The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-10-25
GUILTY
OF FOUL MURDER
PoIlco CRATER VIII be Sentenced t.
Death Next "Wednesday for che
Assassination Of
Rosentha.
AN APPEAL TAKEN
Verdict at Midnight Came as Com
ptete Surprise to Everyone and
az q Shock TO Mrs.
Booker.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.f
NEW YORK, Oct BIN his cefi
In the Tombs, Police Lieutenant Char
les Becker. now a convicted murder
er awaiting the imposition OF the
death penalty, had today recovered
semblance Of the iron nerve, which
sustained him during the long hard
days of the rial. He was still hope
ful. His lawyers had told him that
the verdict, returned to Justice Cor
exactly on the stroke OF midnight.
could not stand. They had explained
point which, they said, meant revers
able error as the result of the decis
ions OF Justice Goff, and Chief Coun-
sci Mcintyre. when Goff ended his
charge to the jury, had entered an
exception to the whole OF the address
and had explained to Becker that no
adverse verdict, predicated on sucn
instructions, could stand.
So Becker, still hopeful. although
realizing full we'll that there were
many weary months ahead OF HIM IN
the grim white-washed death house in
the southwestern corner Of Sing Sing
prison. seemed concerned mostly to-
day over the condition OF his wife.
The fact. that she had fallen into
| death-like swoon when she first hearu
! the verdict early today and that after
4 he had passed from her sight across
! the bridge OF sighs she had again
collapsed, had been kept from him.
4 His memory of the brave little woman
whose plaintive appealing cry Of my
/! Charlie is an innocent as a baby
still rung in the ears OF those who
had heard 1t when she realized that
the verdict had gone against the man
she loved, was of blue clad form
standing below the bridge Of signs
/ blowing with both hands kisses Of
love and affection as. with a guard ON
4 each side, he had gone back to the
cell which he will occupy until taken
to the prison death house up the
4 river.
Becker insisted today that he was
4 innocent. He blamed Justice Goff's
charge for the verdict of the fury. He
: insisted that it was adroitly framed
SO that every point made by the state
was developed for the benefit OF the
1 jury, while those made by the defense
were covered over and enshroufes
with doubt. Becker was also regret
full that he had not had his way and
/. \, cto fN al
story. He believed this was a tacti-
cal mistake of Attorney Mcintyre and
that he could have explained the
: points that stood out agarnst him ana
at the same time have protected HIM
self from the assaults Of the district
attorney. But ne accepted the belief
that the verdict would not stand and
was prepared to patiently walt the
, result of the action of the court of
appeals
Mcintyre and his associate counse.
, said that they would appeal the case
Immediately. In fact, realizing that
J the decision would almost certain.
liz be against them they have been
carefully preparing their facts for the
appeal and will file the notice tmme-
J diately sentence is passed on nex'
Wednesday.
Under the law of New York state
: the filing of notice OF appeal acts
automatically as stay of execution
SO no matter what date is fixed BY
Justice Goff In imposing sentence /
: will merely be matter of form.
! The verdict was a complete sur
: prise to nearly every one that had fol
! lowed the case closely. District AT
! torney Whitman, who prosecuted, AM
i. his assistant, Frank Moss, admitte'
today that they themselves had es
pected a disagreement and that tn
most they had looked for. II verdbc
/, were returned, was one of second dc
= gree murder. Mcintyre had irtts
= hope from the time the jury went ou
"a He made it plain that, while he wa
"a not criticising the court, he believe
= the Jury could do nothing under th
: charge but convict and the only hop
u he had was that some Of the juryme
. would hold out against the death pei
,e atty and SO bring about disagree
70 ment.
n 1t was stated at the tombs toda
Id that Mrs. Becker will be permitted
|