New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-25
Widows CHARGE
Holds Two i'm
Eckert Murder
Moloney and Kane Refused
Bail When Arraigned for
Killing of Alleged
Whisky Runner in Cab
Warrants Out for # More
Man Said To Be Close to
Revenue Agents Cues
toned by Prosecutor

William Moloney and Charles Kane
we're arraigned yesterday in Stapleton
before Acting City Magistrate ]. Harry
Herman 'and held without bail on a
charge of murder in the first degree in
connection with the shooting of Fred
erick P. (Robert) Eckert, alias Robert
Hayes, alleged whisky runner, who was
found dead in an automobile last Sat-
urday on Old Town Road Staten Island.
Mr.. Herman is county judge and took
over Magistrate Mullen's seat on the
bench yesterday.
Mrs. Florence Hayes Eckert, widow
OF the dead man, was the complainant.
Moloney is the proprietor of Moloney's
Hotel at South Beach, where she and
her husband stayed for several weeks
prior to the shooting. Kane is a hack
man and the owner of the autom Mobile
in which Eckert was found dead.
AS result of the investigation of the
mystery surrounding Eckert's death a
system of whisky smuggling between
New York, New Jersey and Staten ISL
and may be laid bare. 1t was intimated
yesterday that several Richmond off,
Gals might be implicated, at least one
police officer and maybe one or more
prohibition agents.
Four Attack Eckert
Mrs. Eckert, in her complaint yes
terday, charges that her husband met
Moloney in front of 38 Oliver Street.
Manhattan, at ten minutes past eight
last Friday night and drove to Staten
Island in Kane's automobile. She says
that while in the vicinity of Old Town
Road Moloney met Charles Kane and
two men unknown to her, and did, then,
wilfully, feloniously and with the pre-
meditated design to effect the death of
Robert Eckert, aid, abet and partci-
pate, with the two unknown men," in
shooting him while he sat in the front
seat beside the driver.
The case will be called again next
Tuesday. Albert G. Each, former Dis
trict Attorney for Richmond County
and attorney for Moloney and Kane,
sought first to have the case discharged
for lack Of proof and then to have it
continued Immediately. District At
torney Joseph Maloy, however, won a
postponement to enable him to arrange
his case and obtain his witnesses,
who, he said, were hard to find
Mr.. Maloy is holding five persons as
material witnesses. They are Mrs.
Moloney, wife of the proprietor of the
hotel; Frank Donohue, an assistant at
the hotel: Mike Shuie, saloonkeepcr;
Frank "Chuck" Connors, a hackman,
and Mike Benedetto, an expressman
A man was questioned last night,
who is said to be "close to revenue
agents"
When asked yesterday if he had
questioned the prohibition agent said
to have caused Eckert's arrest on Au-
gust ~. Mr.. Maloy said, whats the
use? We know where he is and can get
him any time we want him" Later he
said he might interrogate the agent
to-day.
The controversy over the body of the
dead man was settled yesterday by Jus
tce Townsend Scudder, in the Supreme
Court, Brooklyn. He gave Eckert's
widow custody of the body. She had
been restrained Monday night by Mrs.
Margaret Eckert, Eckert's mother, from
interfering with the disposition of the
BODY