The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-16
Citizens Will Be Examined in Connection With
 Schepps Case
BECKER MIGHT HAVE
 BEEN VICTIM OF PLOT
Whether Schepps Told Two Different Stories Concerning Rosenthal Murder Will Be One Ob-
 ject of His Visit

Hot Springs, Ark. September 15.-Did Sam Schepps tell two widely different stories concerning the Rosenthal mur- der? Did Schepps, while here in Au- gust, intimate that Police Lieutenant
 Becker was the victim of a plot onjy
 to proceed to New York and tell Dis i triot Attorney Whitman and the grand
 jury a story that Immediately preceded a supplementary indictment against the accused policeman? These are questions
 upon which both the New York dis
 trct attorney and John F. Mcintyre.
 chief of counsel for the defense, expect
 to throw some light this week through
 the examination of citizens in Hot
 Springs.
 c. D. Burns, said to have been an agent of the defense, came 10 Hot
 Springs about 10 days ago, remained
 here several days and left last Tues-
 day It is known that he interviewed
 Douglas Hotchkiss, editor and
 George Howell, police captain Howell had Schepps in custody from the day of the arrest, August I0 until Assist ant District Attorney Rubin and detec-
 tives accompanying Schepps left Hot
 Springs for New York, August 15.
 Editor HotchlSiss was the first news
 paper man to talk to Schepps after the
 arrest. The announcement that MT.
 Burns was an agent of counsel for tho | defense came to Hot Springs in a news paper dispatch after Burns had left to
 return to New York Burns, while here.
 was known as d correspondent ior a
 New York newspaper. Any allegation 1 that Hotchkiss, the ediOr, or Howell, the | D nm flaT | Schepps, while in Hot Springs, intimated | Becker to have been the victim of 6 plot
 has bene repudiated by both, and each to-
 day reiterated denial of having given any
 such version of Schepps' gossip
 Whitman Arrives Today | District Attorney Whitman, who was ex- pected here today with Assistant District Attorney Rubin and dozen newspaper
 men from New York, stopped last night In | St. Louis Private messages received
 here today announced AIr. Whitman's in- ltention e leave St Louis tonight a4 9 foclook. fae train upon which he Is ex- 1 pected is due in Hot Springs shortly be- fore noon tomorrow.
 ! Dispatches received here have not made
 clear whether Mir. Whitman will ask for statements to which those questioned will. be asked to make oath question cite zens in the presence of commissioner. authorized by Justice Bischod of New York In either event no hitch is ex- pected. Those mentioned as being the ones the prosecution desires to examine
 have expressed their willingness to re- spond 10 Mir Whitman's wishes as to eX- animation. IL is probable. however. that Editor liotchlSiss first win have confer ence with the district attorney. in which he will demand not to be involved SD as to obligate himself to q willingness to teS-
 tify in New York when the Becker case comes up for trial in October MT. Hotchkiss explained that he does not de- sire to be put in the light of attempting to evade examination by counsel, sent here under permission granted by Jus tice Blschoffs order. but does desire to he assured that he will not be put to the n- convenience of appearing as witness in october. Police Captain Howel's attl- tude is non-committal
 HOtchkiss Reviews Articles
 Mr. Hotchkiss today personally reviewed the newspaper articles printed In Hot Springs and written by him concerning Schepps These articles, he pointed out, constitute practically all he knows con- cerning what Schepps said here Of the Rosenthal ease and that, as d matter of fact it is not extensive sehepps did not, in his words quoted by Editor Hotch- kiss articles, directly implicate Becker. There is no sentence or word in the ar
 ticles printed here hinting Schepps. al the time had an opinion Becker had been made a scapegoat Careful pernsal of the articles in question fail to show my di- rect statement attributed to Schepps that would either incrimnate or Becker. On the other hand, Schepps is quoted as limiting that he knew great deal about the case, both before and after the actual murder of the gambler | Articles written by Editor HIotchlsiss | attributing to sehepps the continents and gossip mentioned. appeared in Hot l Springs newspaper of Sunday August H.
 August 12 and IS. On August 13. -after
 reading q number of newspaper articles among them one writtenlby Mir Iotch-
 kiss and printed that morning. schepps is-
 sued a statement repudiatne them inso- l far as they quoted him concerning police
 graft, white slave traffic or any confess
 sion bearing on the Rosenthal mnrder l case.
 1 schepps' anger was apparently the
 greater foralearnins. as he declared, for
 the first time. that Mir HotehlSiss was | the editor of q newspaper.
 | Editor Hotchkiss expects to he uuns- toned in detail by Distric' Attorney Whitman concerning what Schepps said to the editor. or 10 the others In the pres enee of the editor and Police Captain l Howell
 Petit May Be Examined Thomas j. Petit, alderman. acting
 mayor at the time Of Schepps' arrest and proprietor of the hotel in the down. town district where Sehepps was lodged until his departure, may be asked to make a statement and submit to questions. ]. l.. Wadler. Jr., another Hot Springs
 editor. probably will he asked to do the same thing, as well as James Leonard. chlef of police, and Fred Johnson. post master.
 The postmaster Is out Of town on busi- ness. and postoffice attaches tonight said they did not know when he would return. He ia reported 10 be at Amarillo, Tex. i Rumors were current today that other ! persons than those mentioned may be 1 questioned by counsel for the defense l after the arrival of Mir Mcintyre, who. l 1t is understood here, plans 10 leave New, l York tomorrow, but these reports could notsbe traced to definite source. l If there is a detective here represent l ing the district attorney, as was reported | in q newspaper here this morning. he is
 not known as such at the hotels. 1 The Hot Springs authorities today de- nied any Knowledge of sieh detectives presence here.
 "Cvn" and "Lefty" Silent