The sun., 1917-07-12
COCCHI CONFESSION
!. TANGLE Is CLEARED
Verbatim Version Shows Body
Was Buried Before Cellar
Was Searched.
POINT SCORED BY POLICE
James w. Osborne Retained as
Special Assistant in Grand
Jury Inquiry.
POINT SCORED BY POLICE

An extraordinary discrepancy be-
tween the confession of Alfredo Cocchi
~ IL was given TO the newspapers on
Tuesday by District Attorney Swami
and the official text received by Com
missioner OF Police Arthur Woods from
mis- representative in Bologna, Italy,
aroused keen resentment at Police Head
quarters yesterday and caused Commits
eioner Woods's subordnates to make
public in It's entirety that part OF the
confession relating to the burial OF Ruth
Cruger's body In Cocchrs motorcycle
shop.
A read to the newspaper men by Mr..
Dwann-he held in his hand on Tuesday
4 typewritten translation Of the con-
fession and read only parts Of lit ap-
peared that Ruth Cruger's body was not
buried. had not been covered with earth
ana the excavation in the cellar filled
In, prior to the time Detectives Laga-
renne, Dillon and MCGEE searched the
cellar. AZ thus made public the confess
sion appeared to state that when the de-
tectives searched the cellar the body was
exposed that is, that no earth had been
shovelled in upon It and that It lay in
q gaping excavation covered only by a
box.
But the confession as given out at
Police Headquarters and as later read
by Mr.. Swami to the reporters who had
questioned him about the departments
claim Of a discrepancy states plainly
that It was only on the day that Cocchi
killed Ruth Cruger. February 10, that
the body lay buried with nothing over
the hole but box. and that 1t was
actually covered with earth and debris
by A. NJ. on February II. or more
than a day before the detectives decided
they were authorized to search the
cellar.
Police Explanation.
At Headquarters 1t was stated that
the confession in its official text was
made public because of the effect such
misleading information might have on
the investigation OF the police activities
IN the case.
All the matter revealed by the Police
Department as springing from Cocchi's
terror or repentance IL intensely interest
ing. It reveals the frightful state of
mind that gripped him Immediately after
he struck down q brave girl who refused
to promise not to tell OF his effort to
overcome her and had the courage as she
lay on the cellar floor TO shout for the
police even while his club was uplifted
ever her head.
II am racked with grief" he asserts
II
like TO go to the front and be killed in
the frst line.
'T had had continued trouble with my
wife On the afternoon of the murder
drank fve glasses of wine to dull my
senses and to forget my family troubles
When I got back to the shop my head
was a little heated with wine and with
Irritation at my wife"
Then Cocchi describes Miss Cruger's
rRA at IN
her, her struggles, the fist blow he de-
livered which struck her to the floor and
how he lowered her, living, still con-
ecious, through the register hole in the
shop floor. He slipped through the hole
himself and dropped to the cellar floor
where Miss Cruger lay. He begged her
% hold her tongue about his conduct.
Murder Follows Screams.
''Please don't say anything about this (;
I have two children" he pleaded as he
stood by her, n heavy club in his hand.
She defied him, screamed as loudly as
she could, hoping to find the ear Of a
policeman. and was instantly beaten to
eeath by heavy blows from the club.
Expecting to be discovered, and with
terror in my heart" Cocchi continues, II
took the body. still warm. and threw It
into the cavity in the left corner OF the
cellar 1 showed the head in first and
then pushed the body in by the legs.
That day only put box over the open
ing of the cavity. At o'clock I finished
and went into the shop, where I re-
manned until 6 o'clock with the intention
OF working, but always half In a dream,
unable to do anything.
THAT night and the day after didn't
eat and didn't sleep for two nights.
On the morning of February II went
TO the shop about 6 O'Clock. going into
the cellar. and covered the body with
earth, coal, iron. pieces Of motorcycles,
boxes and whatever came to hand. Then
went out and got the paper which
already spoke Of the disappearance The
parents of the girl came and police
men, ana I, with death In my heart.
answered that I didn't know where she
had gone"
II has been testified to before Com
missioner Wallstein and established
completely that the detectives did not
search Cocchrs cellar until February
Is, at which time they noted that a
large workbench stood along the wall
and in the left corner mentioned by
Cocchi in the confession.
When this matter was brought to- Mr..
ewann's attention last night and he was
asked TO consult his own copy of the
confession he did 30 and read the definite
statement contained therein that the
body was buried completely at A. NJ.
on February IA. or more than twenty
four hours before the detectives got on
the Job in the cellar. When he was
asked what comment he cared to make
as accounting for the discrepancy he
said merely:
''wen, the box was there"
Sailed on French Ship.
Other parts of the confession as II
was made public by Deputy Commits
sioner Cooley say Cocchi sailed from this
country on the French steamship Man.
chester. taking the name of Louis Ler6i
He worked out his passage and tried tc
land in England but the British authori.
ties refused him permission. Before
reaching Havre. about February 27, HI
touched at Liverpool and Southampton
Subsequently he went to Paris and Turin
and then to Bologna, He explains In
the confession that he wore motor gloves
when he handled Miss Crugers body
and that after he had placed the body
in the hole he cleaned the gloves with
benZine
The Grand Jury inquiry continued yes
terday with the examination OF foul
witnesses-Sergt. McCabe, Mrs. GTac,
Humiston, Mrs A. NJ. Brown and George
VI. Olney. McCabe, on duty at the tim'
the Cruger case was reported at th'
bureau OF records, was asked about wha
telephone alarms he might have received
from the Fourth branch or the Yves
125th street station. Mrs. Humston tolC
ek. tI,nIa stn % .F,I II