New-York tribune., 1922-12-03
Confesses He
Aided Becker
In Wife Killing
Details of Coldly Planned
Bronx Murder Revealed
by Norkin, Friend of In
dicied Man, After Quiz
Lured to Prepared PIT
''Still Groaning," He Says,
When Slayer Began Re.
placing Dirt in the Hole

The detailed story Of the murder OF
Mrs. Jennie Becker and her burial In
vacant pit in a vacant lot at itoth
Street and Southern Boulevard, the
Bronx. In the early morning hours OF
April 2. was told yesterday In a signed
confession by Rubin Norkin. proprietor
Of an automobile iunking shop sdjoin-
ing The lot and the friend OF Abraham
Becker, husband Of the slain woman,
Becker was indicted Friday for the
actual commission Of the crime.
When Norkin had completed the mar
rative and affixed his signature to 1t,
in the Office Of District Attorney Ed
ward J. Glennon, the ofieisls of that
Office pronounced the document the
best record Of the most inhumsn and
hendIsh crime ever brought 70 their
According 70 Norkin, who fully In
criminated himself as an accessory,
Becker lured his wife 20 a yard In
front Of the repair shop, struck her
over the back Of the head with an iron
bar as she, at her husbands request,
was "leaning over aud listening TO see
whether anything was the matter with
their automobile engine" and then,
with NCFkin pacing back and forth as
lookout" dragged the body to the
nit prepared for IL and dumped IL in
Was Buried in PIT Alive
She was still groaning," said Norkin,
when he began heaping dirt on her
After the ghastly task had been COM
pleted, Norkin declared, he and Becker
shook hands over the grave and swore
they'd never tell soul" Then they
went 10 a lunch car about two blocks
away, where, by way Of celebration OF
his act, Becker set up the cigars for
both Of u.s.
The iron bar, a solid piece Of metal
about eighteen inches long and two
inches in diameter and bearing stains
said 10 have been caused by blood. was
found yesterday By the police and at
taehes Of the District Attorneys once.
Il was at first reported 10 have been
dug up AZ a point a few feet away
from the murder pit, but later the in
vestigating authorities, while admitting
they had the weapon In their possee-
sion, decllaed 10 ulsSlob' just HHcAo -
had been found.
Norkin'B confession was made 70 As
sistant District Attorney Albert Cohn,
who from the beginning has directed
the gathering Of evidence In the case.
After its completion Becker, with much
Of the suggestion OF a eornered rat
about his appearance. but still main
tanning his nervous smile and smoking
his interminable cigarettes, was con-
fronted with the document.
Asked what he had 10 say, he still IN
sisted that Norkin had committed the
murder because Of q quarrel with me-
and refused 10 admit he had bad any
thing 70 dc with Il. He was beset With
questions during the remainder Of the
day. and though at times he appeared
on the verge OF n collapse there was no
break up 70 a late hour last night
Late In the day Mr. Cohn announced
that the gathering Of evidence In the
case had been virtually completed To-
morrow, he said, Becker will be ar
raigned on the indictment against him
and on Thursday he will present addi-
tionsi evidence 10 the grand jury
(csnuzBss o. pass iAirisn)