New-York tribune., 1922-12-06
NOrkin to Face
Murder Trial
With Becker
Friend of Accused Wife
Slayer Is Indicted as
Partic Pant in the Crime,
but Motive Is rystery
Ia Witnesses Testify
Poultry Dealer Says He Saw
Auto Repair Man Digging
Pitwhere Body WasFOund

Reuben Norkin will Be arraiEne6 this
morning before Judge Louis p. Gibbs
IN the Bronx County Court as the re-
sult Of an indictment charging him
with murder In The first degree handed
down yesterday afternoon by The Crane
Jury. Abraham Becker and Norkin are
named Jointly a. being responsible FOR
che killing Of Bceker's wife, Jenny
whose body was uncsrthed IN . vacant
lot A. the rear Of Norkin's automobile
repair shop az i40th Street and SJnth-
ern Boulevard last week. THIS inalet-
ment will supersede the previous one
against Becker on the same charge
Toe ooIiee believe the woman was
beasen iusensiblc and buried alive.
Torrteen witnesses testified before
The Grand Jury in the morning and the
i.rors we've eloscted for four hours
before deciding 20 indict Norkin. Sew
eral 81 the witnesses had not appeared
in the case before others simply re-
viewed evidence they had given IN tno
previous hearings which resulted IN
The indictment Of Becker
Motive a Mystery
So far as could be Aseertalned, no
reason was brought out AZ the nearing
for Norkin TO have aided Becker In kill
ing his wife. By his own concession
The automobile repair man was present
AZ the murder Of Mrs. Becker and acted
a. n lookout while Becker slew ms
wife with an iron bar. He told the
roliee that he did this simply "out OF
friendship for Becker"
The authorities disbelieve this. lhey
think Becker had some hold on Norkini
that Norkin was afraid Of him and was
terror-stricken for fear RSeker might
reveal something about hirn. The poliee
are checking up on Norkina ne 70
discover what hold Becker could have
had on him.
Assistant District Attorney Cohn Is
investigating the disappearance o.
Fanny Bloom. a woman employed IN
Eorkin's home eight years ago. NO
.rsre Of her has ever been found.
Norkin's business establishment 81 that
time was not 10 It's present site, and
fhe Assistant District Attorney thinks
h extremely unlikely that the body
Of the maid, II she is dead, viii be
found In the lot where Mrs. Beckcr's
body was discovered. Tie viii, however
IN the hope Of finding q clew.
Harry Corner, an employee Of Nor
KIN. Who lives az 1889 Washington
Avenue, was called 90 refute Norkin's s
statement that be had been 80 affected
By the murder that he feared 20 re-
main in his automobile shop At night
He related how he had seen his EN-
ployer sleeping on the running board
Of an automobile two or three nights
after April z, the date on which the
crime h declared TO have been COM
mitted.
Saws He Saw Norkin Digging
Another witness was Morris Bloom
= poultry merchant, with a shop near
Norkn's. Il WAS said that he tola the
grand jury that he had notieeo tnIee
men digging on April at the spos
where the body was found: One o.
these men he identified as Notkih;
Abraham Niortnberg, Of 800 Last
'esth Street, was also called. re -
10 nan who bought the automobile
srou Becker IN which he and his VIE
bsd ridden on the night Of her dis
appearance. g., ,t.r,.o of
.bs lunch wagon near Norkins shop
IN ,be night Of April q, was another
,~i,ness N was in this wagon that
pssl,r Is said 70 have treated" Norkin
40 cigar after they had committed
the murder. ,.,...
Because OF Becker's inability 70 en-
,,ov counsel, Judge Gibbs has ap,,
polnted Alexander A. hayPer ano
CHARLES V. HALEY jr., o. sos fremont
Avenue. 20 defend him. In a statement
issued by the attorneys IN the aiter-
noon il was said that Becker hao peen
suhfected 70 80 most eNtraorHlhaiy
inouisition" The District attorney
was criticized for the statements nc
h,. .fven 70 the press.