The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-10-15
GIRL FOUND DEAD
PITlABLE FATE OF A PURE GIRL
Who SOUGHT SUCCESS
LIVED EXEMPLARY LIFE

Which Would Enable Her to Con-
tinue Her Studies, and Is LGred to
q FieEd:si, Death.
Miss Ida Leegson, art student,
whose nude body was found Satur-
day on the prairie west Of Chicago,
was lured to her death by some man
who telephoned to her in response to
her advertisement for place as
nurse. This was the conclusion of
the police Tuesday night, after more
than twenty-four hours search. The
thin silken fish line found near the
body and the bruised circle it left
around Miss Leegson's neck, showed
the manner Of her death. Her tat
tered clothes indicated that death
had come only after hard struggle,
but there was nothing found to show
by whom Miss Leegson had been in
duced to visit the lonely spot in the
western outskirts of the city.
Saturday afternoon a telephone
call came from "Mr. Wilson" who.
when told Miss Leegson was out, in
quired closely after her personal ap-
pearance. An hour later he called
again and asked to go to house on
the West Side to care for his wife.
She left to answer the call and was
not heard from again. The street ad-
dress given by "Mr. Wilson" proved
to be a vacant lot on the prairie. A
canvass Of the houses Of the vicinity
of the prairie showed none occupied
by any one named Wilson.
The possibility that Miss Leegson
was lured to her death by an organ
lied band of white slavers" IS not
believed to offer a solution Of the
mystery. An investigation among
the teachers at the University Of
Chicago and at the Art Institute in
dicated that Miss Leegson had no
man friends, and that her nights had
been spent in study. Miss Leegson's
hand satchel was found block from
where the body lay. 1t had been
slashed with knife and its contents,
except pair Of stockings and piece
Of soap removed.
Investigation has shown only that
she led an exemplary life, had no
men callers at any Of the places
where she is known to have resided,
and she is not thought to have pos
sessed any large amount Of money.
Miss Leegson was a graduate Of the
University Of Chicago, a sculpture
pupil Of dorado Taft and a student
at the art institute. Her murder
marked the end of long pitiful
struggle to make her way as a sculp-
tor. Her studies at the University
OF Chicago were to fit her for work
by which she could earn enough to
complete her art education. For sew
eral winters she taught school, re-
turning to the city to resume her
work at the art institute.
Only a few hours before she was
lured to her death she answered an
advertisement for a domestic, saying
she had to have funds to enable her
to continue her studies and was not
too proud to do kitchen work. Late
Saturday afternoon man who gave
the name Of Wilson telephoned the
residence where Miss Leegson lived
and asked her to take a position as
nurse in a maternity case. She was
directed to go to list street and
Western avenue and walk to an ad-
dress four miles west. The body was
found three miles west of the street
intersection in a clump Of bushes.
The address to which she had been
directed does not exist.
Game wardens followed trail Of
torn clothing to the spot where her
half nude form was lying. On her
necks were finger marks and encir-
cling it was a thin blue line which
was made by a piece Of cord found
nearby. A gold watch with the ini-
tials I. G. NJ, which belonged to Miss
.Leegson, was recovered Tuesday
from a pawn shop in the negro dis
strict. at Chicago. The police were
given full description Of the negro
who pawned the watch and they ex-
pect to arrest him soon. The officers
also obtained from the pawn broker
a description Of a small knife bearing
the same initials, which the negro
attempted to pawn.
The police theory Of the murder is
that Miss Leegson was killed while
resisting the attack of negro, who
robbed her after Turing her to the
outskirts Of the city with promise
OF employment, according to the be-
lief of the police.
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