Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 March 1902 — GREAT MURDER MYSTERY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GREAT MURDER MYSTERY

The Awful Fate of Nora Fuller Still Puzzles San Francisco. After weeks of patient labor by the police of San Francisco, the mystery surrounding the awful fate of 16-year-old

Nora Fuller, who was found dead in a deserted house in the middle of January, is no nearer solution than ever. In many particulars the case resembles that of Blanche Lamont, for the murder of whom Theodore Durrant suffered the extreme penalty of the law a few

years ago. It will be recalled how the Lamont girl was lured to a church and there murdered, her body being hidden In the belfry of the edifice. Nora Fuller left her parents’ home on the afternoon of Jan. 11 and nothing more was seen of her until her body was found in the deserted house. The day before an advertisement was printed in a morning paper asking for a young girl to take care of a baby. The advertisement was answered by Nora’s mother and on the afternoon of the next day a note was received, signed John Bennett, asking the girl to meet the writer at 5:30 o’clock at a restaurant on Geary street. Nora kept the appointment and was seen no more alive by any of her friends.

A few days prior to the appearance of the advertisement-n man giving his name as Hawkins and whom the police believe to be identical with Bennett rented a house located at 2213 Sutter street. He paid a month’s rent in advance and apparently was in a hurry to move into it. A couple of weeks later investigations conducted by the owners developed tlie fact that Hawkins had not moved into the house. On entering the apartments the investigators came upon the dead body of Nora Fuller. She was lyiDg undressed on a bed, which, with a chair, was the only article of furniture in the rooms. There were no marks of violence on the body, no traces of poison in the stomach and the coroner’s autopsy failed to establish the immediate cause of death. No trace has been found of Hawkins, the man who rented the house, and who is supposed to be identical with Bennett.

NORA FULLER.