River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-03-28

GIRL LOSES LIFE IN BRAVE BAT
TIE TO SAVE HER
HONOR.
VICTIM ALICE MATTHEW'S
Sister Passes Body But Believes u
Only Night Reveler-Crime Most
Horrible in Minneapolis
History.

Minneapolis. With people AROUND
to hear her despairing cries for
but no one ready and willing TO rem
der assistance, Alice Matthews, FL
years old, daughter Of Harry Mat
thews, gave up her life late Satur-
day night in desperate attempt to
save her honor. Her disfigured and
mutiIated body was found in the
street, less than half a block from
her home, by a neighbor at o'clock
Sunday morning.
Her lips were swollen from blow
in the mouth, her neck and throat
were scratched and torn, her cloth
ing was in tatters- everything bore
mute testimony to the terrific strug-
gle she had made against her brutal
assailant, to whom she did not sue
cumb until life was nearly or quite
extinct.
Most Brutal in city's History.
For downright savage brutality the
crime has never been equalled in Min
neapolis. And with the entire depart
ment on the alert, the police are baf-
fed. They have practically no clue
to work on. There is nothing to in
dictate who committed the atrocious
crime. There is not even the slender
est thread of evidence that might lead
to his apprehension.
Alice Matthews was packer in one
Of the flour mills. She had a reputa-
ton above reproach. Although she
had many friends, they were all girl
friends. She was never known to
have had a beau. This simply in
creases the puzzle for the police.
Goes to Theater.
Saturday, Ida Belly, a friend who
had formerly worked with her in the
mills, called on Miss Matthews while
she was at work and arranged to go
out with her Saturday night. Alice
told her father and stepmother in the
evening that she would spend the
night with Miss Belly, as she had
often done before, and nothing was
said about it.
The girls attended picture show
and Miss Matthews started home at
1900 p. m.
1t was nearly midnight when Mrs.
l.. VI
from the girl, heard some one out
side her house. She thought she heard
calls for help. A girls voice crieG:
please let me go!" The cry was
repeated, but she thought 1t children
playing and paid no more heed. The
body was found in front of the house
in the morning.
Other neighbors also heard the pitt
full cry for help, please let me go
and I promise not to tell" is the way
one told the police. But the girl
pleaded in vain. Mrs. G. w. Tibbetts,
who lives across the street at No.
$500 saw the two on the sidewalk.
She called the police, thinking there
were two intoxicated men who were
unable to find their way home. Mo-
torcycle Patrolman Olson of the Sixth
precinct arrived, being told to look
around Thirty fifth street and Twen-
tieth avenue, he found nothing. He
was seen by Mrs. Tibbetts, but she
failed to direct him, as she did not
recognize him as an officer Unsuc-
cessful in his search he returned to
the station
Sister Sees Body.
The most pitiful event connected
with Miss Matthews death was when
her younger sister, Jennie, returned
home from party at about 2 o'clock
in the morning. She nearly stumbled
over the body of her sister, not recog-
nizing her, entered her home and
went to bed, forgetting to tell her
father of. what she had seen.
Battle for Honor.
That the girl had battled desperate
lyly for her honor and life was shown
by the condition of her clothing and
person. Her finger nails were torn
and one of the hat pins was clutched
in her hand, broken, which leads the
police to believe the man must show
evidence of the struggle. In the 9TH
er hand she was tightly holding onto
her purse another proof, the police
say, that the girl was taken unaWares.
At the autopsy performed by Br. H.
e. Robertson of the University of
Minnesota, it was shown conclusive
ly that the girl died as the result Of
strangulation. 1t also proved beyond
a doubt that the girl had been assault
ed.