The Detroit times., 1909-06-19
ILLICIT LOVE LED TO
GIRLS BRUTAL MURDER
,con,iau.d from Page oneJ


sought to save spiritually. was the
cause of this terrible tragedy. | be-
! lieve."
Members of the Sige family said to-
day that the girl had probably met
Leon at Fort George. where Elsie's
brother says the Chinaman ran a chop
suey restaurant.
detailed examination OF the let
tiers found in the Chinaman's room
show that Leon was Don Juan
among celestials. There were In all
about 1000 letters. all written by Am
erican girls in various parts OF the
country. New York. Brooklyn. Phlla-
delphia. Chicago and small cities in
| Illinois. had furnished the Chinaman
with correspondents. Every letter
was a love letter.
Letters Done Up Neatly.
/ Leon prided himself on his letters IT
appears. for they were carefully plac-
ed in drawers about the room. done up
in little packets OF 80 or more tied
with white string.
Numerous among the letters were
missives signed Nellie" and Elsie 3"
Both of these names were appended
TO letters IN the same handwriting
The police conclude that these are the
letters of the murdered girl.
Detectives at work on the case, as
founded by the revelations in the let.
tiers OF white women. willing To forego
race and reputation for this Chinese
Lothario. declare that Leon used the
missionary game" as his countrymen
express il. 70 cloak his real reputation
a has 70
women were teaching this converted
Chinaman his prayers, he occupied his
time in lnsidlous loye-making.
Among the hundreds OF love letters
in the room where the Jody OF Elsie
Sigel. settlement worker and grand
daughter OF the late Gen. Franz Sigel.
was found damned in a steamer trunA
yesterday. the police today found let
ters written by the girl 10 the convert
ed Chinaman, Leon Ling. which they
claim establish a motive for the muir
der of the girl. The letters extend
over period OF two years. and the
last written from the home of her par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. Paul Sigel, No. 209
Wadsworth-st. reads, You seem 10 be
growing cold 10 me- Just mink of the
sacrifice have made for you-my fam
lily, my friends. For Gods sake don
iorsake me now"
The leaving behind OF these letters
has convinced the police that Leon
Ling left the place in great haste. A
general alarm for him and Chung SIN,
another Christianized Chinaman. VINO.
with Ling. has been missing from the
house since last Sunday. was sent out
today. Foreign ports have been spe-
cially notified 10 look for the pair.
Evidence now in the hands of he
police indicates that Miss Sigel had
become greatly interested in Leon
Ling. since her entrance into settle
Inent work among the Chinese three
years ago II is also indicated that OF
late another Chinaman has entered
largely into her life The police have
learned also that Leon Ling, and an
other Chinaman. known as Yung Bling
were very bitter over some American
girl.
The crome was discovered yester
day afternoon, through Leung, an aged
Chinaman. who runs restaurant on
the ground floor Of the four-story tene.
ment at No. 7S2 Eighth-ave.. on the
top floor OF which the body was found.
Leung told the police that Leon
Ling and his cousin. who occupied
the two rear rooms, had not been In
the place since last Sunday Both
were employed in the restaurant. ana
Leung grew suspicious at their alb
sence Yesterday afternoon he says
he saw q trickle OF blood flow from
under the door of Icons room and he
Immediately notified the police
The body was found IN a black
steamer trunk. that stood In the cor
ner of the luxuriously furnished Orien-
tai room In one corner a huge red,
silk tapestried canopy bed stood. The
entire room was neat and we'll kept.
4 glance at the body as II was jam
med in the trunk partially wrapped In
a sheet showed the girl had been gar
roted. About the neck was a loop OF
light rope. TO which was affixed a long
strand that had been used 20 bind thu
limbs close 10 the body with the chin
under the knees The body was In a
terrible condition, and the girl had
evidently been dead for week. The
body was dressed in light underclOth-
ing. and only part of the girls outer
garments could be found in the room
Miss Sigel left her parents home on
June 9. Her whereabouts from that
time until the finding OF her battered
hodv I'm the trunk is unknown. Her
father. Paul Sigel was worried about
her ard was relieved on June j Oy
the receipt Of a telegram dated Wash
inpton which read: "Will be home
sunday evening. Don't worry.-Elsie y
Elsie Sigel. who was % years old.
had for the past three years been as
ISOLATED with her mother, who for 10
years has been missionary worker
among tho Chinese and Japanese. Out.
side If her homo life all af her time
was srent in settlement work
Typical Mission chinaman.
Leon Ling In whose room the body
was found. the police assert. was a