Smyrna times., 1932-12-28
WOMEN VICTIMS
OF MEAN SLAYER
Spreading Terror Through
the West Side of Man
haitian, New York
MOTIVE rs UNCERTAIN

through the west SIDE OF AlanndI-
tan, while some 10000 policemen and
detectives glorifying in the title of
"the finest" wrack their brains and
exhaust their energies in vain
search for him.
The "meaneSt murderer" special
ICES in the killing of helpless old
women living alone. He pounces
upon them, generally when they are
asleep, and Smothers or strangles
them to death without giving them
chance to make an outcry. Four
of them have gone to their rewards
at his cOwardly hands in this fash
ion in the last few weeks, all with
in radius of a dozen blocks or so,
and so stealthily has the slayer gone
about his work and so skillfully has
he covered up his tracks that the
police are vet without the slightest
clew to his identity, or where
abouts. Indeed some Of the best
detectives of the force have sug-
gested in view Of the character of
the crimes and III lieu of any def
mite evidence that the killer might
! be a woman.
Motive Uncertain.
! Moreover the "best minds" of the
department have SO far been unable
to determine for a certainty just
what motive may actuate the
strange killings. In some cases, evi-
dence has been found to warrant
theory of robbery, but since none
of the victims enjoyed station in
life which might be dignifed even
| by the title of "well to do and
since in at least two instances, the
victims boards of a few coins were
left untouched, the suggestion seems
somehow lacking.
Some investigators express the
opinion that the fugitive is mani
&C, but just why he should limit his
operations to elderly women no one
can guess.
Whether one or many, however,
the "meanest murderer still stalks
his way unmOlested-unles his fate
has overtaken him unknown to the
| pollce-while old women quake in
terror and refuse to be left alone.
The latest victim of the series was
Mrs. Mary Day, seventy years old,
| who was found smothered in bed in
her little flat on the second floor of
building in West Fifty-third
street.
A small bottle OF milk and a copy
of the Irish World still untouched
in front of her door brought about
the discovery of the murder.
Sometime between { and a. M,
according to the police and DR.
Charles Norris. chief medical ex-
aminer, some one came into the
three-rOom flat. threw shawl and
blanket over the head Of the vic
time. held 1t tight until she ceased
to struggle. and then tied her frail
arms behind her with bandages Mrs.
day had received recently from a
hospital
Whether it was a man or woman
or more than one person the twenty
detectives reporting at the scene
; were unable to say. Mrs. Day was
so frafl it was believed that even a
woman might have killed her with
out arOusing the neighbOrs.
For five years Mrs Day had lived
~ IN fha CTan
, ported apparently by savings &C
count in the New York Saving;
bank. Of which there is still s3,25
, left. She had no known relatives
: and during the years she lived il
the building Mrs. Day always lef
her door open during the day, {
sign that neighbors were welcome
Neichbor Finds Body.
The copy Of the Irish World ant
the bottle of milk drew the atten
ton Of Mrs. Julia Benedetti shortl,
e after l p. m. She had not seen tn
: aged woman since the morning be
: fore. Mrs. Benedetti told Bernar,
o Murray. son of the janitress, an
q he found the body and notified tn
r police.
" Nothing had been disturbed whe
8 the police arrived. The body la
y on a bed in the room which acte
i as her living room and kitcheT
s Only an open bureau drawer shove
o that robbery might have been tn
e motive. A pocketbOOk containing
# little more than 81 was on the foe
j beside her bed. While the polio
Y were mystified as to the cause {
Y the murder they admitted that Mr.
" Day had withdrawn a sum of none
" from her savings account some tin
4 ago and that possibly the slayer {
u members of the same gang respol
! sible for the death of the three 9th,
! ible for the death Of the three otht
aged women. might have followe
her from the bank and learne
where she kept the money at hom
Each Of the other murders hi
taken place In much the same ma
Z ner, and in the same neighborhOo
and each victim was an elder
~ woman living alone.