The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-08-01
RUSSIANISARRBSTED
Admits Having Associated
with Strangled Girl.
IDENTIFIES HER PHOTOGRAPH
ON Being Confronted with BODY,
However, lie Recants Partial Con-
fessiOn-Witnesses Say lie Kept
Her Prisoner in Deserted House.
Police Believe Her Immigrant.

New York, July Sl.-The police to-day
arrested and held a young Russian, giving
the name Of John Ruzmicho. on the sus-
p!c.on that ne was responsible for the
murder of the unidentified woman whose
body. shockingly mutilated. was found in
the areaway of tenement at 204 East
Ninetieth street early Tuesday morning
The Russian, who was found in a de
serted house on the southwest corner OF
18th street and Broadway. of which he
claimed to be the Waterman, identified a
photograph as beiI.s that OF the murdered
girl. and admitted that he had been in her
company on Sunday morning last.
Other damaging admissions made by
the suspect in respect to the relations
he had with the woman and the coz
roboration of two witnesses who are
being held pending further investigation
lead the police to believe that the man
whom they are holding kept the girl a
prisoner in the tumbledOWn mansion on
upper Broadway until he had tired Of
her, and had then Done away with her.
Though admitting no knowledge Of the
murder, and denying even that he knew
the girls name. Kuzmicho showed abject
terror under the ordeal OF the police ex-
animation.
German identifies KuzmichO.
To-day a German merchant, living on
West 116th street. whom Capt. Mar
tens knows but whose name he does not
care TO reveal, came 10 the station and
told Capt Martens that he had recognize
the published photographs Of the muir.
dered woman as being those OF q woman
he had seen on Sunday in company with
d rough-looking man in the back yard Of
the deserted house on Broadway Capt
Martens informant went 10 the morgue
and verified his belief; then he took de-
tectives up TO the house and pointed out
Kuzmicho as the man he had seen in the
girls company.
When Kuzmicho was taken by the de-
tectives they also picked Up two Greeks
who claimed 70 know something about
the movements Of the Russian and the
girl.
Frank Grovela, a peanut peddler, who
has his stand at 18th street AID Broad
way, told the detectives that he had seen
the Russian and the girl go into the yard
OF the deserted mansion early Sunday
morning. lie watched for their reappear-
ance, Grovela said, but the Russian came
out alone later On the dav
He was positive that the girl did not
leave the grounds.
kuzmicho a W5AVchmnn.
Peter Cuyer. a laborer who Is employed
in the grading that has recently been
begun upon the lot on which the ruined
house stands. corroborated Grovela' s
story. Both Greeks said that KUzmicho
was employed as a watchman on the
premises and that he had been living in
the house for several months.
When Kuzmicho was questioned at the
station he said that he had found a girl
sitting in the yard Of the house under
his care early Sunday morning He
looked at a photograph Of the murdered
1 girl and readily said that that vac the
Ell4 ne Ita lDAIlA. he uaQ remained ~
I her company out IN the back yard ali
morning. the Russian said. then he took
/ her 20 the gate and told her TO get out.
Z That was the last he had seen OF her.
The police took the suspect down "a
the morgue and confronted him with the
/ body. with the usual ceremony Of terror.
! Though he had formerly identified the
/ photograph, he stoutly denied that the
/ body was that of the girl he had found
/ ia the back yard of the Broadway house.
Is Powerfully Built.
! The police could learn little about Kuz-
micho. who professed to know very little
English. He is an understood man, other
/ wise powerfully built
II IS thought that he has been a sailor
| for among his effects found In the old
house was seaman's certificate boob
Of honorable discharges. with several en-
tries Of a favorable character. The book
Is made out in the name Of Sergius Kcz-
mekof. Though the detectives made a
/ thorough search of the premises. they
found no bloody clothing or other evil
! dences Of crime.
They are working on the belief that she
was some immigrant who had been sepa.
rated from friends either by accident OF
design and who had fallen into the Rus
SLAMS hands.