The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-29
REUSCHLE MURDER
CLUES HIT BY ALIBIS
Policeman Believed to Have
Been Slain Without Any
Ambushing.
FIVE MEN CHECKED UP
Those Whom He Recently
Arrested Considered Vir-
tually Out of Case.
TWO REPORT TO POLICE
Another Is in TOmbs and Re-
naming Pair Said to Be
Away From City.
TWO REPORT TO POLICE

Ao~c u ZIG Case investigated 10 The
vanishing point and without fresh evil
dence during the day to turn their
energies in new directions the police
last night found themselves inclining
to- the theory that the murder Of Po-
liceman Joseph A. Reuschle at 16eth
street and Riverside Drive early yes
terday morning was one of those UNI
planned crimes which may claim the
life Of any policeman who walks a
night beat-one OF the kind which may
occur when some person faced with
sudden exposure chooses to do murder
rather than face trouble.
Reuschle was murdered on post at l
o'clock yesterday morning, an hour
after he had left his station house in
West 177th street. At first blush it
seemed certain--from the position of
his body and from the loneliness of
the place where he lay-that he had
been shot deliberately from ambush,
and police memory turned instantly to
the fact that he had arrested ave men
in the same neighborhood three weeks
ago for carrying weapons and that a
threat had gone out that he was to
suffer for it.
Two Alibfs Presented.
One OF the mem is still in the Tom bs
ana Of the four others two have come
forward with alibis and the other two
seem not to have been in the city either
Tuesday or yesterday or on the night
between the two days. Further. the
men are charged with crimes Of a
grade less than felony and it does not
any one would commit or connive at
murder to evade a few months In a
penitentiary.
Capt Arthur Carey. head Of the
homicide bureau at Police Headauar-
tiers, who was in charge of the investiga-
ton into Policeman Rauschle's death
within an hour after he was shot down,
said last night--withou. giving all the
particulars he habitat Rauschlc might
have been shot from ambush or might
not have been that ION the face OF the
case II seemed unlikely that his murder
was designed ahead, but that only the
obvious phases OF the case had been
gone into with any thoroughness and
that another days work may make
clear the reason for his killing.
The spot where the policeman died
might be hundreds OF miles into the
country for the purposes OF any person
wanting to do murder safely. for the
driveway of Riverside Park there is n
made roadbed hell by retaining wall
against the steep face OF bank rising
at sharp angle from the river bank
Widths Of grass and trees. two or three
hundred feet on either side. lie between
the roadway and any house or path
Automobiles pass along the drive in
night long procession which thins with
the hours toward morning. and the half
Wild woods and fields about the place
make excellent cover for persons out
late on concerns which the consider
none Of the policies business.
Capt Carey said that numbers OF
automobiles from downtown containing
young men. known to the police. and
young women companions. are stopped
every month in the upper reaches OF
Riverside Drive and ordered back to
the ncighborhoods where the men live
who are In them. The same section of
Riverside Park is also the resort OF
couples who come there from all sections
OF the city. The police do what they
can to keep the park clear OF people OF
this sort and on several occasions
policemen have been astonished at the
belligerency of men whom they have
ordered from the park.
Hypothetical Expiana tion.
II is the notion OF Capt. Carey that
Policeman Reuschle may have stopped
some car which impressed him as having
persons inside who would be the better
for checking UP. and that either there
were professional criminals in 1t or men
and women or man and a woman for
whom arrest spelled exposure and dis
grace. II is conceiva bic. IN Capt. Carey's
theory. that the car did not stop when
the policeman told its driver to halt,
and that Reuschle shot after il and was
himself shot down. Four OF the cham
bers of his revolver had been fired
when he was found dead.
On September he arraigned FIVE men
In the washington Heights Court whom
he had arrested the night before as they
tried to pass Kim on post In big tour
ing car and c.arged them with carrying
weapons. The guns had been found In
tine car and net on the men. and they
were held for Special Sessions. The men
are Samuel Block. who couldn't get bail
and is still In the Tombs Henry Car
funkei. Abraham Meckler. Edward Lewis
and Joseph Gerry. All live on the East
side except G.rfunkel, whose home IL at
Coney Island.
AS soon as newspaper, connected their
names with .i..e policemans death yes
terday Mecklei and Lewis surrendered
themselves al the District Attorneys
Office and denied any connection with the
crime. and detectives who went hunting
for Garfunkel and Curry learned on
what seemed reliable authority that
neither had hcen In the city for several
days.
Detectives also dlsproved a story that
come one had called at the 177th street
station Just before Reuschle was killed
and inquired if he was on post or was
likely TO 20 out.
About the only clues which the police
have to work on. outside OF the fact tina /
any one arrested by the policeman may
nave borne him a grudge, are the pieces
OF broken automobile headlight glass
and two exploded cartridges Of .3s cali
bre. The cartridges were found about
fifty feet from Reuscble's body and the
N'eces OF glass little further down the
road
More than a hundred feet still fur
ther down rubber syringe was picked
up. 1t was half full OF a fluid which
on analysis was found to be formalde-
hyde. The syringe Is Of a type used by
empalpers and the fluid Is one OF the
chemicals they use. The police have not
made w their minds whether the In