The New York herald., 1922-10-20
ARREST ROSENBLUTH
in CRONKH|TE DEATH
Federal Officers Also Jail
Sergeant Pothier on
Murder Charge.
EX : CAPTAIN TO FIGHT
Will Resist EXtraditiOn for
Killing Four Years Ago
Near Tacoma.
TRAGEDY STIRRED ARMY
Friends Assert Accused Was
Victim Of Another Drey-
fus Case
TRAGEDY STIRRED ARMY

A controversy which has agitated
the United States army for four years
and has raised veXing questions in
Washington regained public attention
Yesterday by the arrest OF Robert
Rosenbluth and Roland Il. Pothier.
They are charged in Federal indict-
ment filed in Tacoma, Wash, last Fri
day with the murder of Major Alex
ander Cronkhite, who was killed near
Camp Lewis. Washington. on October
25, 1918
Rosenbluth. wartime army cap
tain and later an aid of Herbert
Hoover in foreign relief, surrendered
himself in the. Federal Building, New
York, and was held by Judge Learned
Hand in $4,000 bail for a hearing as
to extradition next Wednesday He
spent last night in the Tombs bu;
will be released under bond this morn
ing. Pothier Sergeant when Rosen-
bluth was Captain, was arrested at
his home in Central Falls. r. T., and
was sent to jail without bail pending
diTdlSllfneHt IO-udy.
Rosenbiuth. on the advice of his law
yer, Jonah J. Goldstein. viii fight ex-
tradition on the ground that as Camp
Lewis had not been taken over by the
Government at the time of the Cronk-
hite shooting the case is not within
Federal jurisdiction.
RosenbIufh Charges Plot.
Thank Cod" he said after his ar
rest, I'VE are out of star chamber pro-
ceedings ana again in the open. This
unwarranted indictment of me is in an
effort 20 remove my case as part Of the
impeachment proceedings instituted
against Attorney-GeneraI Daugherty
and to block Congressional inquiry as
requested by the Veterans of Foreign
Wars"
{, Major Cronkhite. who was a son of
Major-General Adelbert Cronkhite and
West Point graduate. was killed while
on practice hike with his command.
Rosenbuth says that pistol with which
the Major was shooting at a target
turned In his hand as he raised IL and.
t4scharging, sent a bullet into the
Majors right side This was accepted
as fact by an army board of inquiry,
which met soon after the shooting. 1t
found that his wound was accidentally
self-infiicted. In 1920. upon his return
from Germany, where he was CON-
mander of the American troops on the
Rhine Gen. Cronkhite brought about
an investigation.
Last year Pothier, arrested in Provi-
dence, made what seemed to be con-
fession. In one or several statements
he said that bullet from his own gun
nred at a target. accidentally hit Major
Cronkhite. In another he said that h
purposely killed Cronkhite by order OF
Capt Rosenbluth.
Pothier Changes story.
Later Pothier recanted and, charginI
Federal agents with having bulldoze'
him into "confessing." insisted tina
fSoscnbluth's story was the truth. o.
the strength OF Pothier's Confession
and by order of the Department o
Justice Rosenbluth was arrested ant
charged with murder. His bail, in Lib
erty bonds. was supplied In March. 1921
by Felix Warburg. Herbert Lehman an
other friends who had become intereste'
IN his case and convinced of his limo
cence.
Attorney General Daugherty eventu
ally held that the Federal Government
dence over TO the county prosecutor Il
the State OF Washington. The count
prosecutor dismissed the whole matte
for lack of evidence and finally Rosen
bluth's bail was released and he was sc
free. Since then he has been trying Z
have Congress investigate the Depart
ment of Justice. His friends said h
was the victim of another Dreyfu
case"
Recently, il IL reported. new evidenc
was presented to the Federal Gran
Jury at Tacoma and the first degree in
dictment resulted. The jury evIdentl
saw reason TO believe that Pothier'
repudiated confession was true after al
for the indictment. n certified copy o
which has been received here, charge
pothier with doing the actual shooting
ing and inducing him to do IT, Th
Indictment also says hat Major Cronk
hite was killed within lands acquire
by the United States for exclusive US
as Camp Lewis
Joyce Opposes Rail.
Before Judge Hand yesterday John r
Joyce, chief Assistant United states At
1orney said that he could not consen
10 the bailing OF a prisoner In a murde
case. Jonah Goldstein said that Roscn
biuth bad offered 10 20 TO Washingto
state and testify before the Grand Jur
after waiving immunity, but the ofre
had been refused. In his statemen
given to reporters after the hearin
Rosenbluth said:
II did everything within my power a
citizen 20 have Attorney-Genera
Dsugherty take up the investigation o
charges made by me Of the perversio
Of Justice and deliberate attempts 4
frame me up by agents Of his depart
mcnt.
II was told TO get my rich JEWS
friends TO put up fund and retain
big lawyer This refused 10 do. an,
falling 60 have any action taken wit
relation 70 my charges ] appealed I
the Veterans Of Foreign Wars and {
Congress. calling for q Congressional in
gDtT,."
Spsoiof DiSD1jcb 10 THE NEW YORK IInn,tr
TACOMA, Oct is.--Federal Distric
Attorney Reveile. who presented tn
Croukhite case TO the Grand jury. sal
this afternoon he had received no OF
fIciai word OF an arrest under last week
secret indictment. Until he did he re-
fused 70 make a statement other Fed
srai officers took the same position, say
ing the indictment must remain secre
until the person or persons arreste
reach Tacoma.