The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-06-24
DESCRIBES MURDER
OF ELSIE s|GEL
Chung Sin Forced to Confess by
Police.
GIVEN THE THIRD DEGREE"
Declares Leon Ling Dragged, Then
Clicked the Girl to Death
Slayer Still Evades the
Detectives.
GIVEN THE THIRD DEGREE"

new YORK, June Z5.-BalteQ ana IN
Inundated by detectives, threatened
with prosecution and confused with
rapid fire questions, Chung Sin, one
time roommate of Leon Ling, told
the story of Elsie Sigel's murder.
Under the terrific pressure of the
third degree" the little Chinaman
admitted that he had seen the body
In Leon Ling's room, that he had
touched it 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 last Friday night.
Chung Sin, in fact, If what was
learned at the criminal courts build
ing is correct, described almost every.
thing concerning the murder of Maj.
Gen. Franz Sigel's granddaughter ex-
cept the actual commission of the
crime. He denied any implication in
it and protested stoutly that he was
ignorant of the whereabouts OF Ling,
the supposed murderer. After the in.
QUESTION he was taken before Coroner
Hamburger and held in $4,000 bail in
the house of detention to await the
inquest.
Police Use "Third Degree"
Chung Sin is 35 years old and ma
tive of Canton. He was arrested at
West Galway, N. Y, a small hamlet
near Amsterdam and brought to New
York. Immediately after his arrest
upstate and all during the trip by
train to this city, he was piled with
questions, bullied, persuaded and en-
tangled in a mass of significant ques-
lions. 1t was not until late yesterday,
however, that his spirit was sufficient
ly broken or sufficient inducements
were offered as the case may be, for
him to cast aside his air of stolidness
and tell of the death of the young
missionary.
Then, smoking cigarette after cigar
cite, to quiet his nerves, the China
man told brokenly but with brutal
bluntness, Of the girls death. He was
surrounded at the time in the Office of
Assistant District Attorney Ward by
detectives from police headquarters.
who previously had put him through
grilling. Mr.. Ward and District Attor-
ney Jerome also were present, and
from what can be learned it was Mr..
Jerome himself who finally drew the
story from Chung Sins lips. He was
told that Leon Ling had been captured
and had laid the blame upon his
(Chung Sin's) shoulders.
Dragged Then Choked.
From the mans story it is apparent
that Elsie Slgel first was drugged with
chloroform and then choked TO death.
She was killed apparently on the
night of June Q, although Chung Sin
appeared a little mixed in his dates.
But he says that early in the morning
of June 10 he heard a strange noise
In Icons room adjoining his and.
looking over the transom, 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 he did so
he felt of the body which was still
warm. After he went down to the
chop suey restaurant below, then re-
turned to the room. Leon meantime
had covered the body with a blanket
up to the chin and had pulled a
trunk to the middle Of the floor The
trunk Leon was calmly emptying
preparatory to placing the body there
in. The rope with which the body
was bound was lying on the floor at
the time, according to Chung Sin.
Once again 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.
At this point of the story, the
Chinaman was asked savagely II he
had not assisted in putting the body
in the trunk. Chung Sin started per
ceptibly, but said that he had had no
hand in It.
II didn't see her no more" said
Chung Sin, land when | asked Leon
how she died, he said she had bitten
her tongue and bled to death"
"She went there alone" he replied
The prisoner, despite all efforts OF
the police, maintained that he does
not know where Ling is, Reports OF
the arrest OF Cinnamon in several
cities were received, but none proved
to be the much wanted slayer.