The sun., 1917-07-04
POLICEHEkPED
COCCHI ESCAPE,
WHITMAN HINTS
Governor Displeased by Cru
ger Inquiry, Orders Swami
to Act at Once.
WARNED TO "KEEP MUM"
Janitress Accuses Officer
Louise La Rue Tells of
White Slavery.
WARNED TO "KEEP MUM"

Three distinct developments that gave
the Ruth Cruger murder case an almost
entirely new turn were the outstanding
features Of yesterdays investigation into
the staying of the wadleigh High School
girl by Alfredo Cocchi. They were:
Gov. CHARLES s. WHITMAN in a
telegram last night ordered District
Attorney Edward Swami to take
charge of the investigation. declaring
that he was far from pleased with the
manner in which the city authorities
had conducted it and asserting that
Commissioner Of Accounts Leonard NJ.
Wallstein has not the right under the
law to be either a prosecutor or an
Investigator OF crime.
MRS. MARY McDoNoUaH. a janItress
Of 229 West Eighty-third street, made
sworn statement before Commits
sioner Wallstein that she had been ap-
preached by a motorcycle policeman
two weeks after the murder of Ruth
Cruger and warned that she must say
nothing II questioned about the inti-
macy snd friendship OF motorcycle
officers and Alfredo Cocchi. She identi-
nee Patrolman Thomas Kerrigan as
the policeman who had warned her
and her testimony was substantiated
by the discovery of report made to
acting Captain Alonzo Cooper of the
Fourth branch detective bureau and
signed by Detective John J. F'inan.
LOUISE tCoNsuEIo) LA RUE in an as
tonishing statement made to Assistant
District Attorney Alexander l. Rorke
declared that she was drugged and
kept prisoner in cellar in New
York for an INDEFINITE period that she
~ k,, hax
and then brought hack to New York
and again held captive by a man whom
she knew as the Count"
whitman TeleEraphs swami.
The Governor intimated strongly that
he was convinced the murderer could
not have escaped without police help.
He stated that he had never known
OF a time when the New York
Police Department had ever failed to
apprehend a fugitive concealed on an
outgoing ship "when they made an
honest effort to do So" He especially
instructed the District Attorney to i'm
mediately present to the Grand Jury all
available evidence showing or tending
10 show completely on the part OF mem-
bers of the Police Department either in
the murder or in the escape of the mur-
derer."
Text of Governors Order.
You will act and act at once, .
IL as follows:
ALBANY, N. Y. July 8. 1917.
"To Hon. Edtodrd St1dnH, District At
for7rey, Neto York County, NetU
York CITY:
Recognizing my responsibility ~
Governor for the proper execution of the
laws OF the State, / am by no means
satisfied with the handling by the au-
thorities OF the investigation growing
out OF the murder Of Ruth Cruger. o.
course l am relying on the statements
published In the daily newspapers and
my information may be inaccurate.
Apparently the young woman was
murdered on February 13, in place
frequented by motorcycle policemen,
The police were notified at IL o'clock OF
the same night. The fact that the girl
had been reported missing was not even
entered upon the police records until the
following morning; II was not until
o'clock on the following day that a de-
teotive was assigned to the case.
The detective swears that at p. VI
he went to Cocehi's shop and interviewed
the murderer, although the sister of the
dead girl testifies that she went to the
shop four times that day and found II
closed.
Doubts Claims of sIeuths.
THE detective claims to have searched
the premises on the 18th and found
nothing. 1t appears that Cocchi dis
appeared on the 18th; that when Mrs
Cocchi appeared at the police station
two motorcycle policemen were present
10 give the fugitive a good character
that on the nth a Deputy Police Com
missioner defended Cocchi and slandered
the young woman; that on the 2Sd
Cocchi sailed for Italy on the Giusepp
Verdi, although policemen swore thai
they were watching the ship for him.
81 have never known New York po
lcemen to fail TO find fugitive, con
cealed on an outgoing ship In New Yorl
harbor when they honestly tried to az
70, and have directed great man,
arrests OF that kind.
THE statement made by the ofiicer
that they were watching this ship fol
Cocohl ls entirely inconsistent with tn
declaration made at the time and mad
later by those high in authority In tn
department that 'Cocchi had nothing 4
do with the case
Assuming that these witnesses weri
not perjurine themselves II would be in
teresting TO know why they were watch
ing for Cocchi and on what charge the.
Intended to arrest him II they found him
"on February 26 detective assigne'
to the case entered ON the police recor'
this statement: WIN also state that
girl answering TO the description o
Ruth Cruger may be found at Forty
sixth street and Broadway There
nothing TO show that the detective pro
duced this girl or attempted 10 identif
her at any time. Apparently there wa
no foundation for this wicked insinua
ton.
ION March u Deputy Police Com