New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-30
Thought Cruger Girl Left
Home Voluntarily, Say
Witnesses
Deputy Commissioner
Exonerated Italian
Captain Coorer's Memory
Poor on Witness Stand
at Inquiry

fore Commissioner Leonard NJ. Wall
stein that at Police Headquarters they
had striven in vain TO drive home then
conviction that Alfredo Cocchi. now the
confessed murderer of Ruth Cruger
knew something Of her disappearance
One of these was Alfred Hughes
Ward. superintendent Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company; the other
was the Rev. Harold Pattison, pastor
of the Washington Heights Baptist
Church.
Both knew Ruth Cruger well, were
acquainted with her mode of life and
her reputable character. and both. con-
WINGED that Cocchi was responsible for
her disappearance, carried their infor-
nation to Headquarters, where their
theories. they said, had little weight
with Guy Scull, Fifth Deputy Police
Commissioner. Mr.. Scull has full
charge of the detective bureau.
81 told Commissioner Scull that
Coccni was the key to tho situation,
said Mr.. Ward; that he was missing
and that he ought to be sought and
produced
SAYS Scull Exonerated Cocchi
And what did Commissioner Scull
replv TO that assertion ?" asked Com
missioner Wallstein.
"He said to me: That man has
nothing to do with the case as
sumed from that that Mr.. Scull did
know something at that time about
Cocchi'
"Mr Ward told of trip to the
Fourth Branch a few days later, where
he was called by telephone. He there
met Captain Alonzo Cooper, to whom
nc repeated what he had told Commits
sioner Scull. Captain Cooper, he said,
asserted that the bureau entertained
no suspicion OF Cocchi, that he was an
honest man and had nothing to do
with the case.
what did you say to Captain Cooper
when he made this comment upon Coo
chi ?" asked Mr.. Wallstein.
II informed him." said Mr.. Ward,
that if Cocchi was honest he should
be produced.
Coocer's Memory Poor
Shortly after Mr. Ward left the
stand. Captain Cooper, who had not
heard the testimony, declared under
oath that he had always entertained
tho belief that Cocchi knew something
about the disappearance of Ruth CRU
ger. and that he had stated that he
nf hfg
pocket TO apprehend him.
Except when confronted with writ
ten documents, records and reports
which bore his signature, the mind OF
Captain Cooper relative TO the Cruger
case was blank.
Commissioner Wallstein. frequently
showing his d.7pleasure with Cooper's
testimony, .ccu unable to draw from
him any G 20, regarding his converse
ton with Commissioner Scull or with
Ochsenhirt and Haggerty, the motorcy
Gle policemen, who were close friends
of Cocchi.
Again YOU are afflicted with laci
of memory" shouted Commissions
Wallstein. when Captain Cooper wa
unable to recall what the MOTORCYCLE
policemen had said to him when the
entered his Office at the moment Mr.
Cocchi had reported her husbands dis
appearance.
conversation are very important par
OF my investigation?
Cooper said IL might be so.
II don't believe you are helping m
ut this point Of the investigation.
Numbered the Commissioner. "It is in
conceivable to me that a man of you
Intelligence and experience could no
remember the details of short con
versation that was so definite and con
spicuous in this case
Failed TO See Woods
The Rev. Mr. Pattison told how h
and Nm. Crugcr had become disguise
with the work Of the Fourth Branc
Bureau. and Of how. ON March p, h
went down 10 Police Headquarters {
see Commissioner Wool The latte
was busy, he said. and he was turne
over 20 Commissioner Soul!
Mr.. Scull was exceedingly gracious,
said the minister. 81 spent an hou
with him going over the entire case
could sec plainly that he shared tn
theory that Ruth voluntarily left HON,
lie said the case was % per cent stron
IN this direction. and that the other
per cent might be credited to an invol
uniary departure. I expressed surpris
that the police should follow such
theory in this case where Ruth was 5
good and Cocch so bad
81 informed Mr. Soul Of Cocchi'. ba
record. but il did not seem 20 surpris
him. / asked hum IL 10 would not =
well 20 have Cocchi investigated II
said IL would"
Mr.. Ward testified that he had con
veyed 20 Soul the same informatio
that had been related TO the Commits
siOner by Nr. Pattison.
Mr. Ward met Commissioner Soul
between - m. and p. m. on Februar,
II. four days after Ruth had disap
peared. lie related In detail the cir
cumstanccs Of her departure from
home. and told how nothing in the cir
crmstances would indicate that sh
contemplated not coming back
tod Mr.. ScGN.' said Mr Ward
that Ruth was good girl. who hel,
her head high and had condolences wit
her sister and her mother. She wa
not dressed for skating. and had onl
dollar bill IN he, possession whci
she went 20 Cocchi's shop for he
skates. ! told the Commissioner plainl
that / positively believed 70 was
plain case Of abduction"
And what did Mr. Scull saw 4
that" asked Mr. Wallstein.
Abduction Theory Secuted
"llc said there was no such thin
- an abduction case. He pointed on
how improbable % would have been q
have taken her away by force n
asked if ] had seen the shop. san