The sun., 1909-06-19
ELSIE SIGEL MURDERED
GENERALS GRANDDAUGHTER
DEAD IN CHINAM4N'S ROOM.

Her Body Found In Trunk Of Christian
Convert She knew-He Has Disse-
peared-she Had Been Missing From
Home-Fsther Said Body wasn't Hers
The body OF young woman who had
been strangled TO death was found early
last evening crammed into trunk In
the room occupied by young educated
Chiraman Of the Sunday school type at
7sc Eighth avenue The Chinaman disap-
peared from his lodging place q week
ago. and II was the Coroners opinion
that the body had been In the trunk
fully. that long. p.
The body was identified early this
morning as that Of Miss Elsie Sigel,; the
twenty-year-old daughter Of Paul Sigel.
clerk employed in the Board Of Health
and son OF the late Gen, Franz Sigel,
the civil war veteran and former Comp.
troller Of the city of New, York Ths
Chinsman was william L. Leon, who wai
we'll known to missionaries in this city.
Letters to Leon signed Elsie were
found in the Chinaman's g room.
MISS SlkcI uISdpI'cdfCu iIOli uOi uOul0
| on June 0 and her father went to tbs
Chinaman's room late last night in an
effort to identify the body.
Around the neck OF the young woman
| was a spangle. apparently a college or
high school pin bearing the initials p. c. 8.
Mr.. Sigel examined this spangle first and
said that he could not recall that his
daughter ever had had one like ii. Then
he looked at the body and went away de-
claring that it was not that OF his
daughter
The police. however. insisted on sending
| the spangle to Mr. Sigel's home and hav-
| ing the mother Of the missing girl examine
| 1t. . .
Headquarters Detective Grifiths went
to the Sigel home at 200 Wad,worth
avenue early this morning and showed
the bracelet and looket to Mrs. SigeL
She identified them as the property Of
her daughter Elsie
According to the story which Mr.. sigel
told the police his daughter gave no
warning when she left home on June o
| On the 18th. however. he got a telegram
from Washington signed with his
daughters name. This telegram. the
police say, read as follows
Will be home Sunday evening. Dont
worry. ELSIE.
Both Mr.. Sigel's wife and daughter
were interested in missionary work
among the Chinese in this city II was
through work OF this sort that Miss SigN
met Leon. The police said that there
was picture OF the missing ChinAunan in
the Sigel home One or two persons told
the detectives that they bad seeq Miss
sieel with the young ChinAu,sa st Q
Chinese theatre about week or Two sGo
or the young Chinaman's own inciina-
ticns toward fslitious iift thsr5 was
hlenty Of evidehos In The room where
the body was found On bursau lay .
Bi bic in English and Chinese. while the
walls bore pictures Of the Virgin and the
Apostles, In a trunk which apparently
contained Icons clothing was book of
gospel hymns. 80.
The building in which the body was
found is rented by Sun Leung, who runs
a chop suey restaurant, using the third
and fourth floors for living purposes:
Leon occupied a hall bedroom on the
fourth floor. His room adjoined that
of Chung Sin on the rear. Chung Sin is
another Chinaman of the religious type.
and he apparently was sharing his quar-
tiers with Leon. At any rate when tho
police broke into Icons room they found
the door between the two rooms open
Chung has also disappeared. and the
Chinaman who runs the chop suey res
taurant on the second door says that he
left when Leon did.
M nth
cupied by the proprietor Of the restaurant
who is a cousin Of Leon. The restaurant
proprietor has been sleeping in this room
for nearly a week. He tried once or twioe
in that time. he told the police. to enter
Leon's room. but had found it locked.
1t was yesterday afternoon that be
noticed little stream OF sonething
like blood trickling under the door
OF Icons room About 9 O'Clock
he went around to the West Forty
seventh street police station AMI told
the lieutenant there that he feared
his cousin Leon had been murdered. He
had been missing for Ave or six days
Policemen Fitzgerald and Riordan re-.
turned with the Chinaman to the house
A locksmith tried to open the door. but
gave It up The two policemen battefSi
in the door
In front OF the bed in the little room
was a big black trunk tied with several
yards OF awning rope. When the police
cut this the cover OF the trunk dew up
from the pressure Of the body, which
was wrapped in n blanket. The worhan's
body had been bent double. .head
downward. and a piece OF rope had bsen
tied under the knees and around the back
90 that the knees were drawn caose up
under the chin The lower part Of the
legs had been doubled back and also 6sd
About the woman's neck was . nooss
made Of the same awning rope with which
the body was tied. The moose had bssn
pulled 80 tightly that It was buried In tho
flesh and the Coroner. thoughts the nsok
might also have been broken. ~
The woman's face was much swollsn.
but Coroner Hamburger and the polios
were OF the opinion that she was about
rs years old. She had on only a few
underclothes and no shoes or stockinEs
The woman's hat and her outer garment
had disappeared. and everything elss
had apparently been removed that might
give clue to her identity j..
The police found blue silk waist IN
the room occupied by the proprietor OF
the restaurant at the front OF the house.
but he denied that IT. belonged to ths