Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-20
MORE THAN 800 GIRLS
DISAPPEAR IN NEW YORK
Records Show Number Reported
Missing Since January Police
Inquiry Ordered.
By the Associated Press.


NEW YORK. June 20.-More than
800 girls between the ages of ten and
twenty years have disappeared from
their homes here since January 1, it
transpired today coincident with an
announcement BY Police Commissioner
Arthur Woods that he had ordered be-
gun the most searching inquiry into
police conditions since that conducted
after the Rosenthal murder.
The investigation is a direct outcome
OF the finding of the body Of Ruth
Cruger, high school g aduate, buried
in the cellar of a motor cycle shop
conducted by Alfredo Cocchi. for whom
searching at the request of the State
Department.
Commissioner Woods today ordered
Joseph A. Faurot. head of the detec-
the methods and operations of the de
tectives and police officers who failed
to solve the Cruger mystery. The
giris body was not found through
their efforts. but was unearthed by pri-
vate detectives employed by Mrs.
Grace Humiston. a woman lawyer, who
Is counsel for the Cruger family. She
was instrumental in having the motor
cycle shop cellar dug up after police
agents had failed to take this step
with results. Several policemen have
been interrogated at Commissioner
Woods instigation during the past few
days regarding their suspected friend
illness with COcchi.
"sparc NO one," Is Order.
Spare no one." was the commission.
er's order today in directing the in
vestigation. ALI the officers who work
ed on the Cruger case were instructed
to report to headquarters at once.
Mrs. Humiston in an inquiry in the
city's white slave traffic.
The reports regarding the missing
girls are on file at police headquarters,
1t was learned. 1t was conceded that
the police were without accurate fig
ures as to the number Of these which
had returned home. More detectives
have been attached to the departments
miston has been quoted as saying she
knew Of a number Of incidents. in
volving missing girls. which parallel
Commissioner Woods later ordered
an excava ton to be made Of the cellar
Of every place where Cocchi has lived
or had motorcycle shop since his
arrival in this country from Italy
police bureau of repairs and supplies
will test every floor and wall Of every
building. and a search will be con-
Quoted from roof to cellar.
cruger's father had offered for his
daughters recovery. 1t was announced
today, will be the nucleus Of a Ruth
Cruger fund" which will be used to aid
In the search for missing girls. Mrs.
Humiston had received the reward. but
returned It.
While renewed digging in the cellas
of Cocchfs shop was in progress vari-
Gus articles OF girls clothing. found
there last week, were placed in a room
1t the district attorneys ONCE, SO they
may be viewed by relatives of missing
girls. Members of the Cruger family
were unable to Identify these articles
as her possessto1s. p
Commissioner Woods issued a state
ment urging parents of girls to report
circumstances Of men paying suspicious
attentions to their daughters.
length of bone, charred. was un-
earthed In the Cocchi cellar today.
The police received information today
that Cocchi had lured other girls to
his shop prior to Miss Cruger's disap-
pearance. Nine. Mureal. a resident Of
the neighborhood. said that last Sep
tember her daughter Philippa. fifteen
years old. had visited the shop on
Cocchi's invitation to be shown how a
motor might be attached to the girls
bicycle. The mother, becoming sus-
picious, followed, and she told the po-
lice that she saw her daughter strug-
Cling with Cocchi. endeavoring to es-
cape from his embrace. Desiring to
avoid notoriety. no complaint was made
by Nine. Mureal at the time.