New-York tribune., 1921-09-29
Men Recently Arrested by
Patrolman Who Was
Slain on Riverside Drive
Detained for Hearing
Insist They Know
Nothing of Killing g
Two Other Members of
Auto Party Are Sought
as Material Witnesses

Two men who had been surrendered
by their attorney were detained at
Police Headquarters last night in con-
nection with the inquiry into the mur-
der early yesterday morning on River
side Drive Of Patrolman Joseph A.
Reuschle, attached to the West 177th
Street station. They are Abraham
Meekler, a laundryman, of 226 East
Thirteenth Street, and Edward Lewis,
driver, of AZ Essex Street.
Meekler and Lewis were members of
an automobile party of five arrested by
Reuschle three weeks ago on a charge
of violating the Sullivan law They
had been at liberty on bail, awaiting
trial on October 7.
When they read in the newspapers
that they had. been mentioned in con-
nection with the shooting of the police
man they went to their attorney, Sam
uel Ecker, of 115 East Eighty-eighth
Street, and asked him to accompany
them to the District Attorneys office.
Acting DISTRICT Attorney Banton,
after questioning the men, telephoned
Captain Arthur Carey, head of the
Homicide Squad, who asked that they
be booked over night at headquarters
to be held to-day as material witnesses.
Mr.. Banton said he would ask Judge
Mulqueen to-day to hold both without
bail.
Two Others Being Sought
Mcekler and Lewis insisted they
knew nothing of the shooting. Two
other members of the automobile party
are being sought for questioning by
Captain Carey. The fifth, Samuel
Bloch, of 80 Avenue A, did not furnish
bail and is still in the Tombs.
Reuschle arrested the five by ruse
Something about the car in which they
were riding excited his suspicion and
he halted it and told the driver his
lights were out When the machine
had come to stop he leaped on the
running board, produced his revolver
and told the occupants they were
under arrest. At the West 177th Street
station, where Reuschle compelled the
driver to take the car, it was found to
contain four loaded revolvcrs, four
cloth masks, blackjack and a box of
cartridges.
The arrest took place at Riverside
Drive and 177th Street. half mile from
where motor party of stage people
found Reuschle dead, bullet through
his heart, early yesterday morning.
Captain Carey sent six picked men to
the scene of the murder yesterday. 1t
will be perfectly all right with the men
OF the station force for Headquarters
the District Attorney, or any other
official agency to send uptown any
number of special squad men to HELM
ind the slayer. But they regard tn
running down of the men who killed
Joe Reuschle as a job peculiarly their
own--a family matter, so to speak.
Friends Search for Clew
Joe Reuschle had been part of the
West 177th Street station since il was
established in the ramshackle frame
mansion overlooking the Hudson and
the Drive. AS earnest of their feelings
every man of the precinct force devoted
ms OH hours yesterday and last night
10 a search for clew-a search in q
m leasure vain, but none the less in
deadly earnest.
squirt gun, bound together at the
joints with bicycle tape, were said
Yesterday Dy DR.. Alexander O. Gettler.
toNlcc ioPlst attached to the medicaf
examiners Office, to be formaldehyde
4 Inns implement, picked up near
Reuschle's body, is believed to have
been used to blind him before his as
sassins fired the shot which killed him
mat Reuschle did not give up his life
without fight is evident from the fact
that his own revolver, with four emptv
shells IN it, was clutched in his hand
when he was found
Inspector John Coughlin, head of the
detective bureau, said at headquarters
last night that on Tuesday morning at
IL o'clock Patrolman Reuschle accom-
panied by the woman who owns the car
in which the. five men were arrested.
came to his Office and asked that the
car be returned tc-her. 1t had been
seized by the police and held as evil
dence. Inspector Coughlin, convinced
that the woman was unaware of the
use to which the car was being put.
ordered it returned to her as her only
means Of livelihood. He did not make
public her name.
Detectives assigned to the case were
interested yesterday in the story
of man at the 177th Street sta
tion, who called the evening before
to ask Patrolman Agnew, on desk duty,
the hour at which certain patrolman
went on post. Agnew does not recall
the name Of the man asked about. but
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