The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-06-23

CLUES POINTING
TOWARD COCCHI
First Day of Wallstein In
quiry Reveals Blunders
in Cruger Case.
COOPER is A WITNESS
Failed to Act Although He
Knew Vanished Mans
Bad Reputation.
PASSPORT Is PRODUCED
/ No Effort Made to Check Story
Miss Cruger Fled in a
Taxicab.
COOPER Is A WITNESS
PASSPORT Is PRODUCED


The first day of Mayor Mitchel's
housecleaning investigation Of theN de-
tective bureau produced such admissions
Of listlessness and stupidity in the hand.
ling OF the Ruth Cruser murder case a.
amazed the Mayors Investigator, Leon
ard NJ. wallstein, Commissioner Of Ac-
counts.
Out of the mouth OF Police Lieutenant
AIonzo NJ. Cooper. who was shorn by
Commissioner Woods yesterday Of his
acting captaincy and Of his command Of
the Fourth branch detective bureau
the rank and command he held through
out the four months period OF the Cruger
murder inquiry-it was proved that the
Fourth branch and the Central once
ignored clues Of information and cir
cumstance which fairly shouted the guilt
of Cocchi, and accepted with alacrity. as
virtually ending the inquiry. an uncon-
hrmed. uninves.igated report that an
unidentified girl who was seen to leave
taxi and enter the subway with an
unidentified man on the afternoon Of
February IS was Ruth Cruger.
Coincidentaliy with these disclosures.
District Attorney Swami secured from
.llrs. Alfredo Cocchi herself q statement
hat the murderer Of Miss Cruger had
been acting as a collector for grating
motorcycle policemen. This phase of the
inquiry is considered by Commissioner
wallsten to be Of the utmost impor-
lance and he will attempt to find an
answer to the inevitable questions Does
the old police system. thought to have
been uprooted by the Reckex revelations
and punishments. still exist? Does 1t
still operate to protect a criminal who
has been useful to the grafters?
Amazed by Revelations.
I The one man report which was ac-
cepted by Capt. Cooper and also, 1t ap-
pears on the face OF things. by Deputy
Commissioner Guy v. Sculi. Central Of
dee head, as sufficient reason for con-
signing Ruth Cruger TO the limbo Of lost
persons. is curiosity In casualness and
nonchalance. Nothing like 1t ever has
: appeared from the records Of the Police
Departments. As one OF wallstein's as
sistants said last evening. II don't see
how man calling himself a detective
dog, let alone a human being"
BY Cooper's own testimony before
Commissioner Wallstein yesterday 1t
was proved that the Fourth branch had
received information which pointed
straight to Cocchi as the probable kid
napper or murderer Of Miss Cruger
Ihe girls father had gone to the detec-
lives with important information. He
mad offered them the facts of Cocchi's
pharaafnr eau1 AA-A
mad attacked woman named Powers
lie had pointed out that his daughter
certainly had been at Cocchi's on the
afternoon she disappeared (Cocchi him.
seii admitted that). But the Fourth
branch detectives couldn't see a flaw in
Cocchi. They kept reporting back to
ac'lng Capt. Cooper that Cocchi was a
perfect gentleman. They couldn't find
shything OF a suspicion breeding nature
u the cellar. And then Detective Ser
seah' John l.. Lagarenne, the first man
assigned to work on the case, produced
"S report Here II is word for word
REPORT BY LAGARENNE.
Relative to r. c. interviewed Mrs.
eruger at her residence and she in
formed me that her daughter was Is
years OF age in December, 1916.
made search of empty apartment at
''s location. Also made search of
eehsr at these premises. In company
oi detective Edward j. Dillon of this
branch made inquiries and searched
premises 542 West 127th street, con-
aucted as motorcycle repair shop by
Alfred Cocchi
interviewed Henry T. Roubin Of 152
Dyckman street, who conducts taxicab
stand ,s1 at 600 West 127th street. and he
nhvrmed me that at about r. NJ
reoruary -. 1917. man came to his
s.ahu and requested that he send q
Gao 70 the junction of 127th street and
aahnattan street at the second hand
N"ener shop and there meet a woman
VINO would be waiting He got in the
Vap' but same did not start immedi-
%eN' and he jumped out and asked
und, the cab be rolled down the hill
ne was in hurry. He ran ahead
cab and when near the jewelry
sIofe he motioned to the girl In walt
ing and when cab drew near she got
lhto th9 cab first and he followed,
! directing the chauffeur to drive to the
I-''h street and Lenox avenue sub
way station.
Chauffeur drew up on the south
oouhd STATEN and was then directed
northbound station. He paid so
cents and 10 cents tip and went down
northbound station with girl The
"'oN' ipeu 10 no uOuDt tne above
missing person ruth Cruger).
is not possible to quote Commits.
s,oher Wallstein's opinion Of that last
sentence.
Cooper Called to Stand.
This was the most interesting reveIa.
lon OF the first days inquiry over
Nhlch Mr.. Wallstein presided yesterday
the Municipal Building Offices of the
Commissioner of Accounts But It wa.
uy no means the only important eiicita.
,on' and the sum total scarcely raised
3ne respect OF a crowded trial room fol
Hle intellectuals OF the Fourth branch
Cime experts, Cooper was the only
N'nesS at the morning and afternoon
sseSsiont. and out OF his testimony the
'".lowing germane facts were evolved
ne records Of the Fourth branch
snow on their face that information OF
KUN Cruger's disappearance was re-
se'Fed at 9;i5 A. NJ on February II tths
uay after the girl disappeared) and thai
was telephoned to Police Headquart.
'orftn""d n" r>L. s-z.--