The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-26
MYSTERY BATTLES
THE DETECTIVES
No Tangible Clew 10 the Muir
derer of DIR. Helene Knabe
of indianapolis.
no MOTIVE FOR CRIME
Assistant and Cousin of Dead
Woman Examined by
the Police.
no MOTIVE FOR CRIME

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct 25.--Detec'
tivcs today took TO police headquarters
for examination Augusta Knabe. cou'
sin. and Katherine Mcpherson. assist
ant 20 Dr.. Helene Enabe, former state
bacteriologist. who was found dead
with her throat slashed in her apart
mcuts early Yesterday.
Investigation Of the private life OF
DR.. knabe occupied the detectives as
signed TO the mysterious case today;
They purpcscd TO question the dead
woman's friends in the medical profcs-
sion first, for ii is said her acQuaint.
anceship was almost entirely confined
10 persons interested in scientific sub.
icc;s. i'll physical culture or in social
hygiene.
DR. Knabc lived alone in the com
fortably furnished apartment in which
she was killed. She devoted all her
spare time To study and eXperimenta
iion. She was a member of the y. w
c. 4. and frequently lcctured to IFS
members and 10 the students Of the
high schools ON social hygiene, at
tempting to impress on them the nc
ccssity of purity in all social rela
tions.
Was i'll Happy Mood.
She was deeply interested in physl'
cal and mental culture among women
aud today was 10 have taken an ex'
animation as an instructor in the
North American Gvmuastic union al
its normal school at the German house
in this city.
The police last night having released
jefferson Davis. the negro ianitor OF
the building in which Dr.. Knabe
lived after satisfying themselves he
I,I1 Of Ia, NJ,
stances Of her death. search was taken
up today for hidden motive for her
murder.
The police, after a night s work
were unable TO discover that she had
either an enemy or an intimate male
friend.
The theory Of suicide seemed upteu
able. and DR.. knahe's assistant MISS
Katherine Mcpherson. said that thu
physician s practice was increasing
daily and that she was in cheerful hu
NOR.
The coroner having found no ev
dence of personal assault having
been committed. and there being no in
dcstions of robbery. the police sought
To find secret places in DR.. knabe {
life. They believed the murder, for 81
it appeared today, was done by a per
son that entered the door, not a win
dow. of the apartment. committed tn
crime and departed through the door
way.
Opinion Of Detective.
Ell Dr. Knabe was murdered as ap
pears | am satisfied she was murdered
by person with whom she was ac
pusintod aud that she voluntarily let thi;
person into her apartments. The theory
of suicide still will not Let itself be neg
lectcd," With this statement Captain
William IIotZ. chief OF detectives
summed up the result OF tho death OF Or
Helene knabc.
Captain Holtz declared he did not in
tend 10 reflect upon the character o
Or. Knabc in saying he believed sh'
knew her murderer. if She was muir
dcrcd.
Or. Knabc's reputation was unhIcm,
ishcd. said he. "and she lcctured Il
young women and men on the nccessit!
culture and hygiene. But there arc {
number of possible motives for her muir
der Ii is certain that robbery was moi
one OF them and physicians have decided
that personal assault was not committed
"The heavy street dust That had set.
tied upon the outer sillS OF Jae windows
Of Dr. Knabcs flat was undisturhed whcI
our men examined thcm, The efcCtri,
lights in the bedroom were burning
when Dr. I<nabe's body was discovered
These are but few of the indications
that led me 10 believe That she knew tho
person who killed her, il, indeed. she die
not commit suicide.
Some OF DR. knabc 5 own friends TO-
day suggested to the police the idea thai
She ended her own life should not bc
east aside. They said she had recently
been despondent over debts, and that
the property Of her cousin, Miss Augusta
Kngbc. "