The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-11-02
81 SUMTER S. G., SATURDAY, NOVEMBER @ 1912
BECKER TO HEAR SENTENCE.
WILL. BE CONDEMNED TO DIE IN
ELECTRIC CHAIR.
Driver of Murder Car Said to Have
Made Complete Confession to
Whitman.

New York, Oct. 29.-Charles
Becker, deposed police lieutenant, will
be sentenced tomorrow morning for
the murder of Herman Rosenthal, the
gambler. Becker will be brought be-
fore Justice Goff in the criminal courts
building at 1890 o'clock. He will be
told he must die in the electric chair
in Sing Sing prison. Mrs. Becker will
be present to hear her husbands sem
tence pronounced.
L shall certainly be in the court
room" the devoted wife said today,
after leaving her husband behind the
bars in "murderers' row" in the
Tombs. 81 shall go on the train with
my husband to Sing Sing. want to
stay at his side as long as possible. l
think it is my duty to do that and
to be brave as can"
The death house" at Sing Sing will
be Beckers home beginning not
later than Sunday. the State plans
District Attorney Whitman does not
want the responsibility of the former
Heutenants presence in this city when
he places the 'gunmen" on trial. The
first of them probably will be tried
Monday. Sheriff Hamburger declares
he will not delay Becker's removal
from the Tombs.
THE fact that Becker is rather
more prominently in the public eye
than any other convicted murderer
makes no difference to me-" said the
sheriff today. He is simply a man
who has come under my Jurisdiction
through the channels of justice and
will be treated the same as all 9TH
ers.'
While States counsel is said to be
willing to wait until Saturday before
taking Becker TO Sing Sing, Sheriff
Hamburger said he would start with
his prisoner either Thursday or Fri
day.
The task of the State prosecut-
ing the gangsters, Lefty Louie"
Whitley" Lewis, "Gyp the Blood"
and "Dago Frank" was made less diff
ficult this afternoon, when William
Shapiro, driver Of the murder car"
made what was purported to be a
complete confession.
Shapiro was closeted with District
Attorney Whitman for several hours.
For days his counsel Aaron j. Leslie.
had urged his client to tell all he
knew. Shapiro feared to do SO said
the lawyer because he believed he
would be killed. With Shapiro's con-
fession and his testimony on the stand
against the murder crew." all in
corroboration of what the State al
ready knows Of the movements of
Rosenthal's alleged slayers the morn
ing the gambler was killed, District
Attorney Whitman believes he will
have no trouble in convicting the
gangsters.
If Shapiro tells a story which will
help convict his passengers in the
murder car" he probably will be
tried on some less serious charge
than that Of murder.
Mr.. Whitman is said to be willing
to agree to this, but is not prepared
to grant Shapiro complete immunity.
Red Phil" Davidson, slayer Of
Big Jack" Zelg, is expected to plead
guilty either to murder in the second
degree or to manslaughter when
brought to trial tomorrow Mr.. Whit
man, while assured that Davidson will
not force the State to try him. is
ready to go on with the case David
sons counsel James w. Osborne, it
IL understood, will insist that his
client be allowed 90 plead to man
slaughter which has 20 years as
maximum penalty. If the State insists
on second degree murder as the plea,
DtN iuSon can nc sentenced To HE I'M
prisonment.
Aaron j. Levy. Shapiro's counsel,
tonight confirmed the report that
Shapiro had confessed and would take
the stand against four gangsters.
Shapiro told District Attorney
Whitman this afternoon that the four
gunmcn' who were his passengers
were Roscnthal's murdcrers," Mr..
Levy said shapiro also implicated
Jack Sullivan as Beckers lieu
tenant"
Did shapiro implicatc Beckcr?'
only on hearsay. tie said he did
not talk with Becker about the mur-
der hnt he told Mr. Whitman .,