The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1917-07-05
NO SU|T0R IN
GERKEN S[AY|NG
MABEL HoULIHAN, ON WAY BACK
FROM FUNERAL, SAYS PO-
LICE STICK TO ONE
THEORY.

ISE ~ ONE
THEORY.
Miss Nahle Ilouihan, the young wo
man who Nas with Miss Thccla Ger
ken, of Woonsocket in Sioux City Just
before a bullet of unknown origin
brought death to the latter week
ago last night today branded as un-
founded the stories that The crime
was committed by a neglected suitor.
|iMiss llouihan passed through Mitch
ell this morning on her way back to
Sioux City from Moonsockct, where
she attended the Gerken funeral.
II was too near it am" she stated
''to fully realize it. 1t hardly seems
real NOW. We We're simply walking
along and had parted TO go to our
homes. had only gone a little ways
when | heard that terrible scream.
That was the worst of all will new
er be able to forget the horrible cry.
To say ii WAS the work of some one
who was insane. There is nothing to
The story of the suitor. Thccla was
not engaged or married either nor was
there any persistent suitor. | knew
her we'll enough to know that the
theory was wrong.
Police Have Theory.
How did ii get started? Nell. that
was the work of the Sioux City police
just as soon as the detectives reached
the house they began asking me who
her lover was, who she had been go
ing with, and a lot or other questions.
! couldn't answer them. She had not
been there a week and had no enemies
that anyone knew of.
don't think any effort is being
made to locate the ragged boy THAI
slouehed past us just a few moments
before. The detectives laugh at that
possibility. They want the lover that
WAS disappointed or the suitor that
was neglected or something of the
SORT. They won't take anything else.
mat was the second evening tnat
we had been together. was With her
llle night before and again that even
ing, but usually there had also been a
number of girl friends Where all the
weird stories come from is more than
| can say"
Miss lloulihan expressed a desire to
be free from it all for a short time.
The period of questioning and con-
stantlN repeating the narrowing tale
has been disleartening and the Young
woman is anxious to- be free from If
all.
No Nearer Settlement.
Sioux City, Ia, July 5.-Out of the
mass of tangled theories being ad-
Nailced m The Gerken mystery, the
one holding that The young school
teacher was slain by mistake seems
10 be gaining credence among inyeStt
gators.
UP at Woonsocket, the life long
home of Miss Gerknn Ihoy are reluct-
ant TO believe the theory of the sious
City police that jealous suitor killed
her. They base This opinion on the
fact that, so far as is known. the
Young swoman never had really ser
ious love affair.
wholly ON the possible, and is not
borne out by facts. Nor will il prob
ably be, for. if man, or woman
mlstook Miss Gerkcn for another, the
chances are the mystery never will
be cleared up
One of two letters found after the
killing last "Wednesday night. and
which, il has been conieclured, NAV
hold solution of the mystery. are be-
ing used i'm an effort to find the auth
ors; One of these letters, in particular,
is believed to hold some valuable in
formation. 1t was written by am old
friends of Miss Gerkcn. a man who has
been known TO the family for wears.
Seek Montana Man.
His home is in Montana. AT the re-
duest of members of the family. and
Woonsocket authorities, the name of
this man will not be revealed. The
family declares he was nothing more
than a casual acquaintance of Miss
Gerken's. Some statements i'm the let
Ter are said TO be questionable. One of
these requested Miss Gcrken to meet
him at Aberdeen i'm the week of the
killing. The letter was written from
Minneapolis The author is said to have
been there on business.
The police are seeking him. in the
hope that he will clear up a few ques-
tionable points arising from tell in
NestigaliOn.
The elimination method now will be
employed ON the case. 1t was learned
today that the authorities hope To take
tle clews they have one by one. and
ferret them out, eliminating those
which have no grounds. in the hope
lhat the case will come to head. So
many theories. and so many clews have
been advanced and discovered that the
Investigators feel the only efficient way
to carry on the inquiry is to eliminate
every idea which has no plausible
foundation