The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-26
SHE WAS IN DEBT
Facts ELECTED in Investigation
of the DIR. Knabe Tragedy.
Little en- Which to Base Murder
or Suicide Theory.

Indianapolis, Oct. 26-That a man
holding a handkerchief to his face. as
if to hide his features was seen T..
emerge from an alley in the rear of
the apartment house in which DR..
Helene Knabe lived alone, at 2 O'Clock
last Tuesday morning about the holr
at which the physician met her death
by a knife blow, was the newest lead
that had developed today in the police
investigator. This information was
supplied by J. c. Carr, a barkeeper
who said that as he was going home
and turned into the street at the side
of DR.. Knabes apartment he heard two
faint screams and as he approached
the alley at the rear of the building
a man with q handkerchief at his face
come out, passed him and hurriedly
disappeared.
The man, Carr sand. was about 90
years old and well dressed. Detectives
pointed cut that if he was the murder
err of DR. Knabe he must have made
exit from her fiat into the front cor
ridor of the building then into pas
sageway at it's side and thence to the
aIley in the rear. Investigation has
ed through a window of the fat.
In addition to following this line of
inquiry, the police again today ques-
toned Miss Augusta Knabe and also
sought among the PHYSICIANS acquaint
ance for further possible light on the
suicide theory or some motive, not yet
apparent, for murder.
Conflicting Theories.
eff DR.. Knabe was murdered, as
appears, 7 am satisfied she was
whom she was acquainted and that she
voluntarily let this person into her
apartment. The theory of suicide still
will not let itself be neglected
With this statement, Captain William
Holtz, chief of the detective depart
ment, summed up the result of the
days activity of the police division On
the circumstances of the death Of DR..
Helen E Knabe-
.I caEnot see anything but murder
in this case" said DR.. e. o. Durham
coroner of the county, who began his
inquest today. The instrument OF
death was not found and circumstan-
ces indicating suicide appear to me
negligible
! Captain Holtz declared he did not
| intend to reflect upon the character of
DR.. Knabe IN saying he believed she
knew her murderer, if she was muir
dered.
Or Knabe's reputation was unblem-
| ished,'' said he, land she lectured II
young women and men on the necessity
| of social purity as well as on physical
culture and hygiene. But there is a
| number of possible motives for her
| murder. It is certain that robbery was
not one of them ana physicians nave
decided that personal assault was not
| committed.
There are several indications tina:
lead me to believe that she knew the
person who killed her if, indeed, she
| did not commit suicide. But we are
working on the murder theory
Some of DR.. Knabe's own frienos
| suggested to the police that the idea
that she ended her own life sh
not be cast aside, though the knife
with which she was killed had disap-
peared. They said she recently had
| been respondent over her debts, that
/ even her furniture and instruments
were the property of her cousin, Miss
| Augusta Knabe.
They Saw No Knife.
Along this line Miss Knabe and Kath-
crime Mcpherson, DR.. knabess assistant
who found her dead, were questioned a.
length. oBth insistently denied thai
they had seen knife in the bedroom
| or that they had covered up any av1-
dence tending to show the physician
had killed herself.
Miss Mcpherson said she had pulled
DR.. Knabe's night dress down ovel
her body; Miss Kna5e that she hac
laid a pillow across the body. Then
both said, they were so anxious to GO
physicians into the fiat that they for
got to call the police until more thar
an hour after the discovery of tht
BODY. Miss Knabe admitted that DR.
Knabe uwed her several hundred dol
lars and had other debts. But, poo
girl. she would have paid them II sh'