New-York tribune., 1912-04-07
1ourinq Car Going Fifty Miles an
Hour Hits Man-TaxiCab
Runs Down Two in
Eighth Avenue.
POLICE SOON MAKE ARREST
Entire Detective Force of Pre-
cinct, Using Numbers Wit
nesses Give, Nab One
Suspect-Search for
the Other.

specding south on Second avenue at
oftv miles an hour, an automobile
struck and killed Thomas Clark. a driv-
or. torty-eight years old, just as he
stepped from the sidewalk to cross the
street between 63d and 64th streets.
about 8 O'Clock last night.
The chauffeur. giving one quick glance
over his shoulder at his victim, contin-
nod his mad fight and escaped.
Onl-- the chauffeur was in the car, and
his recklessness aroused the police to ac-
lion. Lieutenant Detective Ticho. of the
East 9th street station. sent his entire
force Of detectives to work on the case.
The windshield and the mudguard
caught the man on the side of his head.
tearing a terrible cash in his scalp. lie
was hurled into the air and crashed on
the sidewalk on his skull. He was prob
ably killed instantly.
Less than three hours later Detectives
skellv and Werzansky arrested George
Koecher. chauffeur for w. j. McCombs.
a LAWYER and campaign manager for
Governor Wilson's Presidential boom.
The detectives say Koecher admitted he
uas driver of the car that killed Clark.
All the witnesses seemed to agree that
the second figure of the cars number
WAS seven The preponderance OF
opjnion was that the first figure was also
a seven. and then a tip reached Lieu
tenant Detective Ticho that there was d
two in the number. No. 7112 was looked
M. and it was found that this car was
owned by Mr.. McCombs. who lives at
the Hotel Royalton, No. ~ West 43d
street
skelly and Werzansky went to the
Royalton and found that Mr. McCombs
Is in Washington and Mrs. McCombs
was out They decided to investigate
nearby garages. of which there are
plenty near the Royalton After looking
through several garages they went to
that Of the Sanford Auto Company, at
No. "A West 43d street. Near the en-
trance they saw car that answered the
description of the one they were looking
1Oi, except loI tilc IoSt lHot IL Hoo nv
windshield. The right mudguard was
broken and the right front shoe showed
signs Of crash The right lamp was
bent and the glass was smashed. They
asked the night foreman who the car
belonged TO and were told that IL was
Mr.. McCombs's car Its number was
II12. They were also told Koechers
name was that of the chauffeur of the
car.
They could not learn Koecher's ad-
dress but through a police channel
learned that Koecher was to be found at
59th street and Third avenue. They
went TO the spot and arrested the man
He was dressed in a brown soft hat and
dark clothes, and the detectives say they
believe he made a change in clothing
after the killing Of Clark.
Koecher said he was twenty-five years
old and lived at No. $50 East 10th street
He was locked up in the East 9th
street station, charged with homicide.
According to the detectives he said ne
took Mrs. McCombs uptown in the car
and was returning alone when ne
Knocked Clark down. He declared, the
detectives assert, that he was afraid to
80 back afterward. The car is a seven
seated affair, and the police say they
VIII take charge Of il.