New-York tribune., 1917-06-28
Detectives Overlooked
Clews in Cocchi Case

"What is your weight
about 1lG pounds"
moving them -
"Not the slightest"
This place described by Solon was
the spot which had been gone over com
pletcH bv Lagarenne, who failed TO oD-
serve ANYTHING that would suggest re-
moval of the chest and subsequent dlg-
ging. .a .
bottom soil on the top of the area nad
convinced him beyond all DOUBT tha'
the hole was newly made. ?.
Piece by piece the heavy debris craft.
ily lain by Cocchi was dragged out OF
the soft earth until the diggers came
upon the nip Of the missing girl
Solon said he showed McGee what he
had found, and the detective, according
to the witness, merely remarked: Ut IS
the body Of a girl"
"Did YOU speak 70 McGee about the
dirt piled up in front of the shop p
asked the commissioner.
81 did" replied Solon. "He said 1t
was not there when he came there, and
had come from next door, where a
butcher had used the space as a meat
vault.
Lieutenant William Brown, assigned
TO desk duty at the Fourth Branch, was
the next witness. He had been asked
previously TO look over the compliant
book of his bureau 70 see II he coula
find any instances where entries Of
missing persons had been recorded that
were out of place as regards consecu-
tive time.
II had been stated to the commits
sioncr that slip reports Of missing per-
sons were usually held for some twelve
hours before recording, pending the
possible return of the missing person
Says Records Were Altered
Three instances of this recording
were shown to the commissioner, who
examined the records carefully, and
then Mr.. Wallstein expressed the opin-
ion that the time notations on the par
ticular entries had been tampered with.
81 find after investigation" he said,
chat no one was watching Lieutenant
Brown during his absence from this
room with the complaint book. While
| strongly suspect that some one did
tamper with the book | do not wish TO
make charge against him at this
time"
Lieutenant Brown was on the stand
for over an hour. Mr.. Wallstein was
unable to draw from him any reason
for his delay in recording the Cruger
missing slip except that Alfred Brown.
the partner of Mr.. ClGger who reported
Ruth's disappearance, was opposed TO
publicity.
Alfred Brown was again called, as
was his wife. Both declared that they
had gone to the Fourth Branch Bureau
for quick action and had given no in
struction to suspend activity. On the
contrary, they asked for immediate ac-
tion.
Mrs. Brown said the bureau had
urged delay, and informed her that
they could not send out general alarm
until a certain interval of time had
elapsed and she countered with the
question.
Failed 10 Get Action at Bureau
"Well Lieutenant. you don't intend TO
let little girl 60 unsought for a dozen
hours on a night like this, do you? All
kinds of things could happen to her in
that time"
Lieutenant Brown merely informed
her, she said, that eve have to go ac-
cording 10 our orders"
Mrs. Brown said that neither she nor
her husband were able to get any ac-
tion out of the bureau.
Lieutenant Brown admitted to Com
missioner Wallstein that he had given
no help except to inform the Browns
that a detective was at their disposal
to do whatever they wished. He sd
mitted that he had issued no instruc-
tions to the detective.
While disclaimlng responsibility for
the utter lack of action until some ten
hours after the Cruger case was re-
ported, Commissioner Wallstein sud-
denly interposed with the question,
"Are you trying to pass the buck to
some one else?"
Later the commissioner called to the
stand Lieutengnt Francis NJ. Staincamp.
who received commentator from the
investigator for "using his head
Edward NJ. Willy, detective of the
fourth branch. who took the Browns
/ the description of Ruth Cruger, was
next called. lie likewise made a ia
vorable impression by his direct an
swers. and showed that while he had
nothing whatever 20 do with the Cru
ger case apart from the emergency
task Of filling out the missing person
slip, he called up the Cruger home
some eight hours later 10 learn If Ruth
had been found.
lie said he had no orders to do so,
J but did 1T out of personal curiosity.