St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-10-28
DR.. Helen Knabe Found In
Bed With Her Throat Cut
Official Still in the Dark AS
To Who Did 1t.
Thought Brobably to Be a
Case of Suicide,
But No Motive For Suicide
Has Yet Been Found.

indianapolis, Oct. 24.-How DR..
Helen Knabe, former State bacterior-
ologist, found in her bed to-day with
her head almost severed by the slash
of a. knife, came to her death, remain
ed tonight mystery. Jefferson
Haynes, the negro janitor of the fash
ionable apartment house where DR..
Knabe died, was detained on suspic-
ion that he knew something of her
death, but tonight detectives releas-
ed him after he had withstood for
hours their attempts to draw indis-
eliminating information. They were
! in the dark, they said, as to last
nights tragedy in DR.. Knabe's apart
lnent.
The theory of suicide put aside ear
Her in the day was revived again to.
night, but the police declared the evil
dence tended to indicate murder.
The knife with which DR.. Knabe was
killed has not been found and the cor
oner and the police We're of the opin-
ion that If she herself gashed her
throat she would not have had the
strength to have hidden the knife
and then returned to her bed. There
were no blood stains on the floor
of her bed romm save where blood
had trickled from the wound across
the bed and dripped on the floor.
The blow dealt was powerful one.
for the knife passed through the mus
.,cular tissue and was only stopped by
the upper vertebrae. On one of Dr..
knabe's arms was slight wound
ana blood smeared on her left leg.
HEARD SCREAMS.
Haynes, the janitor, who had
known DR.. Knabe for years, told the
police he went to bed at / o'clock
last night. DR.. Knabes apartment
is just above his room. He was
awakened in the night, by three
screams, apparently in DR.. Knabe S.
apartment, but he went to sleep
again without investigating. At five
O'Clock this morning he said he heard
footsteps in the room above him.
Ir. Knabe's apartment was in q
corner of the building and its win
ttows opened on two streets. None
of these was locked and several Of
them were open last night. Haynes
daughter slept In the room next to
his and the housekeeper in nearby
room. The women said they heard
nc noise over head last night. The
family living in the apartment above
DIR. Knabes also said they heard
neither screams nor any other sound
from DR.. Knabe's rooms.
Ii was 8:15 o'clock this morning
when Kathrine Mcpherson, Dr..
Knahes assistant entered the apart
mcnt and found her dead. The body
lay prone on its back, the arms out
stretched. The night dress was dis
arranged and across the breast was
A pillow. There were only slight
signs of struggle and none Of rob-
berry. They agreed DR.. Knabe had
been dead about. six hours. The cor
oner stated that he could find no evil
dence that she had been assaulted.
FIND NO MOTIVE.
Motives for the murder puzzled
the detectives tonight. DR.. Knabe.
srent much time in study. She told
Miss Mcpherson last evening she in
ltpndeQ TO fe2Q uutll lSIe. one Aau q
lwide acquaintance, but no one was
Hound to-day that said she had an
Intimate man friend.
Her resignation from the posia1on
H State bacteriologist was caused by
he pressure Of her private practice
NJ her desire to study hygeine, said
y. N. Hurry, secretary of the In
VI ha Board of Health, under whom
i worked in the State laboratory.
iSre was a brilliant woman, OF
L.tiful character" said DR.. Hurry,
I'D we regretted to lose her from
&. State service
br. Knabe was thirty five years
and of striking appearance. She
never been married. As bac-
Ioiogist and pathologist she was
hly respected. She was a mem
of the American Medical Associa-
,s committee on the education OF
hen in hygiene and the pathology
child birth anr she was devoted
mhysical culture progress among
hen. She was born in Germany,
daughter of civil engineer in
the German army. Coming to TINS
country as a girl by her own efforts
~f hnr