The Evening World

IN POLICE NET

Woman Said to Be Mrs. Lena Arnstein Hangs Herself to a Bedpost or Clothes Hook in West Fifteenth Street House.

ATTEMPT TO HIDE FACTS.

Information Is Refused at the House, Where Inmates Decline to Be Seen, and Even the Police Are Reticent.

A woman, whose name, the police of the West Thirtieth Street Station say, was Mrs. Lena Arnstein, committed suicide to-day by hanging in a house at No. 123 West Fifteenth street. She had apparently been a person of refinement, and was of prepossessing appearance.

Much mystery attaches to the case on account of the peculiar attitude of the people in the house. The death of the woman was reported to the authorities by Miss Ethel Howard, who said she was the proprietress of the house where the woman ended her life.

The police had believed that a Miss Eva Mack kept the place. From all the police have been able to learn the woman, who strangled herself, went to the house last night, some say in the company of two men, others that she was accompanied by only one and still others that she was alone.

Dr. Weeks Summoned.

Dr. Charles Weeks, of No. 136 West Sixteenth street, was called by a young negro maid, and upon arriving at the Fifteenth street establishment he was taken to a room on the top floor, where he found a woman lying on a bed. There was a deep blue streak across the throat and a glance told him life was extinct.

"The woman had evidently been suspended either from the bedpost or a clothes hook near the head of the bed," said the doctor, "and her condition indicated that she had been dead about twenty minutes. No one showed themselves in the place, although I heard people in other rooms. I told the negress that she had better report the case to the police, but fearing that she would not I went to the West Thirtieth street station and told them. I know nothing more about the matter."

Young Man's Statement.

Miss Ethel Howard refused to be seen, as did Miss Mack but a young man who, the police say, judging from a description which they have, went to the house last night with the woman, made this statement:

"I want to say that I did not come here with Mrs. Arnstein last night. She came here alone. Her folks have told me to say nothing about the case and I am going to do what they say. Mrs. Arnstein was divorced about a year ago and she's been living very quietly ever since. Her family know all about her death and her sister is upstairs with the body now. That's all there is to it, and who or what the woman was or what her family is is nobody's business but theirs."

This informant was about twenty years old.

For some reason the police of the precinct are not over-communicative about the case and are hedging their statements with "We believes" and "We ye been tolds," whenever asked for information.

The police late this afternoon confirmed the statement that the suicide's name was Lena Arnstein. They say that she lived with her sister, Miss Martha Davis, at No. 12 Union Square, and that it was in the latter's company she went to the Fifteenth street house last night.