New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-18

Hon. Charles S. Whitman, District Attor-
ney, County of New York. New YORK
Sir: have the honor to again urg"
TINT complete investigation be made by
you, without any further delay, OF the
allegations made in ;he press that mem
bers Of the police force have been In part
ncfship with gamblers. and the state
n,ent that you are alleged To have made
publicly that members OF the department
were guilty of lnstigating the murder OF
n gambler Immediate action Is neccS-
sary in the interests Of good order and
TINT the good reputation OF ten thousand
four hundred men who are honestly 90
Ing their duty SHOULD not be hesmirched
by individuals who may be rascals
10000 Free from Suspicion"
Under the present organization OF the
department less than one hundred ana
fifty men rave any connection whatso-
ever with the enforcement OF the gam
Hing laws. leaving over ten thousand
men free from suspicion Of connection
with gamblers. II would appear 10 DE
unjust that the reputation CT The entlTe
force SHOULD DO attacked on account oi
the allegations Of q self-confessed gam
bier that n subordinate police or1ccr VINO
has never been intrusted with any speclal
power. has been his partner. ii ~ I'M
fortunate that the desire LOT puonGi'S
should lead any one TO unjustly attack
body Of men on account OF alleged "IoH.-
doing Of a few. -,
In Investigating the action OF the police
IN connection with the gambling situation
investigation should also be made of 'lG
courts and district attorneys, VINO coGid
stop gambling II they desired by uphoih-
Ing the police and sending convicted gam
blers TO jail. instead OF letting thchi Tree
on suspended sentences or with AZ lrSlS-
nincant fine, and issuing court orders re-
curing the police TO return To the gam
blcrs gambling apparatus seized III TaIuS'
Again assuring you OF every support IN
bringing all facts before the pIbllc ana
onyiCt!ng the guilty. very respectfully
RHINELANDER WALDO,
Police Commissioner.
District Attorney whitman gave out
a statement after he had received the
Commissioner second letter, In which
he said he had never intended TO
charge that the police were responsible
for Rosenthais death.
"Shocking Situation" Whitman Says.
He declared, however. that with so
many policemen near the scene OF the
shooting, the fact that they were not
able TO prevent the crime presented
shocking situation"
The District Attorneys statement
was as follows:
In order that the position OF this Office
may be made perfectly clear AT a time
when 50 many mEstatements are being
made. / wish TO say that have never
charged that the police are rcsPOHs!D'
for Herman ROsenthafs death have
nc SUCH proof, and my own persona!
opinions are unimportant TO the public.
But / desire 10 say THIS: -Four men
shot Rosenthal 10 death, iIrins hVe OF SIX
shots 1T him. This was done In a con
spicuous public place, when Was as ~
az It Is at MONDAY. Five or six police
men were within less than stone
throw OF the scene Of the crime. Inc
murdcrcrs entered a motor car and es-
capped with little more than pTeteheG .!
pursuit. The officers admit that they lost
sight Of the automobile before they start
ed IN the taXlcaO.
These facts present a shocking sltua-
ton. Those members or the police ioIc.
who were present at the time OF the
crime having failed 30 signally TO obtain
evidence, the task OF bringing 10 justice
the perpetrators Of the crime and those
who instgatcd their action IS very
difficult one.
RosenthaI's death makes the grand jury
investigation OF his charges, asked Tor
by the Police Commissioner, a very diHl-
cult matter, and ] have never promised
or indicated that such an investigation
shall. however, continue the Investisa,
ton and present TO the grand jury all
Information oOtainaDie. vi course, AZ
the cooperation Of the police In the enort
TO clear up the Rosenthal murder mys-
terry
The official chart OF fixed posts at
Police Headquarters shows that there
were at least five patrolmen within
short radius OF the Metropole when Ro-
senthal was shot The peg posts chart
shows that patrolmen were stationed
at 4lst street and Sixth avenue, 45th
street and Sixth avenue, 43d street ana
Broadway, 42d street and Seventh ave-
nue and 44th street and Seventh ave-
nue..
District Attorney Whitman began
the grand jury investigation into ing
Rosenthal charges against Lieutenant
Becker yesterday. Besides the woman
from Washington Heights. who voiun-
teered the sensational testimony ABOUT
the Libby automobile. several other
witnesses were examined. Robert h.
Hubbard and Albert r. Lesinsky' Oh inc
arr1 Of Hibbard & Lesinsky, OF NO. 220
broadway, who drew up the dummy
mortgage on which Rosenthal swore he
borrowed $1,000 from Lieutenant Beck
or we're before the grand jury. John
J. Donohue, who acted as dummy IN
the mortgage case. and the County
cIerk. we're also witnesses.
That $500 RosenthaI Mortgage.
Speaking OF his testimony afterward'
Mr. Hibhard said:
Becker did not make that loan, 50
far as / know. These are the facts rs
7 laid them before the grand jury this
morning.
lack Rose, formerly partner OF
Eosenthals, came TO me and said he
wanted TO loan Rosenthal Sl,JoD on
the furnishings OF his place. He ex-
plained how they had quarrelled oncc
and there had been bad blood between
them for some time, but he wanted 10
make the loan, having patched things
I'm 10 n certain extent with Roscnthal.
He said, however, he didn't want his
name 20 appear in the transaction q;
all but lie wanted TO protect himself
with all sorts Of legal safeguards.