Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1914 — FOAMER LIEUTENANT BECKER GRANTED NEW TRUE BY N. Y COURT OF APPEALS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FOAMER LIEUTENANT BECKER GRANTED NEW TRUE BY N. Y COURT OF APPEALS

Prisoner Now in Tombs Awaiting Court Proceedings in His Case —lnteresting Sketch of the Events Leading Up to the Killing of Herman Rosenthal and a Resume of the Incidents That Followed.

New York. —The New York court of appeals has granted former Police Lieutenant Becker a new trial and the ex-officlal has been transferred from the death cell at the Albany prison to the Tombs In this city. Attorneys for Lieutenant Becker asked reversal of judgment and a new trial on the ground of more than 200 errors on the original trial of Becker and on the ground of newly discovered evidence favorable to Becker. It was alleged that the. testimony of the four informers —“Bald Jack” Rose. “Bridgey” Webber, Harry Vallon and Sam Schepps, was totally false. The conviction and . sentencing to death of Becker was one of the many incidents that followed in qulcjk ‘fashion the murder of Herman Rosenthal. The board of aidermen, the state legislature, the Citizens’ Union, the bureau of municipal research, the Rockefeller bureau of social hygiene, the district attorney’s office and many private agencies conducted investigations Into conditions in New York city’s underworld and conditions surrounding the New York police. Grand juries returned 23 indictments, and even today the effect of the murder of Rosenthal is felt in graft exposures. The recent exposure of wire tapping graft in the police department resulted directly from the Rosenthal killing and the investigations that followed it Herman Rosenthal was a product of the East side. He operated the notorious Hesper club on Second avenue, for a time, and then, as he became inore prosperous, moved to the Tenderloin, opening a gambling establishment in West Forty-fifth street. Through "Bald Jack” Rose, who has no more hair on his head than a billiard ball, his partner, Rosenthal became friendly with Police Lieutenant Becker, then in command of the “Strong Ann Squad” entrusted with the suppression of gambling. According to testimony that developed later, Becker loaned Rosenthal $1,500. taking a mortgage on Rosenthal’s furniture as security, thus becoming the gambler’s partner.” Rose collected from Rosenthal Becker’s share in the profits and is alleged to have collected for Becker from other gamblers who were given "protection” by the “Strong Arm Chief.” Becker gave Immunity from raids to Rosenthal, but there finally

in Madison Square Garden —later at his home in Edgecombe avenue where it was allege'd he awaited word of Rosenthal's murder. Rose was seen driving about town in a red touring car and later in a gray car. Rosenthal went to the Hotel Metropole about midnight with a party of friends As the long hand of the clock rested on the hour a bellboy informed the gambler that a friend wanted to see

him outside. Rosenthal went to the door and stepped out. As he did so four shots rang out. Rosenthal fell, and four men ran to a gray automobile at the curb, leaped in and dashed away. Pursuit was made, but the gray car soon outdistanced the Others and disappeared. District Attorney Whitman was on the scene within an hour. The police had hopelessly confused the whole matter. The only witness that could be of any practical value at the moment had been locked up in the West Forty-seventh station. He had seen the license number of the gray automobile, which the murderers had forgotten tb remove. One of those little slips that so often bring criminals to justice. William Libby, owner of the murder car, and Louis Shapiro, driver of it, were arrested that same day. Shapiro confessed that Jack Rose had hired the car. Within forty-eight hours Jack Rose took a taxicab to police headquarters and surrendered. The arrests of “Bridgey” Webber, and Harry Vallon, associates of Rose, followed in quick order. This trio saw but one chance to sgve themselves, and there was a neck-and-neck race to

came a time when things commenced to be talked about and Becker was questioned at police headquarters. In order to make things look good Becker had to raid Rosenthal, and he explained it to the latter. Several fake raids were “pulled off,” but when Becker finally Informed Rosenthal that he would have to “stand for a pinch,” the gambler objected most strenuously. He and Becker then came to an open break. Shortly after this Rosenthal was raided by Inspector Hayes and Captain Day of the West Forty-seventh street precinct. Rosenthal believed pecker was behind it. A uniformed policeman was stationed in Rosenthal's gambling bouse to see that the law was not violated, with the result that Rosenthal lost many hundreds of dollars. Rosenthal tried to get warrants from a city magistrate for the arrest of Inspector Hayes and Captain Day on charges of oppression, but they were refused. Rosenthal then commenced to talk, a most fatal , thing for an underworld character to do. The newspapers heard of Rosenthal, and reporters went to see him. The gambler talked freely—-too freely for his safety—about the police. On the morning of July 14, 1912, Rosenthal's affidavit accusing Becker was printed In full, together with Becker’s denial. A panic seized the underworld. How far would Rosenthal go? How much did he know and how much could he prove? Rosenthal seemed to think that he could prove a good deal for

he went to District Attorney Whitman, not so well known then as he now Is, and promising to produce legal evidence, made an appointment to meet Whitman at his home at eight o’clock on the morning of July 16. Rosenthal did not live to keep the appointment. The news that Rosenthal was about to “squeal” was flashed through the Tenderloin like wildfire. On the night ©f July 16 Becker was at a prise 7 Ight

District Attorney Whitman. Rose got there first, and told the prosecutor that at Becker's command he had hired “Lefty Louie,” “Gyp the Blood,” “Whitey” Lewis and "Dago” Frank. East side gansters and gunmen, to assassinate Rosenthal, giving them SI,OOO for the job. The grand jury was convened hurriedly that night and on the testimony of Rose, Vallon and, Webber indicted Becker, who was promptly arrested and locked up in the Tombs. He strenuously protested his innocence. The four gunmen were arrested in the weeks that followed. [ “Dago" Frank was caught first "Whitey” Lewis was captured in the Catskills, and "Gyp the Blood” and “Lefty Louie” were traced to a flat in Brooklyn where they had been "lying low." Becker went to trial first before Justice Goff, especially assigned to sit by Governor Dix. He was promptly convicted and sentenced to die December 9, 1912. The four gunmen went to trial in November, 1912, and were likewise convicted and sentenced to die in the electric chair. The informers. Rose, Webber and Vallon, were given Immunity for having confessed, and were released following the convictions. Then followed the numerous investigations resulting in many indictments.

District Attorney Whitman.

Charles Becker and His Wife Leaving Albany Prison.