The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-25
NEW STORY Of
CRUGER MURDER
Cocchi Now Says His Wife
Killed Girl and He Confess
ed Crime to Shield
Her.
BEING TRIED IN ITALY
Trial Continued When Accused Man
Repudates Story Told
with Different
Version.
BEING TRIED IN ITALY

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
BOLOGNA, Italy, June 24.-Con
fronted by three versions of the mur-
der Of Ruth Cruger, New York school
girl. Judge Bagnolia today suspended
trial of Alfredo Cocchi, charged with
the crime. until the conflicting stories
could be Investigated. Prosecutor
Franchini told the United Press he
did not expect the investigation to be
completed before next spring.
Today's session of the trial, which
opened only yesterday brought out
these versions:
1.-The prosecution charged that
Cocchi killed the girl after assaulting
her In his repair shot at 542 127th
street, New York, February 13, 1917.
2-Cocchi refu.ed formed alleged
confessions and declared his wife
killed Miss Cruger because of jealousy,
saying he confessed to shield her and
his children.
3-A letter was introduced, said to
have been written. by, j.. /. Lynch, $50
Municipal building, New York, stat
ing that Miss Cruger died from a Grim
inal operation and was buried by white
slavers in Cocchi's shop.
oOSSAl OAdlhlAuIIoA pCSdh ILLS
morning. He created a sensation
when without warning-so far as the
prosecution or court was concerned
he began calmly to tell how Miss
Cruger visited his shop to have her
skates sharpened, and how his wife
entered and attacked the girl from be-
hind. killing her with blow from a
tool.
Cocchi emphatically denied he as.
saulted the girl. Sobbing loudly he
described how he proceeded to con
ceal the body to shield his wife. He
said he was forced to cut it to make it
fit in the grave he excavated under
the floor of the shop. He told of his
wife's alleged jealousy, his sufferings
and his encounters with detectives.
Then he decided to flee, he said, an
Then he decided to flee, he said, and
the murder, hoping thus to save his
wife.
When Judge Bagnolia reminded
Cocchi of his former confessions, in
which he described in detail how he
killed Miss Cruger, Cocchi cried out
that he wanted to shield the mother of
his children. The Judge remarked
that Cocchi's charge against his wife
was made after Mrs. Cocchi had de-
nounced him, which according to the
court she would not have done had he
really been shielding her When con.
fronted with his former detailed con-
fessions Cocchi stoutly clung to his
new version of the crime.
After Cocchi's retraction the prose.
cutor asked for time to investigate
this version. The Judge refused. A
letter was then introduced purported
to have been written to Attorney
Venturini, Cocchi's counsel, by J. ].
Lynch, of New York, giving a third
version. Lynch, it was said wrote that
Miss C11lger died as the result of a
criminal operation and was removed
to Cocchi's shop by white slavers
where she was buried. It was said
that Venturini believed Lynch was a
crank" and did not reply to the let
ter. But later Lynch was alleged to
have written again declaring he had
given the real facts in his first letter
A question arose as to Lynch's
identity and as to whether he was
merely trying to save Cocchi and his
wife. The Jurors were frankly puz
zled by the three versions. Judge
consider the situation and finally an
nounoed that the trial was suspended
until further investigation could be
made.
Lynch Admits Writing.
NEW YORK, June 25-J. J. Lynch
book-keeper in the city chamber
lain's office today admitted that M
had written letters to Signor Ventur
| ini, attorney defending Alfredo Cocch1
az Bologna,
Lynch stated that he had sent, let
ters to Baron Sonnino, then the italian
foreign minister and to Cocchi's attor
ney, but refused to divulge their con
tents. He declared that he would ex
| nose the entire case to any ACCREDITED
official Of the italian government.
Return From Russia,
| rT1nited Press Leased Wire Service