Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-23

NEW YORK. June %.
Alfredo Cocchi. proprietor of the motor
cycle shop where the body Of seventeen-year-
o.i Ruth Cruger was found. has confessed
that he attacked and killed tho girl the
police were informed in a dispatch from
Bologna, Italy Cocch is under arrest at
Bologna
The full text Of Cocchis confession Is
expected before night The news from
Bologna came as a distinct surprise. The
police had been informed in earlier dis
patches that Cocchi had protested his in
nocence and had retained a lawyer to
fight extradition Since he has confessed
II is believed the Italian Government will
place no obstacles In the way of his re-
turn TO New York to face trial.
Cocchi was employed as a mechanic when
found in Bologna He first said he left
New York because OF trouble with his wife.
and denied any connection with Puth
Crugers disappearance The news that
the missing girls body had been dug up
in the cellar of his shop plainly startled
him, and he appeared greatly depressed. the
early dispatches said
I The Importance which the Government
attaches to the disclosures was evidencet
by the fact that william j. Flynn. chief
Of the United States Secret Service, has
taken charge Of the investigation here.
Chief Flynn is delvlng into the story Of
white slave traffic told by Miss Consuelo
La Rue, the girl who was mysteriously at
tackled by two men after she had made i'm
portant revelations in the Cruger mystery.
Though the Federal authorities are main
tanning absolute secrecy, II Is reported that
Miss La Rue was investigating the inter-
national white slave traffic as the secret
agent OF a South American Government
when she was attacked in her apartment.
II is known that she has received large
sums OF money, and that Jose A. Del
Campo. a Latin-American consul has been
making inquiries about her condition. Del
Campo refused to give any information
about Miss La Rue except to say that
"she comes from one Of the best families in
Argentina"
Police Magistrate Koeng early today is
sued n warrant for the arrest of man al
legged TO belong to a gang that kidnapped
young girls and sold them to resorts In
South America. This man and his asso.
ciates are held responsible for the attempt
on Miss La Rue's life
The man is wanted on an abduction
charge. sixteen-year-old girl who dis
appeared, was last seen in his company,
Federal authorities have information that
the girl was sold into a house in Buenos
Aires
spurred on by bitter criticisms Of their
handling of the Cruger case, the police are
making strenuous efforts to connect COcChj
with this international band OF white
siavers and to arrest the gang leaders. Two
more girls who were subjected to insults
by Cocchi were found last night Cocchi
and his associates systematically plotted
the ruin Of young schoolgirls, the police
are now convinced, planning to ship them
TO Latin-American countries after they had
been disgraced.
Henry d. Cruger, father Of the murdered
girl, will be the principal witness when
Commissioner OF Accounts Wallstein re-
sumes the inquiry into police activities in
the Cruger case Monday. Cruger, it is
i Yumored will make sensational charges
against the police.
The inquiry thus far has developed that
the police arrived at an early conclusion
that Ruth Cruger had gone away with a
man and virtually abandoned work on the
case after reaching that decision.