The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-19
THE BECKER TRIAL
Prosecution Closes Its Case Against
Police Lieutenant.


Police Lieutenant.
New York, Oct. 1S.-The state rest
ed its. case yesterday in the trial of
Police Lieut. Becker on the charge of
instigating the murder of Herman
Rosenthal the gambler. The case for
the defense will begin today, when
John w. Hart of Becker's counsel
will make his opening address to the
jury. If Becker has his way, Hart
own defense. Whether his counsel
will attempt to dissuade him from
this desire had not been determined
last night. John F. Mcintyre, his chief
attorney, said Becker is anxious
to take the stand We may allow
him to, but this has not been deter
mined yet"
The defense has indicated that it
will endeaver to prove that clique
of gamblers inspired the murder of
Rosenthal and that Becker is the VIC
tim of a conspiracy. Former District
Attorney Jerome will be one of a doz-
en- or more witnesses the defense
plans to call. Mr.. Jerome is expected
by Becker's counsel to break down a
portion of the testimony of Jack Rose
in connection with an alleged tele-
phone conversation with Becker, in
troduced by the state to show that
Becker had guilty knowledge of the
crime.
Sam Paul whose gambling place
was frequently ralded by Becker and
9TH har nf ha no
ternity are also included in the list
of Becker's witnesses. The accused
police lieutenant expressed himself
last night as confident of acquittal
after adjournment had been taken on
the announcement by District Attor-
ney Whitman that the peoples case
was complete.
Becker was in a happy mood, for
his counsel had just won a victory
over the prosecution. This was when
Justice Goff granted a motion by Mr..
Mcintyre that there be excluded all
testimony tending to show that Bee
ker had amassed a fortune in graft
obtained from gamblers. District At
torney Whitman had Is bank tellers
ready TO swear that Becker had bank
accounts totaling nearly $4,000, but
not one was allowed to testify. JUS
tice Goff upheld Mr.. McIntyre's argu-
ment that without proof that Rosen-
thai, the "squealer,,' knew the pro-
ceeds of graft the evidence could not
shoV that they constituted a motive
for the killing of Rosenthal
"EXtortion and bribery are not
charged in this Indictment" declared
Becker's attorney. The charge is
solely that of murder" To introduce
such proof the prosecution recalled to
the stand Jack Rose, Becker's alleged
collector of graft, but Justice Con re-
fused to permit him to be examined
along this line.
Mrs Lillian Rosenberg, wife of LET
ty Louie" one of the four gunner
charged with the actual staying of
Rosenthal, furnished one of the SEN
sations of yesterdays proceedings
when she appeared as a states wit
ness. Although denying any know
ledge of her husbands whereabouts
on the night of the murder. Mrs. Ro-
senberg, who is scarcely more than a
girl, told of the visit Sam Schepps
and Jack Rose made TO her home to
ask the aid of her husband in getting
Jack Zelig, the gang leader, out of
Jail. This testimony, confederation Of
the stories of Schepps and Ross, was
Intended TO strengthen one of the i'm
portant links in the states chain of
evidence
Mrs. Rosenberg was one of dozen
witnesses put on by the state yester-
day 10 close up some of the loose
ends of its case, which has taken in
all seven days to complete. The only
appearance of the four gunner in the
case thus far has been when they
were brought into court to be identi-
fed by Witnesses AS the quartet are
under indictment and will be tried
apart from Becker. it is not expected
they Will be called to the stand in
this trial.