Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-06-30
ELSIE S|GEL WAS
VICTIM OF LING
CHUN SIN coNFESSES THAT HE
SAW THE GIRL AFTER
DEATH.
WAS cHLoRoFoRMED, THEN
CHOKED TO DEATH AND
BODY PLACED IN TRUNK.
POLICE BELIEVE THE GIRL WAS
KILLED BECAUSE OF At
TENTIoN TO CHU GAIN.

~NCW lOIh, june 10oAICo oAo
inundated by detectives, threatened
With prosecution and confused with
rapid fire questions, Chun Sin, one
lime roommate of Leon Ling, told
yesterday afternoon of Elsie Sigel's
murder Under the terrific pressure
of the third degree, the Chinaman
admitted he had seen the body in
Icons room, that he had touched it
while it was still warm, that he had
smelled drugs and had watched
Icons preparations for placing the
body in a trunk where it was found
horribly decomposed last Friday
night.
Chung, in fact, if what was learned
at the criminal courts building is
correct, described almost everything
concerning the murder of Major Gen.
eral Franz Sigel's granddaughter, ex-
cept the actual commission of the
crime. After the inquisition, he was
held in $4,000 bail in the house of de-
tention to await the inquest.
fChung was arrested Monday at
West Galway, New York, near Am
sterdam, and was brought to New
York yesterday morning. 1t was not
until late yesterday that he told the
story of the death of the missionary.
He was surrounded at the time in the
office of Assistant District Attorney
Ward by detectives from the police
headquarters. Ward and District At
torney Jerome also were present,
and from what can be learned, it was
Jerome himself who finally drew the
story from Chung's lips. He was
told that Leon had been captured
and had laid the blame upon his
(Chung's) shoulders. This, together
with persistent hammering at the
prisoner, brought the confession.
From the mans story, it is appar-
ent that Elsie Sigel first was drugged
with chloroform, then choked to
death. She was killed apparently on
the night of June 8. Chung says that
early in the morning of June 10 he
heard a strange noise in Icons room
ka1ining his and, looking over the
tkansom, saw the girl lying on the
bed with a bloody towel over her
mouth. He passed through the room,
he said, to get out to wash his hands,
and as he did so felt of the body
which was still warm. He went down
to the restaurant below, then re-
turned to the room. Leon meantime,
had covered the body with a blanket
up to the chin and had pulled the
trunk to the middle of the room. The
trunk Leon was emptying preparatory
to placing the body therein. The
rope with which the body was bound
was lying on the floor at the time, ac-
cording to Chung. Once again he
went down stairs where he remained
until Leon called him. When he en-
tered the room, the body was not
visible, having been bound with the
rope and placed in the trunk.
At this point of the story, the
Chinaman was asked savagely if he
had not assisted in putting the body
in the trunk. Chunk started percept-
IDLY but said that he had no hand in
81 did not see her no more" said
Chung. when l asked Leon how
she died, he said she had bitten her
tongue and bled to DEATH
Leon told him, Chung added, that
he was going TO send the trunk to
Jersey City, thence to Europe. AS
natter of fact, it lay untouched in
the room until Sun Leong, proprietor
Of the restaurant below, noticed an
no L1,i1
!. .Aaaed the police.
Until Chung's complete account is
made public, it will not be explained
whv he saw the dead girl and the pre-
narations for the removal of the body
with such apparent unconcern at the
time. Also, despite repeated interro-
cations, he declined to say just what
happened in the room when the girl
was murdered He admitted having
heard a scuffle in the room during the
night. and told of Elsie having ar
lived on the previous afternoon, the
dav when she disappeared from her
home. He insisted that she went to
the room alone. "Was she in love
with him. was another question. At
this, Chung relapsed into silence and
then only smiled and shook his head.
He indicated, however, that the girl
had sought out the Chinaman.
Taking up his own case, Chung ex-
plained his sudden disappearance az
ter the murder. by saying that he had
been employed by well-to-do New
Yorker, at whose country place near
Amsterdam. he was arrested yester-
dav. Chung says that he accepted
This position in order to get out OF
town. having hurried from the scene
~ the murder in fear, and sought our
Mic brother in Chinatown, who pro-
<cured him the position. He admitted
having borrowed $3.50 from Chu Gain.