New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-22
Names Her Special Investi-
gator to Further White
Slave Inquiry
She Will Ask State Aid
Wants Governor to Give Her
Funds to Complete
Her Work

Mrs. Grace Humiston, whose ingenu-
ity and persistence led 20 the discovery
Of Ruth Cruger's body and the arrest OF
her murderer, yesterday was appointed
by Police Commissioner Arthur Woods
as q special investigator attached TO
his department.
The appointment, made under author.
ity contained in a law passed by the
Legislature last winter, carries with IL
no salary and no power within the Po-
lice Department itself. Il gives Mrs.
Humiston, however, the right to make
summary arrests, TO conduct investiga-
tions, TO serve warrants and to carry
arms.
Commissioner Woods will issue q
general order notifying members Of the
department Of Mrs, Humiston's ap-
pointmen. and requiring all members
of the force TO give her the utmost CO.
operation in her work Of tracing miss
ing girls and revealing white slave"
irregularities.
To Confer with Governor
On Tuesday Mrs. Huniston is 70 go
TO Albany, where she hopes 70 confer
with Governor Whitman and induce
him 70 accord her the power 20 issue
subpenas and sufficient funds to pay
numerous subpoena servers. This
power and money she regards as
requisite 70 the white slave" inveTi-
CATION she contemplates.
The grand jury investigating the po-
lice failure In the Cruger case was not
in session yesterday, but the District
Attorneys Office was engaged in In
vestigating q story that q motorcycle
policeman's joking reference to the pos
sibility Of Ruth Cruger's body being
buried in Cocchis cellar was the alarm
which caused the Italian to fee.
The motorcycle policeman In ques-
ton is expected TO be witness before
the grand jury when it reconvenes to-
morrow, and his testimony is expected
70 open up an entirely new line Of In
vestigation-one which may reveal a
startling lack Of coordination Of effort
in the various branches Of the Police
Department.
The District Attorney has learned
that Cocchi approached the motorcycle
policeman less than an hour before he
locked up his cycle shop and fed The
policeman, il is said, noticed that the
Italian was in an excited frame Of
mind as 3 result of reading newspapers
which printed the trail Of evidence
leading TO the motorcycle shop.
an order to allay his fears the
policeman is declared to have told the
District Attorney, Il jokingly told him
that, even II the girls body were found
in his cellar, he could not possibly get
more than twenty years in prison
Thought His Work Was Limited
When asked why he did not report
the conversation and Cocchi's evident
agitation to his superiors, the police
man Ia declared TO have replied;
why, that was for the detectives TO
find out. That was no part Of my work.
Il
Of the vehicle and highway laws"
Assistant District Attorney Alfred J.
Talley learned yesterday that frag-
ments Of q pink blotter found early IN
March by children at play near the
Columbia Boat Club house, at West
12lst Street, in which the name Of Ruth
Cruger appeared, were shown TO
policeman at Manhattan Street and
Broadway by Sumner Van Loan. father
Of the children, who lives at $40 West
129th Street.
Mr.. Van Loan Was told by this po-
licemen that he didn't want TO be both
cred with evidence OF that sort against
Coechi. Mr.. Van Loan did nothing
more about the matter apd, on July II,
Martin Donnelley. partner Of Detective
J. J. Kron, OF III Broadway, took the
fragments Of the blotter away with
him, saying that District Attorney
Swami wanted 1t. Mr.. Swami says ne
has never seen It, and hadn't heard OF
1. until he was asked about IL yester-
day. Detective Iron said yesterday
that the pieces had been destroyed By
Donnelley. because the handwriting
was not Miss Cruger's.
Clew TO Girl on Blotter
The imperfectly pstched-up blotter
revealed this much:
as. o. S. Ruth Cruger is being held
-(missing); then the letters IAN" II
was thought that the stranded letters
might have belonged to the word Met
ropolitan. the name of Cocchi's motor
cycle shop. Near the spot where they
we're found was lying an accordion
pleated skirt of dark blue material.
The District Attorney was told that
the blotter was Issued by DR.. Perl
berg. a dentist, Of West l25th Street.
He feels that as evidence II may have
been OF little or no value, but the man
ner in which il was scorned by the po-
liceman on post is significant The po-
liceman's name was not learned by Nr.
Van Loan, and his whereabouts now Is
not known.
Commissioner Woods yesterday re-
ceived letter from Joseph P. Tumulty,
Secretary TO the President. in answer 20
the Joint letter addressed 70 the Presl-
dent last week BY Commissioner WOODS
and District Attorney Edward Swami, in
which the President was asked 20 use MS
good Offices in securing the surrender
Of Cocchi 70 the United States authorl-
ties.
The matter. Mr.. Tumulty wrote. had
been referred 70 the Secretary Of State.
who has cabled the American Ambassa-
dor at Rome TO make representations