Evening star., 1909-07-17
GIRL TALKS OF LEON
Declares She Saw Elsie Sige's
Body in Trunk.
STRANDED IN READING
Young Oriental Woman Believed by
Police to Be Demented.
TELLS OF BRUTAL CHINAMAN
Saws She Was Beaten, Robbed and
Locked Up by Him-Weird
:: Narrative Not Credited
TELLS OF BRUTAL CHINAMAN

READING, Pa, July IA mysterious
giri. giving her name as Florence Ialueh
\arata who became stranded in Reading
the other night, after having been piaceo
aboard q. train at Mahanoy City by
Japanese acquaintance whom she met
there bv cbance. has caused sensation
here by statements which she mas mace
pertainfug To the murder of Elsie Sigel In
New York city.
The girl. who is. about twenty-five years
of age claims she was born aboard a
vessel which arrived in New York city
from Europe. and that her father was
Jananese Both her parents, she says,
have been dead three years.
She was wandering about the streets
here when she. made known her plight
to the police She is now confined in the
BeuIah Anchorage, an institution Tor
homeless women and girls.
Wife of Philadelphia Jap.
The girl claims TO lsaye been married
to a Japanese who is now chefrin
Philadelphia hotel. but she declines TO
give his name or place OF employment
II was while discussing her Japanese
parentage and her close relationship with
tbem in Philadelplia Chicago and other
cities that she broached the subject OF
Elsie sigers tragic death. She referred
TO the dead girl by her first name ana
rs close friend.
Asked whom she meant. she replied:
..Why, Elsie Sigel. the girl whom Leon
Ling killed.
poor child in the trunk. She was so
white.
Did YOU know she was drugged? She
received her drug in a jug which Chi
nau,an gaSe-her to drink.
Says She Saw Body.
Did you witness the tragedy" was
asked No I saw Elsie before the
tragedy, and L saw her body in the
trunk.
In searching through small chateia1ne
bag which the girl brought with her
when she came TO the Anchorage the
matron found several small locks when
asked where she. got the locks Florence
smiled. but declined to give a Satisfactory
answer, further than the fact that
Chinaman had her locked In various
rooms and that she escaped by removing
the screws.
sChinamen tell me been in hospital,
hut I know better and get away exclt-
edly cried the young woman Iney
heat me with a bamboo stick and treated
me badly"
I'm New York" answered Florence.
The girl stated that while residing in
Philadelphia her Japanese husband
bought her presents.
''The jeweiry he bought me the emma
men stole and some of my money she
.added.
Covered With Bruises.
After refusing to tell when she had
tbeen beaten by Chinamen she gave
puzzled look when asked how she got
TO Reading and stammered:
Il don't know.
A moment later, however. SHE said:
Il was in Mahanoy City. and emma
man, whom l did not know, came up 10
me. / ate in his place and afterWard
1--WE walked down a railroad for great
way.
bought a ticket. / got on the train and
Through the window l saw several other
iSuung girls talking to chinaman.
! Il reached a strange city. ! do not
know where l am. / walked for hours
and asked no one for anything.
Then i got tired and asked some peo-
.ple to. let me sit down. | saw May
sitting on the step. She did not know
me- and after sitting while / was
taken to this place"
While the girl was undressing Thurs
day evening, the matron noticed that
she was covered with bruises and black
how she received the injuries she said
that the Chinaman beat her
May Be Hypnotized.
Mrs. Hildebrand, the matron. stated to
the reporter that the young woman acts
as If under some ones influence.
Il believe she Is hypnotized," declared
the matron.
The young woman is rather pretty and
about medium in height: she has the fea-
lures of an oriental, with high fore
head, straight black hair and fine teeth.
She is attired in black skirt and lace
waist. Her hat is of the latest creation.
a black affair with large blue plumes.
She delights in being told that she is
seylishly dressed and laughs when people
refer TO her hat. She looks at the Bible
and pretends to know what IL means.
hut merely shakes her head when the
matron asks what she is reading.
Who the girl is or whence she came is
what the police would like to know.
They believe that the locks she carries
indicate that she escaped from some
place in which she was detained.
Her dazed condition appears to bear
out the theory that she escaped from
some asylum, and that her story is only
Ia haIiucination. although some of those
who have seen her believe that her mind
has been clouded as the result of torture