The Mena weekly star., 1909-02-25
MYSTERY IN HOTEL
YOUNG WOMAN FOUND EQUINE AND UNCONSCIOUS IN CHI
 cAGo HosTELRY.
POLICE TRYING TO UARAVEL PROBLEM
Ella Ginales, the Victim, Is an Irish Lace Maker and Has Been in This Country But I've Months--Her Al torney Thinks Her Victim Of Foul Conspiracy.

Chicago Feb. 19.--One of the most mysterious cases with which the Chi cago police have had to deal in many years developed in the Wellington hotel standard downtown hostelry' Wednesday when the unconscious form of Miss Ella Gingles was found lashed to the supports Of bathtub. Whether she was the victim of plot, as she lncoherently alleged in her few conscious moments. or chose fantas tic means. including suicide, to re- tallate upon a woman whom she be- lieved to have been her enemy, formed d mystery which the police set about 10 solve.
 When A chambermaid reached the public bathroom on the fourth noor she found the door locked from the inside with bolt. Later the house car penter, removing the transom, crawied into the room, which was dimly light ed hs candle which had nearly burned out. Upon the floor he found Miss GingIes, clad only in night gown.
 Restoratives were administered by pr. Watson, the house physician, but she recovered only sufficiently to babble hysterically:
 Don't let her come nearer. Don't let her make me drink any more. II will kill me"
 The words "cab" and pepper oc- cured in her talk. Later in the day at the Francis Willard hospital She recovered consciousness for several minutes. Chief Of Detectives o'Brien was at her bedside and to him she told a strange tale of having been at' tackled near her home, "A LaSalle avenue Tuesday night by man and woman. One of them struck her and the other threw pepper in her eyes. She was then hustled into cab which apparently had been waiting. She knew no more she said, until she re- gained consciousness at nine o'clock at night in a strange room. She recognized the apartment as belong. ing to the Wellington hotel. she said. and wrote a note to her friend, Miss Mary Joyce. She threw it over the transom. she added. with penciled note on the envelope asking some bell boy" to mail 1t.
 Miss Gingles came to Chicago two months ago from Ireland and being an expert lace maker found employ naant uvfth MYaS Barrett
 Her attorney, MT o'Donnell's yer. sion of his clients trouble is strange as Action.
 We are just about to go to the states attorney with details of as foul conspiracy as ever existed" he de clared. Suddenly the chase was end ed. Now we must see that the pun ishment is swift and sure. A hor' rible act has been perpetrated and the laws of God and man set aside. It is worse than murder"
 Mir. 0'Donnell then outlined story | Of how the girls youth-she is only l l9-her virtue and her beauty made l her the object of persecution on the part of man who, he said, was well i known in several states. This man | he declared, was aided by at least one woman In his efforts to secure posses sion of the Irish girl Thwarted, the consprators multiplied troubles about their victims head. sun she resisted aided by good friends.
 Mir. O'Donnell's view of the case was not fully shared by the police, who were mystifed by the circum' 1 StantiaI evidence