The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-11-02
FURNACE ROOM
MYSTERY GIRL
DIES OF BURNS
Death Locks Lips of Spirit
Love- Martyr as to True
Happenings
ADVISER AT DEATHBED
Goodbye Says Dying Girl Re-
fusing to Answer Hitch
cocks Questions
ADVISER AT DEATHBED

Lake Bluff, ILL.,, Nov. 2.-R-
Miss Elfrieda Knaak, the book
agent-psychology student whose
story of self-torture in the furnace
room of . police station has baffled
Investigators for two days, died 1t
4 o'clock this morning of burns re-
ceived rs she tried to prove her
faith in q spirit love-"
With her death, officials said, was
locked the story Of what actually
happened during those hours before
the Tuesday dawn when Miss Knaak,
after sitting alone al night in the
police station, went into the base
ment where she later was found.
near the furnace. badly burned.
No Prosecution Seen
Even should evidence develop
pointing to some second party as
having had q hand in the tragedy,
officers said, the young woman's
story that she alone had inflicted
the burns rs self-torture to prove
her faith in . spirit love" would
almost certainly prove bar to sue
cessful prosecution.
Miss Knaak died a few hours
after her former psychology teacher
and adviser, Charles Hitchcock. had
gone on crutches to her bedside and
pleaded with her to tell every
thing" Hitchcock has been laid up
for Z week with . broken ankle, an
accident of which Miss Knaak ap-
parently did not know when she went
to the police station Monday night.
It is q police theory that she had in
tended to meet Hitchcock, who is
also night watchman Of Lake Bluff,
ct the station.
Visits Dying Girl
"Hello, Fritz" Hitchcock said to
the dying girl.
Miss Knaak looked him full in the
face, but did not speak.
He asked her several questions
the authorities had prepared: "Why
did you do this terrible thing? Who
let YOU into the police station? Why
didn't you telephone met"
The girl made no reply. As Hitch
cock hobbled from the room he
called back "Good- bye"
Goodbye" said the girl. 1t was
the last word she ever spoke.
Clings to Story
Throughout her hours in the hospi-
tai Miss Knaak had clung to her
original story of faith in a spirit
love-" Even when doctors told her
she had but a few hours to live, she
refused to amplify her explanation.
Authorities had doubted her story;
it seemed impossible. At first it
was thought she might have been
the victim Of . madman's attack,
but there were no facts to substan-
tiate such q conclusion. At every
turn Of the investigation. when Off.
GERS tried to fathom q plausible ex-
PLANTATION, they were forced back to
the girls own story of self-immola-
tion.
Still officers were puzzled. Why
should she sit all night in the po-
lice station, they asked, and then for
no apparent reason walk to the
basement and torture herself. She
had arrived in Lake Bluff without
using the ticket she had bought
from Highland Park. Had someone
brought her there? Why should she
say Frank threw me over? ?"
II there had been facts to point
TO . more reasonable explanation
Miss Knaak's story would not have
been believed. officers said. Three
days Of inquiry into all other sug.
gested clues, however, left them al.
most believing the girls own meagre
account Of the mystery.