The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-30

alleged alliance between the gam blers and other law breakers and the po- lice, as a sideline of which Herman Rosenthal was murdered and Police Lieutenant Becker has been indicted for murder in the first degre, is to be uncovered. The board of alder men will conduct sweeping investi- gation and outside counsel will be hired. This will be entirely 1ndepend- ent of the grand jury investigation now in progress under District Attor- ney Whitman's direction and between the twol it was confidently asserted, today, that the entire inside of the police graft payments will be reveal ed. Mayor Gaynor, after refusing to sign any petition authorizing the board iof aldermen to investigate the graft charges, and writing Police keeN Becker on duty, today, com pIexely reversed himself He stated that he would sign the resolution and see that the city appropriated money enough to make the probe thorough. This followed conference with fPolice Commissioner Waldo. Just where the trail will lead no one knows Gossip has been busy with names of high officials in the police departme ent, men prominent in the political world and noted gamblers but District Attorney Whitman frank ly stated, this afternoon, that he had no positive evidence as yet lmplicat- ing anyone other than Lieutenant Becker, who is in cell in the Tombs. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and insisted that his innocence would yet be proved.
 s'This is an awful plight for an in .1 worrgia1g and will let others do the worrying. It will all come out right" $
 Rose, Webber and Vallon, the in- formers, were examined at great length by District Attorney Whitman, today, and they amplified the stories told, last night, all agreeing that the murder of Rosenthal was committed only after Becker had insisted that the gambler be put out of the way.
 While this was going on, the first complete eye witnesses story of the murder of Rosenthal was being told at police Headquarters It came out in connection with the trial of Po- .liceman William J. File, charged with failing to do his duty at the time of the murder. File was eating in the Metropole dining room at the time. one of the witnesses in his be- half was Christian Walker who sat
 
 had walked out to be murdered.
 Walker flatly contradicted the re- port that Rosenthal was called out to meet death. Instead, Walker said, he and Rosenthal walked out to- gether and the gambler bought a paper. Walker stepped aside and half. minute later the shooting be- gan. Walker swore that; as Rosen- thai fell. the murderers made rush for their automobile and got away at full speed. thus contradicting Chauf- feur Shapiro, who said he started his motor slowly so that the police might catch him.
 s.Who is it? What happened ? Where did they go?'' Walker said File asked. He said he saw the taxi cab starter point toward the men get ting away in the gray car and that File raised his revolver as though to fire but dropped it because there.were people in the range.
 J. J. Hickey and Edward Bernard, who were inside the hotel, said File rose at the first shot and rushed to- ward the door finging people right and left out of his way in an effort to get to the scene of the shooting.
 Mrs. Sadie Sherman, of New Haven, who was dining with File and some friends, also declared the policeman did everything he could do to arrest the men.
 District Attorney Whitman made it plain, this afternoon, that he believes Deputy Police Commissioner Dough- erty personally was doing all he could to solve the murder mystery. He criticised statement attributed to Inspector Hughes, however, in which the latter said he could have arrested the actual murderers some days ago if he had had the goods" on them.
 Whitman showed a letter which
 l lS---~ ~.I~r l. also being protected in this city and which gave the scale of prices paid for the privilege. The letter was printed and gave the name of the man who was declared to be the actual collector for the police in the old and new tenderloins
 According to the letter in order to open, proprietor had to pay $500 down and $250 a month for protec- tion. This money, the letter alleged. was distributed, $100sto the captain, $50 to the lieutenant and the re- mainder in smaller proportions down to the officer on post. Whitman said that he was having the charges in the letter investigated.
 Whitman also stated that much of the credit for the confessions was due to Mrs. Bridgie Webber who had persuaded her husband to tell all he knew.
 New York. July 30.-In cell in the Tombs, restlessly pacing up aud down like caged animal, today. was the central figure in scandal, the worst in the history of New sYork-Police Lieutenant Charles Becker, indicted for the amazing murder of Gambler Herman Rosenthal two weeks ago to- day in the very heart of New York's great white light district In care fully guarded cells in the city prison in West 54th street, removed the width of the city from the man they accuse, were Jack Rose Bridgey Web Der and Harry Vallon, gam blers, whose astounding confession of mur- der, general crime and police graft told to the grand jury at an extra