New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-13
Detectives, Acting on Tip,
Unearth Corset Cover
and Glove
Bones Also Found
In Recent Excavation
Laborer's Pick Strikes Box,
but Investigator Delays
Its ELIMINATION

Private and city detectives yesterday
plucked with vigor at the skeins OF
mystery which cling about the disap-
pearance of Ruth Cruger, the eighteen
year-old schoolgirl who vanished after
she left her home, at $50 Claremont
Avenue, on February 10.
Digging in the cellar underneath the
motorcycle shop of Alfredo Cocchi. at
542 West 127th Street, the operatives
uncovered an homogeneous assortment
of articles which they declared would
open up new angles in the Cruger case.
The most striking of these were an
embroidered corset cover and leather
glove. Bones. too, were unearthed IN
the cellar, but it has not yet been de-
ternined il they are from butcher
shop which formerly occupied the
premises or units of human skeleton.
Cocchi is the last man who saw
Ruth Cruger. She came to his shop on
February 10 to have her skates sharp
ened. Two days later Cocchi vanished,
not to be heard Of until he was report
ed under surveillance in Bologna, Italy.
Laborer Digs Cellar
Mrs. Grace Humiston, attorney for
the Cruger family obtained permits
sion from Police Commissioner Woods
TO dig up the cellar. She would not
divulge the clew which led her to make
this move, nor was any statement
made at the Cruger home.
At 9 o'clock yesterday morning a
laborer began digging in Cocchi's cell
lar. Three feet of earth, piled up in
a corner Of the chamber. was removed.
II was found that this pile of damp
earth covered an oblOng hole, six feet
by four. which some one had broken
in the cement floor of the cellar.
This was the first thrill of the
morning. Urged on By J. J. Kron,
manager of a downtown detective
vestigation for the Cruger family, the
digger plunged his spade into the
loose earth with renewed vigor.
corset cover fOunu
A foot beneath the level of the &C.
ment floor the corset cover. soiled and
crumpled. was found. Breathless and
excited, Kron rushed around TO the
Cruger home to have it identified by
Mrs. Cruger He was told that she was
too i'll 10 be disturbed.
A number of tin signs. advertising
motor oils and lubricants, were uncov-
Tho, Italian
paper, dated July IS, 1916. Stones and
bricks which had been rolled into the
hole were struck. Some Of the stones
were so large that they had to be lifted
out with block and tackle Then came
the bones. At o'clock the laborer
who was making the excavation de-
clared that his pick had struck a box.
He tapped it, and It rang hollow, he
said.
Then Kron announced that the dig
cling would be abandoned for the day.
He was adamant TO the opportunities
of reporters who asked him 70 unearth
the supposed box and see what it con-
tanned.
Real Drama Injected
Were through for the day" he de-
clared. "I'm acting under orders. and
we will dig up that box at 9 tomorrow
morning We are not making any pre-
dictions as TO what we will find. but
we have a good tip and look for de-
velopments. We have been informed
by neighbors that Coochi was seen
coming out Of the cellar early on the
morning OF February II, the day after
Ruth Cruger disappeared. We also
know that lights were burning in the
cellar all that morning. We mean 10
no rhrNa Nar Il oil M
this end Of the mystery. az least
Kron also claims 10 have found a
bag in the cellar containing a white
powder which he says he thinks is
quicklme. This will be analysed. All
the articles taken out of the hole were
turned over 70 Mrs HumistOn.
Last night Kron took one Of the
bones found in the cellar TO Dr.. George
Butterworth, a dentist, with Offices at
20 Manhattan Street. DR.. Butterworth
declared II was not part of a human
skeleton. at probably came from a
COW or some other animal" he said.
DR.. o. c. Reeve. Of l20th Street and
Amsterdam Avenue, was also asked TO
examine the bone He said: cts a hip
bone. but | cannot say definitely wheth-
er IL is from a human being or an ami
NAL kron will have the bones exam
ined by specialist, he said.
Police Officials Passive
The Police Department is taking only
a passive interest IN theexcavation OF
;he cellar. Although a policeman was
stationed IN front Of the Cocch shoI
10 keep the crowd that gathered there
moving, 10 was said at the Fourth
Branch Detective Bureau that the in
vestigation was entirely in the hands
Of private detectives. a plainclothes
man from the bureau. however, was
stationed outside the Cocchi shop at a
late hour last night
Mrs. Martha Cocchi, wife Of the me-
chanic, still conducts the motorcycle
shop. although signs with the an
nouncement Selling Out" appear in
the store windows.
She was quite Indifferent 20 the ac-
tivities in the cellar beneath her shop
yesterday. although the whole neigh
borhood was buzzing txcitedly.
They're crazy" she said. "They
won't find anything Alfredo is inno-