Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-10-22
WILL BECKER TAKE
 WITNESS STAND? Attorney Not Anxious to Place Lieutenant at Mercy
 of Whitman.
MEDAL FOR MURDER
One Witness Testified That Becker Told Officer That ROsentharS Mur.
 der Would Be Rewarded.

New York, Oct. 21.-The lawyers defending Police Lieutenant Charles Becker, on trial for the murder of Herman Rosenthal, in a desperate ef- fort to avoid tie necessity of placing their client on the stand in his own behalf, called 21 witnesses today.
 The sum of results obtained from this testimony was so unsatisfactory that Ly the close of the day no one connected with the defense would venture to say what move will be made next.
 Attorney John F. Mcintyre realizes II Becker is permitted to take the stand all avenue will be open by which he district attorney on cross exam nation may get into the evidence the entire record of the accused officer S fortune alleged to have been collected from gambling.
 Becker's iron nerve has not failed him. He told the newspaper men to- night that he believed he could con vince the jury that he had no part in the conspiracy which resulted in the assassination of Rosenthal.
 l Of course any testimony 1 might glve,' said Becker, would not deal with the details of the shooting. ! know nothing about that. As police | officer l obtained a good line of the characters of the men who are my chief accusers and am perfectly will ing to go into details of my relations with them. 1 feel certain that such a statement made frankly to- the jury would greatly aid my case. l shall, however, be guided absolutely by the advice Of my attorney"
 | Seven of the witnesses called to testify for Becker today, were police men who had been associated on the strong arm squad, one police inspec- tor, one police clerk, two convicted of murder; another prisoner who has been in prison so often that he can best be identified as jail bird; four character witnesses who have known Becker socially and have never heard anything bad about him; one theatel treasurer introduced in an unavoidable effort to break down the testimony of Morris Luban; one county clerk, and two keepers from the city prison.
 The prisoners from the Tombs were called in an effort to break down the testimony of Hallen, the convict, who swOre he heard Becker tell his one time subordinate, Lieut.. James B. White to "sit tight and the police would give them a medal for killing kOsenthal.' ,:
 The only witnesses whose testimony in anyway seemed to benefit Beckers case were the men who have worked with him in the police department for years. On cross examination, however, nearly all of these fared badly. Most of the questions concerned the arrest of "Big Jack" Zeliz ana the raid on Rosenthals gambling place
 The strongest witness was Detective Lieutenant William Duggan, who swore Bridgy Webber once told him that Rosenthal had employed Trough Toney'' Feracci to rob Vallon's house and also to assault him (Webber) with brass knuckles. The witness al so mentioned that Webber claimed Spanish Louis" and Boob" Walker had also been interested in the rob- bery and assault
 Lieutenant Duggan was made to say by the district attorney that his mind had been refreshed on these converse tions with Webber by Detective O'Far- rell, fthe Becker defense.
 The last of the 21 witnesses had been excused at o'clock and after some moments of delay, during which there was considerable confusion is. the camp of the defense, Lawyer John w. Hart asked permission to read into the record the testimony taken at Hot Springs concerning statements made by Sam Schepps at the time of his arrest This occupied the remain der of the day and added nothing of material value or interest to the pro- ceedings.