New-York tribune., 1902-02-18
KROTEL MAKES DENIAL.
HE SAYS WOMAN ACCUSED OF LOVERS
MURDER WAS NOT SUBJECTED
TO THIRD DEGREE"

Inc investigation of the murder Of young
waiter ). Brooks at the Glen Island Hotel at
Cortlandt and West sts. on Friday night was
| continued yesterday at the District Attorneys
once. Assistant District Attorney Schurman
was IN charge Of the inquiry assisted by Mr..
IRAN and Mr.. Krotel. Several witnesses were
examined in secret Among them we're H L.
Cohen' Brooks's partner in the commission bust
Eess IN Jay-st- and employees at the Glen
Island Hotel. There was a report that the
District Attorney was planning to have the case
submitted to the grand jury before the time set
lot the examination of Florence Burns before
Magistrate Cornell in the Centre-st court this
AFTERNOON. but 1t denied by District Attor-
ney Jerome.
considerable sympathy for Florence Burns
was expressed yesterday. and many persons
SAID that the reported attempt to extort a con-
1esslon from her at the police station in Church
ST on Saturday afternoon was outrageous and
was an indication that the same methods which
were in use in the District Attorneys office at
the time Of the first examination of Roland B.
Molineux were still used. Mr. Jerome said in
the afternoon that he had no sympathy with
such methods. and he declared that his
slstant Mr.. Krotel had denied attempting to
work the third degree" to get admissions Of
quit from Florence Burns The young woman's
lawyer has declared that when she was in the
police station a prisoner she was told that
BROOKS had accused her of shooting him. The
1act that Brooks dead was kept from her
and she was told that she was to he taken be-
fore him 10 face his accusation. She was not
allowed to talk with her father or with her
counsel until after the detectives had questioned
her Tor an hour or two IN vain efforts TO get
some confession from her. 1t with the
greatest difficulty and after long delay. that her
counsel was allowed to speak to her at the sta
ton Such attempts to extort a confession Of
guilt from girl accused Of shooting her lover,
It was said yesterday. were disgraceful. and
hected great discredt upon officials engaged in
the investigation of a crime
If that were true" Mr. Jerome said. III would
be a very bad state of affairs. but | am told by
Mr.. hrotel that it is true. He assures me
tnat nothing OF the kind was done by him. and
that no unusual methods were employed by him
IN any way. Nothing disCoUrteous done in
taking a statement from the young woman"
MI Jerome said that II would be harsh to
ask nara questions of weak, trembling woman.
and was apparently satisfied that Mr. KroteI
mad not talked in such manner.
The manner in which the Colored hall hoy at
the Glen Island Hotel was led. 70 identify Flor
ence Burns at the police station the young
woman who at the hotel with Brooks
TO the police The boy, II was said was taken
at first directly 10 the cell in which Florence
Burns was 4 prisoner, and was asked to II
he could recognize her the girl he had
stOutly that she at the hotel, but
at her home in Brooklyn at the time Brooks
was believed to have been shot.
The woman remained a close prisoner in the
Tombs yesterday. UDvisited by her relatives
II was said that she remained cool and self
possessed. declining 20 talk about her case. Her
counsel said yesterday that it would be easy 70
show that she not at the place OF the
shooting on Friday night and therefore could
not have shot young Brooks Her examination
in the police court has been set for 100 .. m
to-day.