New-York tribune., 1920-02-04
Spaniard Hunted"
In Brutal Murder
OF Girl i'm Home
Neighbors Furnish Descrip-
ton of Foreign-Looking
Man Seen Lurking Near
Hoxie Flat Before Staying

Search for the man who murdered
seventeen-y -yearold Reihm Constance
Hoxie in her home, at 72 West Eighty
ninth Street, Monday afternoon. CEN
tered yesterday around a Spaniard who
had been a frequent visitor of former
dodgers in the apartment
Evidence of q ten-year- old boy and
his mother living in the same house
with the Hoxies, who spoke to stran-
ger standing at the Hoxie apartment
door about the time the murder was
committed, is expected to assist the
police In running down the criminal
Evidence Against Spaniard
Suspicious against the Spaniard was
directed by the police as the result Of
information given by Ernest Knoch, &
former conductor of the Chicago Grand
Opera Company. Knoch had come to
the Hoxie house at about 1880 p. M
on the day of the murder in response
to an advertisement the Hoxies had
apartment. After looking over the
place he said he would let the girl
know if he would take it later
lie told the police the girl said the
room had previously been occupied by
two Spanlards, but that they had not
been desirable tenants.
She said they were out of the room
all night" said Knoch, "and in the room
all day, and that her father objected
to them. He ordered them away She
said she would be glad to have some
person OF refinement in the room. When
| left | told her | would let her know
later if | would take it," Knoch said he
was attracted to the ad because it Of
fered piano.
The two Spaniards who formerly oc-
cupled the room were located by the
police yesterday in house on Ninety
sixth Street. After half hour of
questioning by Captain Of Detectives
Thomas Walsh, the latter said the two
Spaniards had proved to his satisfaction
that they had been at their new home
Captain Walsh they had lost track of
their visitor two weeks ago and didn't
know where he lived.
Description Of Stranger
Mrs. Sidney Berger and Ray Berger,
her ten-year- old son, who live on the
opposite side of the hallway leading
to the Hoxie rooms, have given to the
police an excellent description of the
HoXie apartment door about the time
of the murder. They agree that he
was foreigner with swarthy com
plexion, speaking broken English,
about thirty years old. medium
height, weighing about lao pounds.
dressed in dark suit and overcoat,
slouch hat, brown shoes, and was par
ticularly distinguished By bristling
black mustache."
The Berger boy said he had returned
from school shortly after 3 p. m.
When he arrived in the vestibule from
which open the doors to the two apart
ments he saw stranger standing
there. While he was ringing his own
bell, he said, the stranger turned to
him and said: "What's the matter :?
Isn't Miss Hoxie home"
AS the advertisement made no men
tion Of Miss Hoxie the police are
convinced that the man was thoroughly
acquainted with the Hoxie household
and knew Of the girls presence there.
When Mrs. Berger came to the door
to let her boy in, she says. she also
saw the stranger standing in the hall
way. Her description of the man tai
lies with that given by her boy and
Mrs. John O'Brien, the ianitress of
the place, who recollected admitting
tHS !llstIl ~ tnt mouse Il snort time be-
fore.
Girl Heard Pla, ing Piano
Electricians who have been working
on the first floor Of the building said
Yesterday they had heard singing and
piano playing in the Hoxie apartment
as late as 2:30 p. m. and possibly later.
1t IS the belief Of the police tina, the
strangers ring was unanswered at first
because the music had drowned out the
noise of the bell. The girl was music
student and her playing was familiar
TO all the neighbors.
The killing Of the young girl has
been placed as having occurred be-
tween 8 and $3.50 p. m. At the autopsy
yesterday DR.. Charles N. Norris, chief
medical examiner. declared that the
girl had been killed by numerous blows
on the back and side of the head and
had probably been struck as she opened
the door to admit the stranger. There
were evidences, too, that the girl had
been mistreated. She was found in
the room of Mrs. Sarah Reeves, a
school teacher, who lodges in the Hoxie
apartment and who discovered the
girls body on returning from shop
ping tour about $3.50 p. m.
She lived with her father Robert S.
HoNie, an auto mechanic, who works in
Corona.
o.