The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-04-18
DENIES KILLING
ARMY OFFICER
IN WASHINGTON
Former Army Captain Declares
He Is In No Way Connect
ed With Murder.
ACCUSED IN AN ALLEGED
CONFESSION OF SOLDIER
Says Department OF Justice Is
Looking For Some One to
Put Blame On.
10y The Associated press.)

NEW YORK, April 17.-Denial that he
was in any way connected with the shoot.
ing and killing OF Major Alexander Cronk-
hite at Tacoma was made here today
by Robert Rosenb!uth, former captain in
the army engineer corps. Roseubluth,
who was arrested here on q charge OF
murder and released later on $25, geo ball
was accused in an alleged confession made
by Sergeant Roland p. Pothier al Tacoma
OF having ordered him to shoot the ma
jOr, promising him protection # he per
formed the deed
Rosenbluth. who is at the home Of his
attorney here, declared Major Cronk-
hite was the best liked man in the out
fit and asserted that the department
of justice agents had bIundered in their
investigation of the case. at was to
satisfy a private vengeance" he said.
''and to hang on to their jobs that I was
accused of the murder"
The idea of a premedtated conspiracy
to shoot Major Cr0nkhite, Rosenbluth de-
clared was impossible as the major was
in the hospital four days previous to the
shooting, and no one knew he was to
be with the skeleton regiment the day of
the hike.
Contrary to public opinion" he said,
I'VE were not at rifle practice on the
day of the accident. A skeleton regiment
had been formed and it was to be prac-
tice march, instructions in map drawing
and the setting up of field kitchens. Ow-
ing to change in officers, I, who was
the commanding officer of Company D,
was marching at the head of the column
with Company A. Owing to a machine
gun outfit practicing nearby, our plans
ware changed and we took a different
route than the one originally planned.
When we came on Major Cronl<hite
and Sergeant Pothier halted the column
which l was commanding about 40 yards
away. Apparently Major Cronkhite was
passing the time away practicing with
his pistol on tobacco can, and after
halting the men I walked up, and on
the third shot. he said to me I got 1t,
Rosey,' and a second later said, My God,
I'm Shot
Rosenbluth said he Immediately gave
orders for the regimental physician to
come forward and others who understood
artificial respiration as they all thought
he was suffering from heart attack until
a bugler discovered the wound.
Not a breath of suspicion" said Ros-
enbluth, was ever raised during the
remaining two and a half months I re-
mained in the army after the accident,
and during that time my company in
competition, won the highest honors in
the regiment in being made flag COM
pany It was through the influence of
Major Cronkhite that l was transferred
from Camp Forrest to Camp Lewis with
him.
RosenbIuth said he had received let
ter from Frank B. Turner of Pensacola,
Fla, a former sergeant at Camp Lewis,
who, other than Rosenbluth and Pothier
was said to be nearest Major Cronkhite
at the time of the shooting. Turner at
tached a sworn affidavit, saying i
heard no shots from any other direction
than those fired by the major.
Jonah J. Goldstein, Rosenbluth's attor-
ney. flayed the department of justice:
saying they are looking for some one
to put the blame on and don't care "ho
II Is Rosenbluth has nothing to fear, as
ba is absolutely innocent and all his old
huddies of the service know it"