NURSE SLAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 4 (Supplement)

NURSE SLAIN.

CHICAGO TRAGEDY. RAVISHED AND KILLED. FLIGHT OF MURDERER. A 'brick-wielding attacker stole into the Chicago Hospital on Chicago's south side, ravished and killed a young student nurse, and fled as another nurse'entere 1 the death room. Partly clad and bruised. 18-year-old Anna Kuchta lay on the floor near her bed. The skull was crushed by blows from a brick. At her side was her crumpled uniform.

Three other women have been slain by the same brutal methods in the last two years. Two killings have been solved, one negro rapist died in the eleotric chair nnd another wns sent to prison for 109 years. Two women were assaulted by a negro armed-with a brick in their hotel rooms in Ohicairn in two weeks, and police believed him to be tho nurse's slaver.

The killer of Miss Kuchta. police sni.L fled through a fire escape window when Miss Florence Palmowski, 10. another nurse, opened the door of thp room to call Miss Kuchta after a rest period. Body Found on Floor. Miss Palmowski found the body on the floor npar the cot. Tt was clad onlv with stockings and white shops. Detectives said the killer had stulTed part of a pillow down the girl's throat. A bureau had been ransacked and a small radio was reported missing. A coroner's investigator said she had been raped. Miss Kuchta had gone to the room to rest about 4 a.m. nnd her body wjs found an hour and a half later.

Mi as Palmowski said she saw only the man's back as he went, out the window. She described him as If) or 20 years old. wearing a white shirt, dark trousers and a licrht. rap. Police said she could not say definitely whether lie was white or a ncjrro. Several witnesses were heard at an inquest. Policeman Cenrpe Bainhridge testified he was talking with Xur.--e Pnlmowski just 'before she went up to awoken Miss Kuchta. TTe said he had been instructed to watch the hospital following nurses' recent complaints against window pcekers. Brick Taken From Wall. Detectives learned the brick used by the attacker had been taken from a wall on the hospital grounds. They found what they described as a "perfect'' finger print on the lamp in Miss Kuchta's room and considered it a possible clue to the killer.

Similar recent killings included those of Mrs. Lillian Ouild. widow, of Attleboro, Mass.; Mrs. Florence Thompson Ca«tle. who was killed while her seven-year-old son lay at her eirlo. an<l Mr=. Mary Lioni.se Tratnmell. of Knoxville, Tenn. All occurred in hotels.

Bufo Rwnin. 27. n college-bred nejrro. was electrocuted for the Trammell lc ill - ing. Thomas Starr. 30. a negro, confessed he slew Mrs. Ouild and was sentenced to lf)9 years' imprisonment. The Castle slaying has not been solved.

Police Sergeant Joseph Morrison said he believed Miss Kuchta's slaver was the same brick-wielding negro who beat and raped Miss Virginia Austin, 25. at a hotel early last Sunday, and who had attacked Miss Betty Rryant In a hotel room several weeks ago.

Misa A. ran Horn. superintendent of nurse*. described Miss TCuelita, a Chicago girl of T?u*sian extraction. as * brilliant stndent with a pond record. She had Won in training about nine months. Her father is a labourer.