Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-06-23
GOTHAM HAS A
MURDER MYSTERY
BODY OF YOUNG WOMAN FOUND
PACKED IN A STEAMER
TRUNK.
EVIDENTLY WAS MURDERED 81
STRANGuLATION-
SUSPECTED OF CRIME.
VICTIM PROBABLY GRANDDAUGH
TER OF LATE GENERAL
FRANZ SIGEL.

| New York, June 19.-Packed In a
steamer trunk, tied with ropes and
left in stuffy little room in house
occupied principally by Chinese, the
body of young woman was discov-
cred last night. All indications are
that it was murder by strangulation
and while the body had not been
identified late last night, the police
believe it may prove to be that OF a
young woman missionary. Henry G.
Bal nell, who is Interested in the
Americanizing of Chinese, last night
gave the police a valuable clue in
that he described Chinaman who
formerly occupied a room where the
body was found. While there is no
direct evidence to connect this China
man with the murder, the fact tha- he
was the last occupant of the room
makes him valuable witness at
least
Paul Sigel son of General Franz
Sigel of civil war fame, was sum-
moned to police headquarters, for his
daughter has been missing for more
than week and the police are anx-
icus to have him view the body Bar
nell said he knew young white
woman by sight only who was inter-
ested in work among the Chinese and
he was inclined to think the name
was Sigel.
With this partly coincidental infor-
nation, although vague and uncer-
tain, the police began Investigations.
The house in which the body was
discovered is in the tenderloin dis
trict and used as chop suey restau-
rant the upper floor being rented to
Cinnamon. Sun Lang, the proprietor,
noted peculiar odor and fearing that
some one had committed suicide no
tilted the police. They assembled to
the top floor. and entering the small
room pried open the steamer trunk
There lay the body, cramped and
partly decomposed, with rope wound
tightly around the throat and also tied
about the knees and arms.
The body was covered with blood
and the clothing torn, indicating
struggle. The man who had occu-
pied the room evidently had left
hastily, for there had been no effort
to remove anything. He was evil
IDENTIFY converted to christianity for
there were about the room bibles and
prayer books. containing names writ
ten in both English and in Chinese
which gave the information that he
was known in English as William H.
Lion, and in Chinese as Lung Lee
Linn.
Scrawled on card in fairly good
Ensllsh was an unsigned note which
read: Il hope YOU do not get mad at
me, because all trouble come from me.
Hope some day the happiness come
to rs both"
Decomposition of the body had pro-
crossed so far that except for the !
whiteness of the feet it would have
been difficult to ascertain whether i'll
was the body OF white woman Soon
after Sigel had been notiedfi it was re-
moved to a morgue.
Paul Sigel late last night examined
the clothing the woman wore but was !
unable to identify any of the things
as having belonged to his missing
daughter Elsie. A locket with the in
itials "E. c. s" or .P. c. s." (the let
tiers were worn and hard to disting-
uish) was shown Sigel. but he could |
not identify it. although he knew his
daughter wore a locket when he last
saw her. According to Sigel, his daugh-
ter disappeared June 10. Two days
later, the family got word from her
in Washington, saying she was safe
and would be home the following Mon
day. Nothing her father said, was
heard of her since.
A number of letters which the po-
lice expect will throw light on the
case. were found in the room where
the body was discovered. One was
written in English addressed to mis-
sion Chinanlan who occupied the room,
but was unsigned 1t warned him that
if he did not stop paying attention to
Elsie Sigel' he would meet terrible
fate Other letters found were writ
ten by a girl who signed herself
Elsie According TO the police the