Smyrna times., 1909-06-23
SLAYER OF SIGEL
GIRL ESCAPES
New York Missionary Murdered
By Chinese Convert.
FATHER IDENTIFIES BODY
Love Letters to Oriental Found In
Room With Body Showed Miss SigeI
Was infatuated With Hlm-PoIice
Searching For Murderer.

wac NAAGAN0 WIN EliIu-TOliSC
Searching For Murderer.
New York, June 21. Leon Ling,
with his string of English Chinese
aliases and his American clothes, may
never be found, but the mutilated body
of the New York girl left behind In a
trunk in his room here will not be
buried in Potter's Field. Paul Sigel,
the father claimed and positively
identified the body at the mOrgue, ad-
mitting for the first time that the vic
tim was his daughter Elsie, twenty
years old, who was a missionary
among the Chinese.
The girls mother, now in a sani-
tarium, had previously identified the
jewelry; another woman had identified
the underclothing, and relatives had
said that the murdered girl was Elsie
Sigel, granddaughter of General Franz
Sigel.
Will Ascertain Cause of Death.
Elsie Sigel's stomach is in the hands
OF the Columbia university professors,
who will make a chemical analysis of
its contents. Although the murder is
supposed to have been committed in
the room of a Chinese convert at 1872
Eighth avenue, on Wednesday, June 9,
the exact cause of her death has never
been ascertained. While the autopsy
determined that death probably was
due to asphyxia, whether she was
choked, smothered under a pillow or
drugged. bound with ropes and left to
die horribly in the trunk, is as much
mystery as is the whereabouts of
Leon Ling and his pal, Chung Sing.
Aside from the positive Identification
of the body there were few develop
ments in the case here Chu Gain.
manager of the Port Arthur restaur-
ant in Chinatown, who was detained
as material witness, was held with
out bail. He has admitted that he
knew Elsie Sigel well and had incurred
the enmity Of Leon Ling, and that
both he (Chu CAIN and the girl had
been threatened with death.
Theories as to exactly how and why
the girl was murdered are plentiful.
| One woman, Mrs. E. Smith, who pro-
| fesses to have known the family well.
even suggests that the victim is not
Elsie Sigel. but a mysterious Nellie"
who has figured in Leon Ling's love
affairs. Mrs. Smith holds that it is
| possible she and the Chinaman were
preparing to elope when Nellie" ap-
peared, created a scene and was kill
ed. The substitution of the clothing
and the packing of the body into the
trunk complete the feminine Sherlock
Holmes theory
Elsie Sigel's cousin Mabel was not
a bit unwilling to talk, and she told,
with apparent frankness, all she knew
about Elsie's liking for protesting
Cinnamon, and about Elsie's going
away from home on the morning of
Wednesday, June 9.
But Mabel wished 1t distinctly to be
understood that "she wasn't mixed UP
with any Chinks."
Elsie and me weren't the same; no.
not little Bit" said Mabel 81 amt
been going round with any Chinks,
I'll have you know that amt got no
use for EN-"
Captain Carey, of the bureau of
homicide. will not permit the mass of
letters found jumbled with Bibles and
pictures of ballet girls in that strange
room, where gorgeous embroideries
draped an iron hospital pallet, to be
published.
Reprosched Leon Ling.
Some of the longer ones reproached
Leon Ling for coldness toward a girl
that loved him, but many held no
hint that she doubted the Chinamans
affection. On the contrary, they glow
ed warmly with assurances of her own
devotion. There wasn't a word or
syllable in one Of them which might
point the way to understanding how
Elsie Sigel came to her death in the
low-ceiled, grimy room above the chop
suey shop.
There is just one letter of the many
found in the room of William Leon,
otherwise Leon Ling, that gives a
clear view Of this tragedy, and all the
other material contained so far. It
reads as follows:
"You seem to be growing cold to
me. Just think of the sacrifice l have
made for you-my family, my friends.
For Gods sake, don't forsake me!
ELSIE"