New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-22
Man Killed i'm
Auto Believed
''sBootleggger''
Finger Prints of Victim
Correspond With Those
of Man Released From
Tor1bs IL Hours Before
Accused of Motor Theft
Body, Three Bullets in Head,
Found Seated in Car ON
Lonely Staten Island Road

A well dressed man was found dead
at 6 o'clock yesterday morning in a
stolen automobile on Old Town Road.
Staten Island. He had been shot three
times through the head
The police took his finger prints and
say there is no doubt that he is Robert
Eckert, twenty-nine years old, of rs
North Center Street. Orange, N. J.
Eckert, they say, was an alleged auto.
mobile thief and "bootlegger." He
was out on bail and was known to the
police of New York and New JERSEY.
Eckert had been released from the
Tombs twelve hours before the body
was found. He had obtained writ of
habeas corpus in his fight against ex-
tradition to New Jersey to be tried on
a Federal complaint of having taken
stolen automobiles to New Jersey for
sale
Charles Kane, owner of the touring
car in which Ecsert's body was found,
is being held by the Stapleton police.
They say they have good descriptions
Of Two men seen early yesterday morn
ing near the scene Of the murder, who
are believed TO have been in the auto
mobile at the time of the shooting.
Body Found by Watchmen
The body was found by watchmen
at the Austin-Perry Manufacturing
Company. The factory is off South
field Boulevard. the main road. and
about one mile from South Beach. High
bushes grow on each side OF the road.
Because automobile parties often
stop at this spot, the night Waterman
at the Austin-Perry plant thought lit
tie OF it when he heard voices some
where between 5 and 4 o'clock in the
morning and saw the top Of an auto
mobile rejected in the light OF a street
lamp. His dog began to bark and he
went cut. Two men were crossing the
property. What are you doing o. he
asked
We've had little hard luck" said
one Of the men. Our car is stuck and
were looking for the way to the
beach"
The night Waterman got good look
at the men. Their description is with
held by the police. who think they be-
long to the mob operating on Staten
Island
1t was not until the day Waterman
appeared that the BODY was discovered
in the automobile. The NIGHT watch
man had passed it. but the dav man.
out OF curiosity, stepped on the run
mig board
There's 8 coat here" he said. but
then ne drew back, startled.
man sat hunched forward on the
front seat at the right of the steering
wheel. HIS head was sunk between his
knees and he leaned with the tilt of
the machine against the door. His
straw hat lay at his feet in a puddle
Of blood. The Waterman called the
police
The autopsy performed yesterday
afternoon by DR.. George P. Mord, as
slstant medical examiner, showed no
other marks of violence on the BODY
except the three bullet wounds. Dr..
Mord said the bullets were So caliber
and had been fred at close range He
believes that man sitting in the bacl.
Of the car fired the shots.
One OF the bullets entered the left
ear and lodged in the brain. Another
struck the nose and was found under
the left eye. The third bullet was not
found. 1t entered the back of the necl.
on on the left side and came out in front.
The glass OF the wind shield in front
OF the dead man had bullet hole in it.
No Evidence of Fight
No weapon was found in the car.
everything was in order. Five loade L
bullets Of the same caliber as those
found in the body We're picked up on
the front seat by the police The car
was in good condition. There were no
evidences Of struggle, and the watch
men heard no shooting.
The man identified as Eckert wore q
neat blue serge suit, six shirt, silk
socks and good low, tan shoes. Twenty
elght dollars and a card were in his
pocket. He Wore a gold watch and