The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-23
Chinaman Is Given Third De- gree and Made to Tell of
 Elsie SigeI's Death
SAW LEON LING PUT HER
 BODY IN STEAMER TRUNK
Several Chinamen Are Now Under Ar. rest in Connection With the Tragedy But No Trace of
 the Murderer Is Found.

New York June 22.-Baited and in- timidated by detectives, threatened with prosecution and confused by rapid-fire questions Chung Sin, one-time room mate of Leon Ling, told this afternoon of Elsie SigeFs murder. Under the ter rife 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 Ltng's preparations for placing the body in the trunk where 1t was found horribly decom- posed last Friday night. Chung Sin, in fact, if what was learned at the crim- inal courts building is correct, de- scrib ed almost everything concerning the murder of Major General Sigels granddaughter, except the actual com initial of the crime. He denied any inn plication in it and protested stoutly that he was ignorant of the where abouts of Ling. the supposed murderer. After the inquisition he was taken be- fore Coroner Hamburger and held in
 
 to await the inquest.
 Ching Sins Story.
 Chung Sin is 35 years old and a na- tive of Canton. He was arrested yes terday at West Galway. N. Y a small hamlet near Amsterdam. and was brought to New York today. Inn mediately after his arrest and all dur fb trfv, was piled with questions, bullied, per suaded and entangled in a mass of significant questions. It was not until late today. however, that his spirit was sufficiently broken or sufficient in- ducements were offered as the case may be. for him to cast aside his air of stolidity and tell of the death of the young missionary Then, smoking cigarette after cigarette. to quiet his nerves, the Chinaman told brokenly but with brutal bluntness of the girls death. He was surrounded at the time in the office of Assistant District At torney Ward by detectives from police headquarters who previously had put him through a grllling. MT. Ward and District Attorney Jerome also were present and from what can be learned 1t was MT. 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 him Chung Sim. This together with the persistent hammering at the pris- oner, brought the confession It was made partly In English and partly in 1A... graphers. No statement of the gist of his remarks was made public but the more salient facts of the confession soon became known about the building.
 Girl Was Drueged.
 From the mans story 1t Is apparent that Elsie Sigel first drugged with chloro- form and then choked to death. She was killed apparently on the night of June g. although Chung Sin appeared a little mixed in hls dates. But he says that early in the morning of June 10 he heard a strange noise In Leon's 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 said, to go out to wash his hands and as he did felt of the body, which was still warm. After he went down to the chop suey restaur- ant below he returned to the room. Leon in the meantime had covered the body with 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 therein. The rope with which the body was bound was lying on the floor at the time, according 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 lfl and placed in the trunk At this point of the story the Chnaman was asked savagely if he had not assisted in putting the body in the trunk
 No Hand in Murder.
 Chung Sin started perceptibly but said he had no hand in it.
 q did not see her no more, said Chung Sin and when 1 asked Leon how she died he said she had bitten her tongue and bled to death"
 He added that Leon told him he was going to send the trunk to Jersey City. thence to Europe. As a matter of fact 1t lay untouched in the stuffy little room until Sun Leung, proprietor of the res- taurant below, noticed the odor about the building and summoned the police.
 Until Chung Sins complete account Is made public it will not be explained why he saw the dead girl and the prepara- tions for the removal of the body with such apparent unconcern. Also. despite repeated interrogatories, he declined to say Just what happened in the room when the girl was murdered. He admitted hav- ing heard scuffle in the room during the night and told of Elsie having arr rived on the previous afternoon, the day when she disappeared from her home.
 "Did Leon take her there. or did she go of her own accord?" he was asked.
 "She went there alone, he replied.
 'Was she in love with Leon. or Leon with herr? was another question.
 At this Chung Sin relapsed Into silence