The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1909-06-25
CONFESSES Leon
STRANCLED ELSIE
Chung Sin Breaks Down Under
third Degree"
TELLS HOW GIRL WAS SLAIN
Peered Through Transom and Saw
Victim Lying on the Bed, With a
Bloody Towel Over Her Mouth.
Saws Leon Said She Bit Her Tongue
and BIed to Death.

Od1S GCOH Oo'0 OfN 80 49,
and Bed to Death.
New York, June 23.-Baited and In
undated by detectives, threatened
with prosecution and confused with
rapid-Rre questions. Chung Sin. one
time roommate Of Leon Ling, told OF
Elsie Sigel's murder. Under the ter
rife pressure of the third degree
the little Chinaman admitted that he
had seen the body in Leon Lings
room. that he had touched il while II
was still warm, that he had smelled
drugs and had watched Leon Ling
preparations for placing the body in
the trunk where it was found horribly
decomposed last Friday night.
Chung Sin in fact described almost
everything concerning the murder OF
Major General Franz Sigels grand
daughter. except the actual commits
sion of the crime. He denied any i'm
plication in il and protested stoutly
that he was ignorant OF the where
abouts of Leon Ling. the supposed
murderer. After the inquisition he was
held in $4,000 bail in the house OF
detention to await the inquest.
Chung Sin was arrested at West
Galway. \. Y, a small hamlet near
Amsterdam. and was brought to New
York Immediately after his arrest
I'D state 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-
tions He was told that Leon Ling
had been captured and had laid the
blame upon his (Chung Sin's) should
ers. This together with the persistent
hammering at the prisoner, brought
the confession.
Girl Was Dragged and Strangled.
From the mans story it is apparent
that Elsie Sigel first was drugged with
chloroform and then choked to death.
She was killed apparently on the
night of June 9. although Chung Sin
appeared a little mixed in his dates.
But he SAYS that early in the morn
ing 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 a bloody
towel over her mouth. He passed
through the room. he says, TO 60 out
to wash his hands. and as he did so
felt OF the body. which was still warm.
After that be went down to the chop
suey restaurant below. then returned
10 the room. Leon in the meantime
had covered the body with a blanket
up to the chin and had pulled trunk
10 the middle Of the floor The trunk
Leon was calmly emptying prepare
tory 20 placing the body therein. The
rope with which the body was bound
was lying on the floor at the time, &C
cording TO Chung Sin Once again he
went down stairs. 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 China
man was asked savagely if he had not
assisted his pal in putting the body in
the trunk Chung Sin started percep-
tibly but said that he had no hand
in it.
Leon Said She Rled TO Death.
81 didn't see her no more" said
Chung Sin, and when | 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 Jersey
City. thence to Europe. As a matter
OF fact. il lay untouched in the stuffy
little room until Sun Leung. proprietor
of the restaurant below noticed the
odor about the building and summoned
the police.
Despite repeated interrogations
Chung Sin declined to say just what
happened in the room when the girl
was murdered. He admitted having
heard a scuffe in the room during the
night. and told of Elsie having arrived
on the previous afternoon, the day
when she disappeared from her home.
did Leon take her there or did she
20 Of her own accord?" he was asked.
"She went there alone" he replied.
"Was she in love with Leon or Leon
in love with her?' was another ques-
ton. At this Chung Sin relapsed into
silence and then only smiled and
shook his head. He indicated, how
ever that the girl had sought out the
Chinaman.
The confession served but TO clinch
the already prevalent belief that Leon
Ling killed the girl who became mi
tiated into the ways the Chinese live
through her mother, who now has been
taken to a sanitarium, crazed with
grief. II does not. however. so far as
can be learned. throw any light as 70
whore the murderer is at present or
the route which he took in his flight
from the city.
Captain Carey. Of the bureau Of