Evening star., 1936-07-03
CABARET HOSTESS !
SOUGHT IN KILLING.
Identified as Woman Seen
Leaving Hotel Of Singer
Shot for Vengeance.
; the Associated Press.

ny tnt Asboclbteo Gfecs.
CHICAGO, July 3.-A brunette
cabaret hostess was sought today by
detectives investigating the vengeance
slaying's Of q platinum blond night
club songstress.
The object Of the wide search was
Mrs. Ruth Freed. 2e. Capt. Andrew
Barry ordered the hunt for her after
he said she had been identified from
q photograph as the slender woman
who left q near North Side hotel yes
terday shortly after Miss Audrey VAL
lette, 81, had been shot to death in
her luxurious apartment.
The captain said he had learned
from O show girl friend of the victim
that she had been friendly with Mrs
Freed's husband, Edward. manager OF
q gay resort called the Nut House"
The crime, he added, was plainly one
Of vengeance.
Single Bullet Wound.
A single bullet in the chest killed
Miss Vallette as she apparently re-
clined on q bed about / pm. The
victim, member of prominent Illinois
and Indiana family, was clad only in
a pink negligee as she enjoyed late
breakfast.
Harold Knox, assistant manager Of
the hotel, told officials the woman he
identified from picture as Mrs. Freed
had called earlier to see some apart
ments. After inspecting several, he
added, she got of the elevator at
the seventh floor. saying she would
call on Annabelle Blake-the name
under which Miss Vallette had regis
tered.
Back at his desk, Knox answered q
house call at the switchboard. He
heard Miss Vallette gasp: Help. 'T've
been shot"
License Number Traced.
Hotel attendants said the brunette
caller hurried down to the street and
raced OF in a maroon car. The Ii
cense number Barry disclosed, was
traced to Mrs. Freed's husband.
Lieut.. Otto Erlanson reported Mrs.
Freed had entered the nut house"
some time after l o'clock, removed
her pictures from the wall and de-
parted with her husband
The body Of Miss Vallette. great
granddaughter of Col Henry Vallette,
a pioneer of Wheaton, Ill, and
distant relative Of Judge Albert H.
Gary, once head Of the United States
Steel Corp, was found on the blood
spattered bed.
A diary. containing q number OF
references to Eddie" was found in
the room. The wall was decorated
with photographs of celebrities in the
sports and show world One was
autographed by Prizefighter Max Baer.
Another was signed by Singer Harry
Richman.
Many Eddie" References.
Investigators regarded the diary as
important. They quoted frequent
references to Eddie" One entry re-
lated Eddie stayed until g." Another:
Gould have killed Eddie because he
wouldn't come over" A third: Eddie
drove me home"
Miss Lillian Miles, a show girl, who
knew the victim for five years, in
formed detectives Miss Vallette and
Edward Freed had been friendly for
several months.
Other passages contained the names
Of other men. They told Of parties at
fashionable supper clubs; Winning
$50 On a horse: Bought a couple
bottles of Scotch; "A man got
smart-my eye all swelled up; Did
he make love?"; Drank a pint"
The notations ended June 81. On
that day, said Assistant States Attor-
ney Richard Devine, she went to
Pittsburgh.
Empty bottles, a mirror marked
with fingerprintS and letters were also
in the two-room apartment. Her
wardrobe contained five sable pieces,
q Persian lamb coat, satin evening
gowns, IS purses and a mans tie and
sports shoes.
Roland Schenck. night club mas
ter Of ceremonies. advised investi-
gators he had visited with Miss VAL
lette until about Is minutes before
her death.
The staying was carried out in the
heart of the North Sides cabaret
quarter. Just three days previously
another cafe entertainer, Mrs. Flor
ence Thompson Castle, was beaten to
death in another hotel q few blocks
away. The latter crime has been tenn
porarily labeled "unsolved."