The New York herald., 1922-08-29
FIND TWO WHO SAW
CLINE AIM AT BERCIN
Man and Girl Who Called on
Business Heard Actor Ad-
nit Assault.
SAW NO DUEL FOUGHT
Victim Forced Up Stairs at
Guns Point, They Say, Then
Two Shots Were Fired.
SAW NO DUEL FOUGHT

The blonde young woman who fur
nished the latest sensational and
mysterious element in the killing OF
Jack Bergin. moving picture actor,
shot to death last Friday night by
George Cline in the Cline house at
Edgewater. was identified last night
as Miss Alice Thornton, nineteen years
old. of 514 West 136th street. where
she lives with her grandmother. In
addition to Miss Thornton. another
witness entered the case in the person
of Joseph Rurillo OF 4o7 Lafayette
avenue, Brooklyn.
Both Miss Thornton and Ruriilo
were questioned yesterday and last
night by Capt. Dinan and Detective
Allyn of the Edgewater Police Depart
ment. Capt. Dinan said afterward
that both admitted to him that they
were In the Cline home when the
shooting Of Bergin occurred, and that
they heard the shots fired that killed
him. although they did not see the
actual shooting. They came to the
house together early in the evening
on business relating to some contracts
that Rurillo. who is employed by the
Fox Film Company also, wanted to
talk to Cline about.
Heard Nothing OF Duel.
While they were there. the girl and
Rurillo said. Bergin came In response
TO telephone message. They said that
they heard Cline accuse 1ergin of the
attack upon Mrs. Cline at Saranac Lake
some weeks ago, and that they heard
Bergin admit the charge. Then they
said. they saw Cline force Bergin to
ascend the stairs at the point of a re-
volver. and shortly after that they heard
two shots fired. A few moments later
Bergin staggered down The stairs and
out into the street
Capt. Dinan said that both Miss
Thornton and Rurillo told him they
heard Cline say nothing about a duel.
and that the question OF fighting the
trouble out never came up In their hear
ing. So far as the Captain was able to
learn neither OF them saw Cline hand
Bergin a pistol They told the police
that Bergin did not have a revolver or
any sort of weapon that they could see
when Cline forced him TO go up the
stairs.
Prosecutor A. C. Hart of Bergen
county said last night that the evidence
against Cline would not be presented to
the Bergen county Grand Jury until
September 8. lie had intended to take
the case to the Grand Jury to-day and
ask for a first degree murder Indictment,
tut there are several witnesses he wants
t. question first. One of them Is Miss
Thornton and another Is Rurillo. Per-
haps there are others also.
Like a Movie Scenario.
"a regular moving picture setting"
was how Prosecutor Hart described the
murder. THE investigation OF this
case" he. said. must be handled from
an entirely different angle than that fol-
lowed in ordinary murder cases because
of It's unusual setting.
I'm its sequence II follows closely the
lines Of move scenario. However,
that Is the logical consequence. a mans
actions frequently are altered by the
environs In which no lives"
William G.. Brooks. a taxi driver.
told the police before Miss Thornton's
young woman to Clne's house. She
came from New York on the s.a5 boat
and got into hts cab She asked TO be
driven to Cline's house.
Cline took another taxi and drove TO
his home. Meanwhile touring car ar
rived at Cline's home. and neighbors no
ticed II standing In the street between
and 10 o'clock. When Bergin ran out.
after being shot through tho chest. he
called TO Landrau. his driver. to pick
him UP. and during the excitement. 1t
was learned the touring car drove. away
with man In workman's clothes az the
wheel
Cline's real name Is walz. A sister.
Marguerite Walz, Is a Philadelphia
dancing mistress and policewoman. He
changed HIS name to Klein. Kline and
Cline after the war. During the war he
IL reported to have taken motion pic
lures with the German army In Bel
gium and to have won the Iron Cross.
The Fox Film Company last night
denied that Cline held managerial
position with them.
"Clinc was not a director, but minor
employee" they said. His job was TO
arrange locations where scenes could