The Omaha morning bee., 1924-04-30

Girl Who Fatally Stabbed Young Playmate
With Hat Pin Exonerated by Coroner's Jury
Il Didn't Mean 10 DO H." She
Sobs H.sitrically as She
Relates Events Lead.
ing TO Death.

cried Eileen Ralph. ID. as she Naiteo
IN the Hoffman funeral home Tues
day morning for the verdict Of the
eoroner's jury regarding the death
Of Robert NJ. Effenberger. 3oi7 South
Ninth street. Il. one Of her play.
mates. who died Monday night. 10
minutes after a hatpin. held In hef
hand. penetrated his chest.
The Jury, in 10 minutes returned
a verdict. finding that Robert came
TO his death by a stab from a pin,
delivered in playful manner by Eileen
Ralph, and recommended that she be
discharged.
Eileen. waiting, rocked Historically
and was only restrained from throw
ing herself on the floor by Juvenil.
court officers and friends.
None OF her sisters were at the in.
quest. Her mother was said to be
prostrated in bed at their home. 1858
South Ninth street.
Eileen had just told her story Of
the tragedy to the six men Of the
coroner's jury. She sat. apparently
quite calm. in the witness chair. She
wore black cape. over her dark
auburn, bobbed hair was drawn a red,
green and yellow hat, from under
which her black eyes and piquante
nose locked out.
Boys Teased Her
'sThe boys had been teasing US a
good DEAL" she said. They had pins
on the end Of sticks. They chased
me and Leota Fisher and Lucille Van
OrsIen and Patricia Oviatt up 10 Lee
ota's house. They then chased Pa.
tricia into her house. ] went over and
played fifth Vivian Elsasser. Lucille
Walker and Dorothy and Evelyn
RaIim.
''So0n Robert came over there. lie
had safety pin fastened on the end
Of . stick. He said 10 NJ: Look up
at the attic Of that house I said:
No. won't. You're going 10 stick
me. Don't come near me or IN stick
you"
ibid you stick HIM" asked Cor
oner Steinwender. The girl hesitated
a moment and then said:
when he started TO stick me
reached out with a hatpin because !
didn't want 10 get stuck. Then he
went away"
Policeman r. II. Mcdonald testified
that when he arrived Eileen was stIil
plaving ont In the street
says Fell Against Pin.
THE girls mother called her. She
said Robert tried TO stick her and
that ne stumbled and fell against the
hatpin she held In her hand" she said.
Emil Kratke. 1851 South Tenth
street, testified
~ heard Robert heller Eileen
stabbed me- stephen and Rudolph
Peters and Z helped him home. But
he got 80 weak thGt we couldn't get
him there. so We stopped nj houAe
and had them call the police"
coroner's Physician Samuel Me
cieneghan said he made an external
found a pin prick just in front Of the
shoulder which might have caused
death by piercing some vessel in the
lungs
af'he family prefer that no autopsy
be made unless IL Is necessary" he
added.
The boys body lay on bed In an
upper room. seven candles burning at
the head.
Girl Is Hysterical.
An uncle OF the hoy attended the
inquest. He sat just in front OF the
sirl.
Eileen became hystcrieal while walt.
ng for the verdict of the bury.
"Where is Mrs. Effenberger." she
,ried. "Ob. want 10 see Mrs. Ef-
'enberger and tell her ] didn't mean
10 do H."
She was taken back to Riverview
home. steinwender said he expected
she would be released from custody
N once.