The discovery was as grim as it was puzzling.
Early one October morning in 1915, the mutilated body of Miss Sophie McCallin was found near the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks in Pittsburgh. She was not an unknown wanderer or a woman without connections. McCallin belonged to one of the city’s old families, was the daughter of a former mayor, and held a respectable position as an auditor in the city comptroller’s office.
At first glance, the railroad tracks seemed to offer an explanation. Perhaps she had been struck by a train. But as investigators and friends looked closer, that answer did not seem to fit. Her body showed no injuries consistent with being killed by a passing train. Valuable rings she was known to wear were missing. Even more disturbing, two fingers had been cut from her left hand.
A Mystery In Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania. — The headless body of Miss Sophie McCallin, member of one of Pittsburgh’s oldest families, and daughter of an ex-mayor of the city, was found on the Pennsylvania tracks early yesterday.
How Miss McCallin met her death is a mystery. She was an auditor in the city comptroller’s office and left as usual late Wednesday. When she failed to appear yesterday, an investigation was started, which led to identifying the body in the morgue.
The body was mutilated almost beyond recognition. How long the body had lain beside the tracks no one knew, but the coroner said probably several hours.
Miss McCallin’s friends believe she was held up and robbed and then thrown unconscious across the tracks.
Visitors at the morgue noticed that a number of rings Miss McCallin invariably wore and which were valued at more than $1,000 were missing from her fingers. Two fingers had been cut off the victim’s left hand. The body bore no bruises of such a character as would indicate death by being struck by a train.
Source: The Barre Daily Times. Barre, Vt. October 29, 1915.
