Mayor of Bologna (p. 312): “Cocchi Shames Bologna,” New York Times, July 3, 1917, 4.
Cocchi’s testimony (p. 312): “Full Story of Cruger,” Asheville Citizen-Times, July 28, 1917, 1. Most papers printed a version of the testimony; this paper printed the entire transcript—which is one advantage of a smaller-market paper.
“playing for delay” (p. 314): “Italian Court,” San Francisco Chronicle, August 10, 1919, 4.
letter from Lynch (pp. 314–16): Criminal Trial Transcripts of the County of New York, 1883–1927, trial 2766, February 13, 1920; microfilm reel 338. Lynch’s full letter lists names of people he considers part of the slave trade. They include doctors, candy store owners, and, unfortunately, his daughter’s mother, Celia, whom J. J. calls a “friend of Slavers.” He particularly lays the blame on a woman named “Black Nellie,” whom he accuses of treating girls for abortions.
“ridiculous and preposterous” (pp. 315–17): “Story of Murder,” Wichita Daily Eagle, June 26, 1919, 1.
“shift the blame” (p. 317): “Court Suspends,” New York Evening World, June 26, 1919, 12.
trial to resume (p. 317): A note from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs dated August 29, 1919, to Peter A. Jay said that although “there was no evidence of any description tending to connect this woman with the murder,” the judge “considered further investigation advisable.”
ice plant on Atlantic Avenue (p. 317): “Held on Girl’s Charge,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 24, 1917, 11.
appear in the papers (p. 317): On his own, Kron still attracted sensational cases, even when he wasn’t trying to. When Reverend Edward Wheeler Hall of New Jersey was killed—along with his forbidden mistress, a married woman and choir singer named Eleanor Mills—Kron did some side work on the case by finding and corroborating the story of a confidante. Paul F. B. Hamborszky said that Reverend Hall had confessed to him that he was in love with Mrs. Mills and that he had been threatened by her husband. The suspects who went to trial were the reverend’s wife, Frances Stevens, and her two brothers. But even with Kron’s confession and semi-eyewitness testimony from a woman named Jane Gibson, the suspects were cleared of all charges. Kron also dabbled in real estate; he was the director of the Ricoro Realty Company for the Bronx in 1923.
Ralph Woods (p. 318): “Found Wife in Apartment,” Milwaukee Sentinel, August 28, 1930, 1.
Gargan busts the Be Kind Club (p. 318): “Captain Turns on Mrs. Humiston,” New York Times, June 26, 1919, 15. Grace was arraigned on June 25.
Gargan’s precinct (p. 319): “Clears Mrs. Humiston,” New York Times, July 16, 1919, 13. The charges were dismissed in First District Court on July 16, 1919, by the magistrate, George W. Simpson.
“Police Headquarters to stop it” (p. 319): Richard Spillane, “Another Police Scandal,” Commerce and Finance, July 23, 1919, 970.
the Castle (p. 319): “No Working Girls,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 26, 1917, 53.
22: THE WITNESSES’ REVENGE
All the dialogue in this chapter, unless otherwise noted, is taken directly from Criminal Trial Transcripts of the County of New York, 1883–1927, trial 2766, February 13, 1920; microfilm reel 338.
“something about that ancient crime” (p. 322): Salina Evening Journal, October 29, 1920, 10.
“administration of justice” (p. 322): Edward Swann, “Crime of Perjury,” New York Evening News, July 18, 1916, 12.
Georgette, was dead (p. 331): death certificate for Georgette Cocchi, December 6, 1918, file no. 41436, Department of Health of the City of New York. Georgette was admitted to St. Luke’s Hospital very early on December 6; the physician, Dr. Scott, saw her alive, but she died at 6:15 that morning. The diagnosis during her last illness was acute bronchial obstructive syndrome (“ABOS”) pneumonia lasting three days. She was buried at St. Michael’s Cemetery on December 9. The Cocchis were living at 37 Old Broadway at the time of her death.
conviction (p. 331): “Alfredo Cocchi,” Convictions Register, Court of Appeals, Bologna, Italy, 1920. There is a gap in the Archivio di Stato records in Bologna from 1917 to 1920, but the Convictions Register detailing Cocchi’s sentencing survives. The most important fact in these pages was Cocchi’s eventual fate, but in the background information, we learn that Cocchi was kept out of the Italian army because of “shortcomings,” though there are no specifics. A heartfelt thanks to Cesarina Casanova, professor at the Università di Bologna, for her kind help. Thanks also to Dr. Barbara Burgess-Van Aken for her skilled translation of these findings.
Athos was doing well (p. 331): “Weakens Cocchi’s Defense,” New York Times, October 27, 1920, 13.
Cocchi’s sentence (p. 332): “Alfredo Cocchi,” Convictions Register, Court of Appeals, Bologna, Italy, 1920.
hunger strike (p. 332): “Murderer Cocchi on Hunger Strike,” New York Evening World, Nov. 1, 1920, 26.
23: HER DARK SHEPHERD
New Justice magazine (p. 333): “New Justice,” Catalog of Copyright Entries, Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1920, 153. Advertised as 32 pages for $1.50 a year. Volume 1 was dated January 1, 1919.
“incidental verbal explanation” (p. 334): Humiston v. Universal Manufacturing Co. 189 N.Y.S. App. Div. 467, at 470–71.
Smiling and bowing (p. 334): “Universal to Fight Humiston Suit,” Motography, July 14, 1917, 64.
as popular as she had been (p. 334): Goldsmith believes that Grace’s popularity was a direct result of her political usefulness for others and that that reservoir had been simply used up by the Upton affair. Larry Goldsmith, “Gender, Politics, and ‘White Slavery’ in New York City: Grace Humiston and the Ruth Cruger Mystery of 1917,” unpublished article, 42.
sent her packing (p. 334): “Bittle Refuses Woman Lawyer’s Aid,” Buffalo Courier, June 10, 1926, 11.
“best of both men and women” (p. 335): “Should Women Smoke?” Syracuse Herald, January 16, 1921, 10. “I do not think that smoking lowers the morals of a woman for nothing,” Grace said, “but I believe that in the eyes of men, women who smoke are considered to be of weaker morale—in fact, I am sure that this is so. Of course, if a woman wants to smoke she has a perfect right to do so.”
sixteen years old (p. 336): “Mystery of Our Missing Girls,” Charlotte News, November 5, 1922, 25.
“Who is the girl” (p. 336): “What Becomes of Our Missing Girls?” Detroit Free Press, January 1, 1922, 56.
“blackout parties” (p. 336): “Mystery of Our Missing Girls,” Charlotte News, November 19, 1922, 28.
“is an endless search” (p. 336): “The Real Reasons Why Girls Leave Home,” Atlanta Constitution, January 29, 1922, 24.