New-York tribune., 1908-06-23
STRANGLED IN HOTEL
ITALIAN DIES At EMPIRE.
Coroner Thinks Man srith Toscel
.4round Throat Vas Murdered.

A s.ath under peculiar circumstances was report
Cd 20 the coroner's Office from the Hotel Empire AT
Broadway and SD street last evening. which Cor
oner Harburger. who investigated, said was mur-
der but the police pronounced suicide DR.. Ar
thur 7. Sherman. of No. $50 West 5sth street, the
house physician, said that the circumstances were
most peculiar. and that he had never seen sui
eide OF the same character.
The body was that of Jacob Prczello, whose name
and appearance indicated that he an Italian.
His death caused by etrangulation with a towel
tightly knottcd around his neck. The only means of
identification OF the dead was his signature
in the hotel register. He went there Sunday
night without baggage and took room on the
sixth floor, for which he paid in advance. He reg
istered from New York. He poorly and
oarelessly dressed.
Mary Sheehan the maid on the sixth floor. tried
several times yesterday into the
pied by Prozello, and when her lest effort proved
unsuccessful she summoned William J. Cosgrove,
chief clerk OF the hotel who looked into the room
through the trsnsom He the mans feet
hanging the side OF the bed. The door was
locked end bolted Suspecting something wrong.
the clerk had entrance forced. Prozello lay
his face across the bed. He undressed.
Around his neck was towel, which. though
knotted, not twisted, but folded When the
police OF the West 6sth street station got TO the
hotel they removed the towel from the dead mans
neck Coroner Hamburger later reprimanded them
for not waiting for him 10 do this Their eXpana-
ton that they believed there was still a pos
sibility that he not yet dead. The coroner
said that the man must have been dead more than
twelve hours before the police arrived.
NY opinion is that this man murdered. and
/ have ordered autopsy to be made tomorrow,
said Coroner Harburger. DIR. Sherman, while he
did not in so many words agree with the theory Of
the coroner. said that the presented peculiar
circumstances The doctor said that he had never
in his practice suicide similar TO the one at
the Hotel Empire He argued that it was improba
tle that man trying strangle himself could
retain hi. presence OF mind long enough TO COM
plete the deed and that in his semi-conscious con-
dition he would surely try to remove the object
THAT was choking HIM Prozello lying with his
hands between his legs when the body dis
covered. Detective Thomas Heany, who had been
assigned from Police Headquarters to the case said
that so far as he was concerned. he through
with IT, and that he il suicide. He
used in support this theory the bolted and locked
door Of the
Against this argument the coroner called atten-
ton 10 the fire escape at the window OF the room
which IS on -the Columbus avenue side OF the
house From this he said person could have easy
access the room.
There nothing found in Prozello's clothes to
show where his home An open letter was
found introducing him 10 James A. Hayes. il,
lawyer Of Philadelphia It signed Charles r.
Allison, of this city. and was dated June 81 It
read:
will explain the situation. He to at
inopportune time Hence the note.
There was also found among his effects rebate
check issued by Reading Railroad, indicating
that Prpzeo had been in Philadelphia, presented
the letter TO Mr. Hayes, who returned it 10 him,
il had been torn open. The card Of Jones & Zeitz,
q real estate firm Of No. $40 Fulton street, Brook
lyn; slip of paper with the words Russian con-
sui" written on il and about &. were in the mans
clothes Prozello was about thirty-two years old