The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-30
COCCHI GUILTY
IN CRUGER CASE
Sentenced tO27Years in Prison
for Crime in New York
City in 1917.
FOUR CHARGES PROVED
Bologna Conviction Ends Mys-
terry Of High School Girls
Disappearance.
FOUR CHARGES PROVED
Pu tle 4 .Associntcd pcess.

BOLOGNA, Italy, oct. 29.-Alfredc
Cocchi, on trial here for the murder OF
Ruth Cruger in New York city In Feb.
ruary. 1917, was to-day found guilty
on four charges.
Cocchi was sentenced to twenty.
seven years Imprisonment.
1.-THE prosecution asked Cocchi's con-
viction for murder in the first degree
attempted criminal assault, falsifyine
passports and false enrolment in the
military service.1
Signor Bentini counsel for Cocchi. ir
dmtting that Cocchi killed the girl
Nontended that the accused was crazet
It the time by domestic troubles ant
vino. He asked for a verdict Of man.
laughter.
The sentence was made by attaching
ps nalties for the lesser charges to thu
major crime of murder in the first dc
gree, for which the penalty is twenty.
fur years when committed outside
Italy.
Cocchi's townspeople received the YER
DICT with general appreciation. They
rad predicted he would be sentenced tc
from twenty five to thirty years.
The jury's verdict was reached after
an hour and a ha'f"s delibera tion. In
which. according to the new Italia
procedure, the Judge participated Tht
Jury voted Cocchi guilty Of all -four
charges. Il found that the crime was
committed under extenuating circum.
stances. Cocch wept all through th:
days proceedings
Signor Bentini, counsel for the de
fendant. In asking for verdict Of man
slaughter instead of murder In the frs
;egree. urged that Cocch at the time IN
| killed Miss Cruger was tortured viii
domestic troubles 70 such an extent tha
&c was only half responsible for his nc
| eionE. 1t was when he had drunk th'
Eve glasses of California wine and Mis-:
,ruger returned for her skates that HI
became momentarily insane and at
"a clxed the girl Fearful OF the pole,
lrresting him. Cocchi then without pre-
neditated intention killed Miss Cruger
aid the attorney.
Slgnor Franchini for the prosecution
epeated that Cocchi was In possession
II his fun mental faculties and argueC
that California wine was no stronger
than Italian wine. and that was no
strong enough TO make man commi
80 hcinous crime The prosecutor tol,
he jury that II had upon IL the respon
sibility 90 render justice, since the crime
was committed by one Of their owf
countrymen against the people OF tn,
United States.
Ruth Cruger, an elghteen-year-old stu
dent at Wadleigh High School. New
York city. disappeared in February
l'l917 after a visit to Cocchis bicycl,
shop to have her skates sharpened. Fol
almost six months nothing was learned
OF her whereabouts When the bottom
OF the cellar in Cocchi's shop was dul
up In June her body was brought e
light.
At his first trial In June 1919. Cocch
declared his wife had committed tn,
murder. ard the trial was interrupted
to determine the truth or falsity OF hi,
charge.
Mrs. Cocchl. however, was completely
exonerated.
The second trial began on Monday
last. Cocchrs counsel, while admitting
the guilt Of his client. declared he wat
razed az the time the murder was com
mltted by domestic troubles and wine
Dispositions by CoCchrs own witnesses
aiken in New York for the purpose oi
substantiating this plea proved boone
rangs, az the witnesses dCposed tha
whatever domestic trouble existed in the
Cocchl family was due solely TO Cocchi''
actions