New-York tribune., 1922-04-02
Mystery Auto
Kills Son of
r.. Il. Roosevelt
Youth Believed 10 Have Been
Crossing Street During
Storm When Hit: Remains
Unconscious Until Death
Girl Tells Of Accident
Police Seek To Learn Earlier
Movements: Wife on Her
Way Here From Virginia

Robert Rranwell Roosevelt. ir. Of
Bayshorc, l.. l., son of Robert B..
Roosevelt, of Washington and cousin
of Franklin D. Roosevelt, former As
s'stant Secretary OF the Navy, died in
hnlckerbocker Hospital yesterday
morning from injuries suffered on Fri
tay night in the vicinity OF Columbus
Avenue and Eighticth Street The police
believe that Roosevelt was either struck
by an automobile or fell from one.
Late last night detectives from the
Sixty eighth Street police station had
been unable to trace his movement.
prior to the accident.
David Ialkis. twcnty-scvcn wears old
of 266 kcap Street, Brooklyn, a driver
Of city bus, was locked up in the
West Sixty-eighth Street station last
night, charged with homicide. 1t is
alleged by detectives who arrested him
that 1t was bus driven by Zalkis
which struck young Roosevelt.
Cards and documents in Roosevelt's
pockets supplied the first clue to his
Identity, but it was not until Mrs.
Tucker K. Sands. who is Rooscvelt's
wife's mother, who lives at the Hotel
Lorraine. called up the police after she
read IN an afternoon paper an account
that the dead man was definitely iden-
tilted. Mr.. Roosevelt married Miss Vir-
glnlh Lee Minor, Of Richmond, Va, in
October, 1921. Mrs. Roosevelt is now
at Norfolk, Va. She has been notified
of his death and will return to tho
home Of her father-in- law at Savville,
H. L., where the funeral will take place.
Operator Says He Was Hit by Auto
A certain amount OF mystery sur
rounds the circum stances of the acci
dent, although the police affirm that
they are satisfied that the death was
accidental and was not the result of
an assault or a hold-up. A telephone
operator employed at the Orleans Hotel
told the police that she saw the dead
man struck by an automobile as he
was crossing Columbus Avenue. while
a heavy wind and rain storm was rag
ing on Friday night, He was thrown
violently against an elevated railway
support, she said. Passersby picked
him up and carried him to lunch
room at 420 Columbus Avenue. Patrol
man Frank Curran was called. and he
called the knickerbocker Hospital
amDu lance. Roosevelt was unconscious
by this time and he died yesterday
morning without recovering conscious
ness. His body was taken to the
Morgue.
Dr.. Everett ". Gould, who attended
Roosevelt at the hospital, said that
death was caused by fractured skull
and that he was satisfied the injuries
indicated he had been struck by an
automobile.
Money Not Taken
The fact that his watch, chain and
money as well as other personal jewel
ry were intact indicates, the police say,
that Roosevelt was not the victim of
hold-up men. The dead mans clothing
will be turned over to the District
Attorneys office for an investigation if
further evidence warrants such a step.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert B. Roosevelt,
the young mans parents, visited the
morgue yesterday afternoon, when the
former identified the body as that of
his son. He said that for some days
young Roosevelt had been staying in
New York as the guest of W. II. Dan
nat Pell, distant relative, who lives
at 551 East Eighty-sixth Street. Mr..
tContinusd on page four)