Evening times-Republican., 1913-10-06
MISS IDA 6. LEEasoN, UNTIL RE-
GENTLY OF MASON CITY,
sTRANGLEp TO DEATH.
RECENTLY GAVE UP IOWA
POSITION TO STUDY ART
Lured to Lonely Spot BY Advertise
nent and Straneled - Had Little
Money and Motive is Not Vet Clear
Murderer. Escape in Automobile
Gams Wardens Find Body.

CnlcaSO, OCt. o.-My sleiS Sl'N
shrouds the murder of Miss Ida o..
Leegson, an art student who was lured
by telephone call to the prairie south
west Of the city Saturday and strang-
led with a silken cord. After ident-
fication little had been found to indi-
cate a motive for the crime. Hurried
investigation has shown that she led
an exemplary life. had no men callers
at any Of the places where she resided.
and she is not thought to have pos
sessed any large amount of money.
Miss Leegson was graduate Of the
University Of Chicago. q sculpture stu
dent of dorado Taft and student at
the Art Institute. Her murder marked
the end of a long, pitiful struggle to
make her way as d sculptor. Her stud
les at the university were to fit her for
the work by which she could earn
enough to complete her art education.
returning recently to the city from
Mason City, Iowa, to resume work at
the Art Institute.
Only few hours before she was
vertisement for domestic, saying she
must have funds to enable her to con-
tinue her studies and was not too
proud to do kitchen work.
: Last Saturday afternoon a man who
gave the name Of Wilson telephoned
the residence where Miss Leegson
nj aolY ~. - &~Ir 49,
as nurse in q maternity case. She was
directed to go to Seventy first street
and Western avenue and walk to an
address four miles west. The body was
found three miles west Of the street in
tersection In clump CT 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 body was found lying. On
her neck were finger marks and en-
c1rcling 1t was thin blue line which
was made by piece of cord found
near by.
Murdersrs Escaped in Auto.
There also were fresh tracks made
Dy an automobile. A guard at rail-
road crossing on Seventy-flrst street
saw large. black car go west on Sew
enty-nfst street Saturday evening. 1.
returned about three hours later.
MISS Leegson recently returned from
MASON CITY, Iowa, where she taught for
few weeks, giving up her position be-
cause she was not fitted for teaching
IN the grammar grades. She also taught
At cameron and Oshkosh, Wis.,, an6
Dollar Bay, Mich.
MISS Leegson once brought suit
against DR.. T. j. Allen, Of Aurora, ILL.,,
on the grounds that he falsely accused
her OF flirting with some of her pupils
and thus caused her dismissal.
Found by Game Warden.,
Inc evidence Of the crime might no,
nave been discovered for days. except
tor the chance passing OF three game
wardens looking for violations of the
hunting laws. They saw torn skir,
on the ground. little distance away q
glove. then other garments, and flnall,
the woman's half naked body.
Cards bearing the name of Miss
Leegson, receipt from landlady, and
telegram from Mason City, Ia. re.
garding position as teacher appea,
to identify the victim positively He,
description also accords with tha,
furnished by Mrs. William X. Morris
of 6O21 Kenwood formerly Monroe)
avenue, where Miss Leegson lived al
various times during her stays in Chi.
cagO.
Cards Show Life Struggle.
There were several other cards ant
memoranda which gave hints OF the
pitiful effort Miss Leegson had beer
making to get her education In art. One
memorandum refers to OliverH H Swell.
zer OF 445 Belmont avenue. e.Mr. Swelzel