it is apparent that
Elsie Sigel first was drugged with chlo-
roform and then schoked to death. She
was killed apparently on the night Of
June 8, although Chung Sin appeared 3
little mixed in his dates.
He said that early in the morning of
June 10 he heard a strange noise in
T aic an 1o01riTaEr
over the transom saw the girl lying on
the bed with a blood-stained toWei
over her mouth. He passed through
the room, he said, to go out to wash
his hands, and as he did so felt of the
body, which was still warm.
Leon in the meantime had covered
the body with blanket up to the chin
and had pulled trunk to the middle
of the floor. Leon was calmly empty
ing the trunk preparatory to placing
the body therein.
The rope with which the body was
bound was lying on the floor at the
time, according to Chung Sin.
Body Put in Trunk
He went downstairs, said Chung Sin,
where he remained until Leon called
him. When he entered the room the
body was not visible, having been
bound with the rope and placed in the
trunk
Chung sin started perceptibly, but
said he had not
Il did not see her no more" said
Chung Sin, land when 1 asked Leon
how she died he said she had bitten
her tongue and bled to DEATH"
Leon told him, Chung Sin added, that
he was going to send the trunk to Jer-
sey City and thence to Europe. AS q
matter of fact, it lay untouched in the
stuffy little room until Sun Leung, pro-
prietor of the restaurant below, noticed
the odor about the building and sum
moned the police.
Despite repeated interrogation
Chung Sin declined to say just what
happened in the room when the girl
was murdered.
''Did Leon take her there, or did she
90 of her own accord?" he was asked.
She went there alone" he replied.
"Was she in love with Leon or Leon
in love with herr" was another ques~
tion.
He admits having borrowed $3.50 from
Chu Gain, proprietor of the Port ARE
thur restaurant in Chinatown, who also
is held in connection with the case
incidentally he said that Leon Ling
and Chu Gain had come to blows over
the girl some weeks ago. The police
theory is that Leon killed the girl be-
cause of her attentions to Chu Gain.
Chu Gain Rearrested
Chu Gain, who was arraigned in the
Tombs police court this morning and
discharged by Magistrate Cornell, was
rearrested later at the instance of Cor
oner Hamburger and held in $1,000 as a
material witness.
During his examination by the ccro-
ner Chu Gain, who speaks English very
WE'LL threw some interesting side lights
on the case.
A Chinese who was mysteriousls
sl1ull1ing about the Eighth avenue res
taurant, which has been closed since
the discovery of the murder, was cap
tured by a policeman on special duty
there. The man had key to the place.
but he declined to explain his mission.
He gave the name of Joe Kay.
Chinatown is deeply stirred by the
murder, and those among the Chinese
who have been converted to Christian
ity profess to be cooperating with the
police.
The Oriental club, an organization
composed Of a number of leading Chin
ese has offered $500 reward for the
arrest and conviction Of the murderer.
Confession Made Known
More of Chung's confession became
known tonight, giving the actual de-
scription of how the murder was COM
mltted.
"Elsie Sigel was on the bed" said
the Chinese, while his hearers drew
closer in Mortified silence, "and Leon
was bending over her. A handkerchief
was sticking out of her mouth, and /
saw the blood on it.
"She was fighting with him, but he
only pressed the handkerchief harder
into her mouth Finally she struggled
no more and lay still, and Leon stood
up and looked down at her"
Those who heard this recital were
almost overcome with the thought that
Chung Sin could have stood by in thu
adjoining room without raising a hand
to prevent 1t.
In one version of the Chinaman's
confession, it is said, he admitted help
ing Leon tie the trunk, although deny
ing that he aided him in placing the
body in it. He also admitted giving
most of the money which he borrowed
from Chu Gain to Leon Ling to aid the
latter in his flight from New York