New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-11
Says They Merely Pre-
tended to Search
Cellar
Detectives in Shop
Soon After Murder
Slayer Tells How He Slew
Ruth; Browne Cleared
of Perjury

The reputation had with the police
was so good that the detectives told
mo they we're making the inspection
merely 70 be able TO say they had
done it,"
The above statement occurs in a
written confession Of the murder Of
Ruth Cruger, signed by Alfredo Cocchi
and received by cable from Bologna,
Italy. yesterday by Police Commission
or Arthur Woods. 1t is the slayers cx-
PLANTATION Of the police failure to find
the body Of the ciehteen-year-old Wad-
leigh High School girl which he had
buried in the cellar of his bicycle shop
a few hours before the police search
was made.
Police Failed TO See Hole
81 took the girls body while it was
still warm" the Italian relates. land
threw it into the cavity in the left cor
ner Of the cellar. | showed the body
IN head first and then pushed IN the
legs. did not put anything in the
hole to cover the body, but just put
box over the hole. While the box was
there the police came. They didn't
notice anything
The confession, which is believed by
District Attorney Swami to constitute
positive evidence Of police culpability,
will be submitted to the grand jury to-
day. Either to-day or tomorrow
George II. Olnoy, lawyer, of u Will
lam Street. will tell the grand jury
about his failure to reach any police
officer Of authority at Police Headquar-
ters on the night OF February -, when
Ruth Cruger was first reported as hav-
ing disappeared.
Mr.. Olney. acting for A. NJ Brown, a
friend % the Cruger family, telephoned
TO Police Headquarters to give the
alarm. He asked for Commissioner
Woods. and was told that the Commits
sioner was not in. Inquiries for any
of the Deputy Commissioners were met
with the same response. The Chief In
spector and inspectors also were out,
ne was told.
Patrolman in Charge
"Well. who is in charge Of Police
Headquarters he declares he asked,
and the reply was, u am-Patrolman
Flynn
Assistant District Attorney John 7.
Dooling declares he had evidence TO
show that on the same night only five
men were on duty in the 4th Branch
Detective Bureau, and that out of these
five only two were "on deck" The rest
we're either sleeping or "out," he as
serts.
CocchTs confession was received by
Commissioner Woods from Detective
Griggs. in Rome. II was Immediately
turned over 10 District Attorney Swami.
The document Is incomplete, Cocchl
having failed to tell many things which
the authorities are eager 20 know. lie
failed 10 say when and why he dug the
hole i'm which the girl was buried, and
he gave no information regarding the
manner in which he was able to hide
and finally escape from New York
IL never saw Ruth Cruger before the
morning she came to my shop TO have
her skates fixed" he wrote. Then her
personal appearance and manner made
me DESTROYS of possessing her. planned
10 approach her when she returned
for the skates. When she came back
in the afternoon / threw my arms
about her and tried to embrace her.
But she was so strong | could not over
come her. She screamed for the police
and ] threw her down and struck her.
81 dragged her 10 the trapdoOr in the
floor and she fell through to the cellar.
| followed her down. She was still
alive ! then took a heavy. round piece
OF wood and struck her three times on
the back of the head ! heard her
scream and saw her fall, blood oozing
from her head.
Then ! left the shop and went to
various shipping agencies 20 find
steamer 70 leave on. took a false
name, because | was afraid the crime
committed by me IN New York would
he discovered, and that ] would be sent
20 the electric chair"
The Bologna police, supplementine
INC Italians confession, reported that
they had found letter Do Cocchi's pos
session when he was arrested by them
on June 20. The letter, they said.
showed he had started a love affair"
with young Bologna girl he had met
there. He explained, they reported. that
he had taken up with the girl just to
amuse himself
Browne Cleared Of Perjury
Lieutenant William Browne. accused
OF perjury by Leonard J. Wa.lstein.
Commissioner Of Accounts, Yesterday
was cleared OF the charge when the
grand jury reported 90 Judge Mcintyre
that there was no evidence TO warrant
the Indictment Of Browne The finding
followed an hours address 90 the grand
jury b. the accused lieutenant. who
had asked for chance 90 speak for
himself.
Assistant District Attorney James A..
Talley announced that he would ask
Judge Mcintyre 20 allow him 20 rcsub-
NIT the case % the grand jury, to
gethcr with new evidence which, he
says. he possesses A. NJ Brown and
four Of the FIVE members Of the Police
Department who were scheduled 90 20
on trial az Police Headquarters ycstcr-
day were other witnesses before the
grand jury. A. the suggestion Of Dis
trict Attorney Swami. the police trials
have been postponed until after the
grand jury has considered the evidence
against the FIVE policemen.
James " Osborne, - Was reported
yesterday. Is 20 be- named special
deputy assistant district attorney %
conduct the Crugcr and allied inycsti-
cations and present evidence % the
grand jury he viii relieve Assistant
District Attorneys DOOAng and Tallcy
IN this work, j. was said.