The Washington times., 1917-07-28
CRUGER GIRL SLAIN
FIGHTING TO LAST
TOWARDOFFF |END

BOLOGNA, July 2s.-The test Of the
various statements made by Alfredo
cocchi. murderer OF Ruth cruger, in
his eight interroGations by Judge Zuc-
conf, have just been received by AttoI-
ney Venturini, the prisoners counsel.
The Interrogations were made be-
tween June 10 and July 20.
Cocchi denies charges OF association
with policemen for unlawful purposes
and insists that he had no accomplics
in the murder. He says that Father
Morretto. manager of the st. Rafael
Society for Italian immigrants, to
whom he confessed, was the only per
son in New York who knew. of the
killing at the time of his departure,
and no one assisted him in getting
out OF the country.
The FIRST policeman who went to his
cellar after Ruth Cruger's disappear
ance was unknown to him, he says.
Many of the details OF the confession
have already been cabled to New
York.
When he was first questioned. the
record shows, Cocchi denied all knowl-
edge Of the crime.
at Is TrueJ 1 Killed Her"
On the second Interrogation Cocchi
declared that Ruth had come to his
shop in the company OF two Italians
who were unknown to him, and who
ordered him to leave, he doing so and
they remaining. Under eross-eXami-
nation by Judge Zucconi. however.
Cocchi began to weep, and, holding
his head in his hands, declnred:.
at is true; killed her. For a week
1 had been constantly quarreling with
my wife. This day, Februay 10, when
1 ate my midday meal at home 1
drank FIVE glasses Of California wine
to make me forget my family trou-
bles. In a nervous condition, I went
to my shop about 1:20 o'clock, when
there Immediately entered the girl
who, before noon, had left her skates
for sharpening. She was vary beau
tiful, and lost my head.
when she went to the rear OF the
shop to get her skates, without see
ing me, barred the street door with
a block of wood so that no one would
be able to open 1t from the outside.
Then / started to embrace the girl.
but she was very strong and threw
me backward. 1 tried again and sue
ceeded, despite her resistance. III
picked her up and dropped her into
the repair room below through a
square door, feet first, holding her
by the head and shoulders. All the
while she was screaming Police!
Police?
Tells Of Struggle and Murder.
"She fell about twelve feet, strik-
ing a motorcycle side car on her
side, but was not hurt. Jumped
after her, she being again on her
feet, fighting and resisting with all
her power. I remember that before
dropping her into the cellar I said
to her. Please say nothing, as 1
have two boys but she continued
shrieking for the police, though 1
do not believe any one heard her.
when 1 Joined her in the lower
room my head was gone. again
tried to embrace and kiss her, but
failed, so strong was she. l remem-
Der she was of dark complexion and
stout of body, also that her hat fell
off when / first attempted to en-
brace her.
Finally, exasperated By her resist
ance, i grabbed a stick of heavy wood
a yard long with y left hand and
struck her two or three times across
the back Of the neck. holding her
with my right hand. She groaned
and sank down. her head bathed in
blood.
Horribly frightened and sorry,
would have killed mys>lt IL had had
a revolver. Expecting be discover
ed at any moment, / took the body, |
which was still warm. and dragged |
II into a box in the left-hRnd corner |
of the room, putting the head in irst |
a d then the body. That day left It |
SO, placing the tool chest across the |
opening in the lower room. I finished |
by { o'clock, but remained in the shop |
until o'clock. cleaning with benzine |
the black gloves 1 had used in han
ding the body.
"On the night OF February 10 I |
neither ate nor slept On the morn |
ing of the 14th / hurried to the shop |
at 6 o'clock and covered the box con |