Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-29
HELD PENDING AN INQUIRY
Body Left in Room Occupied by Cou-
pie Who Have Disappeared.
ROBBERY GIVEN AS MOTIVE
Deceased Left Baltimore for Elope-
ment, With Jewels and Large Sum
of Money, Which Are Missing.

or an e1opement was wiped out by the
grewsomeness of a brutal murder here
early today. when Miss Sophia G. Sing
er, an attractive Baltimore girl, was
found dead. Several hundred dollars in
money and jewelry brought from her
Maryland home to grace her wedding
tomorrow to William r. Worthen, a
street car conductor, were missing and
robbery has been accepted as the mo-
tive for the crime.
Worthen discovered the girls body
when he returned home after midnight to
the suite occupied by them and two
vaudeville performers in a rooming house
at 1929 Indiana avenue. Miss Singer had
been bound and gagged and struck with
terrific force with a billy made from
an iron door knob, wrapped in hand
kerchief. Her body was EMBODIED in a
blanket The two vaudeville performers
are Charles d. Conway, a high diver
whose right lef has been amputated below
as Beatrice Rail and May Monte, va
riety actress, who roomed in the same
apartments and who had been befriended
by Worthen, are being sought by the
police in connection with the crime. The
bed in the room occupied by them. The
couple had been in the house during the
evening. but no trace of them had been
found since the discovery of the body.
Gave the Deceased Money.
According to Worthen, Miss Singer
was an acquaintance of Mrs. Conway,
who was known to her as Miss Riall,
and 1t was thrC C-gh the latters invita-
tion that he and his sweetheart went to
room at the same house. The four moved
yesterday into the rooms where the mur-
der was committed. They had previously
lived few blocks farther north on the
same street. Worthen told the police
he had paid the expenses of the Con-
ways as we'll as those of himself, and
Miss Singer al the rooming house since
joining them.
Worthen will be held by the police
declared that before leaving the house
last night he handed his fiancee S4S in
the presence of the Conways. and then
went downtown. 1t was midnight when
Railways spattered with blood. He
aroused others in the house by repeated
pounding on the door leading to the Con-
way room, after finding that Miss Singer
was not in her own apartment. key
was finally furnished by Mrs Julia Nc
Carthy. keeper of the house, and the door
was opened Further investigation showed
that the money he had given the woman
was missing, as well as several articles
Of jewelry, revealing robbery as a prob
able motive for the murder
Trail of Blood to Kitchen.
A trail of blood led to kitchen
which the four had the use Of. and
there the table was found covered
knob with the piece of iron attached
for a knob on the other end lay on the
floor, wrapped in a handkerchief satu-
rated with blood. and with a leather
shOestring attached to it in loop fash
ion, making a billy" of it. Worthen
said Conway had once exhibited the
bludgeon to Miss Singer with the re-
mark: This is what l knock 'em out
with"
According to Worthen's story, he met
Miss Singer in Baltimore several
months ago while he was employed
there with a street car company. He
said her mother was in comfortable
circumstances, and that when he de-
cided to come to Chicago with the idea
of locating here, she expressed the de-
sire to accompany him and he allowed
her to do so. He told the police that
he had spent most Of his life on a
Maryland farm near Baltimore with his
father, who still resides there. He is
twenty-siX years old.
Worthen, who was held by the police,
pending the outcome of the coroners IN
vestigation today.
Worthen Questioned for Hours.
Worthen was questioned for hours by
the police. who endeavored to substan-
tiate the facts he first related. The re-
cital was the same as Worthen's first
story
The murdered girls fiance said Conway
and his wife might hav gone either to
Baltimore or to Anderson, Ind, and de-
scriptions of the couple were sent to those
towns. Worthen was taken to the house
where the girl was killed, and there he
described in detail how he found the
corpse.
No new information was obtained from
the questioning, the police declare.
At the apartments occupied by Miss
Singer the police searched her trunks.
and in adjoining rooms looked through
the effects of WOrthen. Nothing TO
throw more light the murder was
found In the girls trunk were some
new garments which the man said were
to have been a part of her wedding cos
tune.