The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-23
saw THE MURDER
Chung Sin Tells the Police How
Elsie Sigel Died.
Leon Ling Ch1oroformed Her
After Struggle.
TOUCHED THE ROnV
TOUCHED THE BODY
while 1t Was Yet Warm, He
Tells the Police.
Loaned the Murderer Money on
Which to Leave.

int1midated by detectives. Threatened
with prosecution and confused witt,
rapid fire questions, Chung Sin. one
time roommate of Leon Ling. told of
Elsie S1gePs murder Under the ter
rlflc pressure of the third degree. the
ilttie Chinaman admitted that he had
seen the body in Leon Ling's room.
I3i tnaI ne had touched it while it was
sun warm, that he had smelled dr1,gs
and mad watched Leon Ling's prenars-
tIqns Tor placing the body in the trunk
Wnefe 1t was found horribly decou1-
posed last Friday night.
Chung Sin, if what was learned at
the criminal court building is cerrerf
described almost everything concern
ing the murder of Major GeneraI
franz SigePs granddaughter except
me me a ac.uaI commission of the crime
ne oenled completely in it and pro-
tested stoutly he was ignorant of the
Whereabouts of Ling, the Supposed
murderer. After the .inquisftion he
was was taken before Coroner Harburger
ana neld in $40, 900 bail in the house
OF detention to await the inquest.
CHUNG Sin is 5 years old and ma
I'VE OF canton He was arrested at
No west GaiWay. N Y. and brought to
office of Assistant District Attornev
| ward by detectives from police head
quarters who had put him through a
gr1lnng- Mr.. Ward and District At
1 HDTeSent-
from what can be learned il was Mr.
Jerome himself who finally drew the
story from Chung Sins lips. He was
| tod that Leon Ling had been cap
lured and had laid the blame upon his
(Chung Sin's) shoulders This. to-
gether with the persistent hammerine
at the prisoner, brought the confess
sion 1t was made partly in English
and partly in Chinese for there was
an interpreter present. .--s.s.-f
FROM the mans story it is apparent
that Elsie Sigel first was drugged with
cnIoroform CT, and then choked to death.
of June 8. although Chung sin an
peared a little mixed in his dates. But
ne says early in the morning of J1Ina
10 he heard strangers in Icons room
fransom, saw the girl lying on the bed
with bloody towel over her MOUTH
he passed through the room, he said.
to go out to wash his hands, and as
ne dld SO felt OF the body which was
still warm. After that he went down
to the chop suey restaurant below.
then returned to the room. Leon in
the meantime, had covered the bodv
with blanket up to the chin and had
pulled trunk to the middle of the
floor. The trunk Leon was calmly
emptying 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. Once again he went dowstairs
said Chung Sin, where he Remained
until Leon called him. When he en-
tered the room the body was not
rope and placed in the trunk. The
Chinaman was asked if he had not as
sisted in putting the body in the trunk
Cnung Sin started perceptib1y, but
said that he had had no hand in IT
II did not see her no more" said
Shung Sin "and when L asked Leon
how she died, he said she had bitten
her tongue and bled to DEATH"
Leon told him, Shung Sin added.
that he was going to send the trunk
to Jersey City thence to Europe. AS
a matter of fact it lay untouched in
the stuffy little room until Sun
Leung, proprietor of the restaurant
building and summoned the police.
Until Shung Sins complete ac-
count is made public it will not be
explained why he saw the dead girl
and the preparations for the removal
of the body with such apparent un-
concern at the time. Also despite re-
peated fnterrogations, he declined to
say just what happened. He ad-
mitted having heard a scuff1e In the
room during the night and told of
Elsie having arrived on the previous
afternoon, the day when she dis
appeared from her home.
did Leon take her there, or did
she go of her own accord ?" he was
asked.
"she went there alone.'' he re-
piled.
"Was she in love with Leon or
Leon in love with her % was another
question.
At this Shung sin reIapsed into
silence and then only smiled and
shook his head. He indicated that
the girl had sought out the China
man.
Taking up his own case, shung Sin
explained his sudden disappearance
after the murder by saying he had
been employed by a well-to-do New
Yorker at whose country place near
Amsterdam he was arrested. Shung
Sin says he accepted this position in
order to get out of town, having
hurried from the scene of the mur-
der in fear and sought his brother in
| Chinatown who procured him the
position. He admitted having bor-
rowed $3.50 from Chu Gain, pro-
prietor of the Port Arthur restaurant
| in Chinatown. who is also held in
connection with the case. In
cidentally he said that Leon Ling and
the girl in Chinatown some weeks
ago. The police theory is that Leon
killed the girl because of her atten-
tions to Chu Gain.
"EIsie SigeI the girl. was on the
bed said the Chinaman. land Leon
was bending over her. A handker-
chief was sticking out of her mouth
and I 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 at her"
| He also admitted giving most of
| the money which he borrowed from
JChu Gain to Leon Ling to aid the
/ latter in his flight from New York