The evening world., 1917-06-26


q. When in February, 1917 you read
tbout the Ruth Cruger case, did you
eCOgnize the motorcycle repair shop
~ the one you've been telling me
about? A. Yes; knew Il.
Q. Didn't you recall the Powers
case, and that OF your wife when you
, saw pictures OF CocchPs place in the
papers? A. No, II didn't come into
my mind.
Q. When you saw Detective Iaga D.
renne II didn't occur to You to tell
, him what you knew of CocchPs place? Z?
A. No, 1t didn't.
Detective Sergeant Lagarenne, re-
: called to the stand, resumed his reia-
, ton OF the police cases which we're
occupying him the same time he was
investigating the Cruger case He
was minutely questioned as to police
routine In the investigation of missing
, person cases.
Lagarenne stated that generally the
only instructions given 20 n man as.
signed to such cases was "find 'em."
This was followed In the Cruger case
up to Feb. l6.
O. How was the usual routine va
ried In the Cruger cnse2 A. BY the
assignment Of an additional man on
Feb. l6 to search certain places with
mG
.. What brought Il about? A NJ.
Cruger came to the office and asked
that promises around One Hundred
and Twenty-seventh Street be
searched
@. Wasn't 1t unusual to make any
search OF premises at all? n, Yes.
because a missing person case isn't a
crime till you find the body. The pos
sibility Of 1t being Q. crime is always
kept in mind.
Q. Then why Is II unusual 70 search
places? A. | don't know.
q. What was your theory In regard
TO the Cruger case2 A. That the
Cruger girl was the one who had
gone OH In taxlcab with a man. II
was based on information 1 had OBJ
tanned from taxicab starter on the
afternoon OF Fob. is at One Hundred
and Twenty fifth Street and Broad
way.
II was necessary to have a theory
on the case. Lagarenne explained.
Ruth Cruger wasn't about Cocchis
premises, we were sure, because we'd
made a search, and the taxi starter
had seen girl | was convinced was
Miss Crugcr going away in q cab"
( the detective continued.
q. When did you tell Capt. Cooper
OF your theory? A. can't say
whether II was Feb. Is or IS.
Q. What did he say? A. / don't
recall, except to tell mo to make out
n report. | never know whether he
agreed with me or not,
q, What was your work after that?
A. To establish a reason for her go
ing away in the taNicab. But
| COcchls' disappearance changed ali
! that and gave me "A new theory.
.. What was your theory then? A.
That Cocchl might have known some
thing about the girls disappearance.
q. What did you do thent A.
! tried to establish a motive for his
/ disappearance.
! q. Did you ever recommend that
a general alarm be sent out for him
as criminal? A. No crime had been
! established.
y. You mean you hadn't found tho
bodyP A. We had no right TO as
sumo a crime.
Q. Weren't you working In a circle
II you had TO find a body to establish
a crime and had TO establish a crime
/ before looking for a body? A. Yes.
At this roint recess was taken.
NO MOVE MADE TO EXAMINE
coccHl IN ITALY.
When the hearing was resumed
Lagarenne stated that he and De-
tective McGee, who was assigned
with him, had talked over Cocchi'S
.
/ When COcchi was located i'm Italy, nc
said, he was disposed of az a miss
| ing person" and was open TO indic'-
ment for abandonment.
y. Did you make any recommended
! tion that Cocchi be detained and ex-
amtned on suspicion OF connection
with the Cruger case7 A. No, sir.
=. Why not2 A. l can't explain ex-
cept to say l didn't do 1t.
o. Are Won Pprfniu NsRn haH sftta-
picion OF him at this timer A. Yes.
=. II he'd been here in New York
and available you'd have recon-
monded III A, l surely would
O. Wasn't 1t worth while to ex-
anime him In Italy? A. 1t certainly
was.
Q. But you didn't recommend it?
A. No.
Q. Did Detective Dillon begin TO sus-
pect Cocchi aDout the same time you
did, soon after Cocchfs disappear
ance? A. Yes, / should say so.
After Cocchfs disappearance the
witness said that his and the Ruth
Cruger case were merged and inves-
tigated together by the detectives OF
the Fourth Branch. Lagarenne ex-
planned that In investigating missing
person cases a survey OF the neigh
| borhoOd In which the person was last
]
other things, a motive for disappear
ance. Il mean whether the person
was taken away forcibly or went
willingly" he added.
o. In your experience in what kind
OF case would you make an investi-
cation of the place at which a miss
Ing person was last seen? A. / can't
answer that.
q. In any other case you'd never
had reason to investigate a 'last
seen" place? A. No.
.. Did you make any inquiry OF
the policeman on post near Cocchi's
placer A. No. I've never asked any
policeman ON post about any cdse on
hia beat.
Q, Don't You think it might be
helpful? A. Yes.
Lagarenne explained that he never
appealed to patrolmen because he did
not think the patrolman would know
anything about the habits OF missing
persons.
n Commissioner Wallstein had Lagar-
enne Identify a general alarm" sheet
from Police Headquarters bearing the
first reference TO the Ruth Cruger
, case
Q. The daily record OF the Fourth
] Vls.,V, oh a