Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-07-20
SWAMI ASKS
APPROPRIATION
.CRUGER PROBE

New York. July 19-District Attorney
Swami, in letter to the Board of ES-
innate. asked yesterday for a special
appropriation of $4,000 to cover the
cost Of Investigating police failure in
the Crugcr case and alleged police graft.
1t was stated the principal item of ex-
pense would be tho fee of Special Dep
uty James W. Osborne. Other expenses
would be that of assistant to Mr..
Osborne. an additional stcnogra pher and
the Zee of Signor tianc. the Italian law
scr who has been engaged to help pro-
cure the return Of Alfredo cocch
In his letter To the Board of Estimate
Mr. Swami spoke OF the investigation as
"a criminal action of exceptional diff
culty." said 1t involved alleged NAL
feasance" on The part of certain police
mon. and asked that in accordance with
section l.5t3 o. The Greater New York
Chartcr spccial revenue bonds be is
sued to provide the sum asked for. The
letter sets .or,h the known facts ocn-
nec;ed Wit. The murder of Miss Cruger
anu the disappearance OF Cocchi.
Detective Sergeant Lagarenne
completed his testimony before the
grand jurl Yesterday and was follow
ed by Detective Sergeant Francis Nc
Gee. who vas assigned with him 10
find Miss CruGer. Later in the day
d report Vas circulated that they la /
placed the full blame upon one Or
more motorcycle policemen, decaring G
the'E misleading statements had turn =
ed t.fe detectives attention away from
Cocchi. No official confirmation of this
report could be obtained. but it is
known that in a previous statement
one of the detectives attached some
blame TO Cocchis police friends.
Shortly after ne grand jury had
adjourned Thomas NJ. kerrigan and
John Ochsenhirt. motorcycle police
torney Talley. accompanied by their
counsel, Stuart Nj. Kohn. and said
that so far as they were concerned
any statement that they had mislcd
the detectives was without foundation.
They declared they were ready to
waive immunity and go before the
grand jury to displo owe assertions that
might have been made affecting them.
They told Mr.. Talley they knew Coo
chi only slightly, not well enough to
have expressed any opinion as to his
character and they said that while cat
ing in restaurant they heard from an
Italian that Cocchi had disappeared and
went Immediately to the Fourth Branch
Bureau to tell what they had learned
Kerrigan again denied the story told
by Mrs. McDonough that he had asked
her to keep silent about her knowledge
of Cocchi
Mr.. Kohn said to reporter last night:
The statement that these motor
cycle policemen led the detectives astray
is an absolute falsehood 1t was not
they who told the detectives about the
girl who was seen entering a taxicab:
the detectives got the taxi story. When
the motorcycle policemen had told what
they heard about Cocchi's disappearance.
the Fourth Branch men said they had
some dope on the case and asked them
to investigate the taxi story. While
they were doing so the detectives an
nounced they would finish the investiga-
tion. They failed to make a report"
Following the testimony Of the detec-
tives. Mr.. Osborne sent for Henry D.
Cruger and spent two hours with him
going over new points that had arisen
1t was stated that Detective Dillon prob
ably would be the next witness and that
he would be followed by Acting Capt
Cooper Of the Fourth Branch.
Some light was obtained yesterday on
the identity Of Mrs. Louisa La Rue. who
is in Policlynic hospital. when Mr.. Swami
made public telegram purporting to
have come from her sister. Mrs. Charles
Merrals OF Calexo. Cal The message
read:
News received. Please send details to
sister Louisa La Rue. Worried"