The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-10-29
KILLED GANG LEADER OIL
CROWDED STREET CAR.

The murder q "Blg Jack" zslig,
whose own story Of crime includes muir
Gers. thefts. assaults. burEiaries and .
vcore of Lesser crimes. took place On .
street car at Fourteenth street and Bee.
ond avenue at $50 on the night q Oct
5. when public interest In ne Becker
trial was at It's height and when ZeliS
was beng named as the man who.
''framed" by Becker. had furnished the
gunner who aSsassnated Herman Ros-
snthal.
Davidson. trembling in fear . second
later. almost threw his revolver 10
Policeman Schmidt who arrested him.
The coward was afraid Of the weapon
with which he had killed the gang
leader. Before he was locked up. he
declared the reason he had turned on
the gang leader was that Zelig had
robbed him of $500.
II had Just come down from PougA-
seepsie.' Davidson chartered. and had
tact Zelig the night before at . ball.
He knew I had big roll In my pocket.
Next day he met me at the corner OF
9roome and Eldr!dge streets and black.
lacked me. 4 need that roll more than
you do he told me-
Il was scared to death Of Zeiig.
was afraid to 20 10 the police. for I
knew Zelig would kill me. I decided to
no to Zelig and AJAX him II give mo
back my money. But was afraid. So
went TO Jersey City and bought a pistol
for SO. Then I found Big Jack ana I
was afraid TO ask him for my money.
10 when he got on the street car I
croaked him."
Assistant District Attorney Frank
Aoss will prosecute, the caso az ainst
shs assassin. with Dlstrict-Attorney
ma In To L.
ed the trial will not consume more
than four days.
:.EliG STARTED LIFE OF CRIME
As PlckPocKET.
Puh.ic interest In the trial 10 great
only because OF Zeiig. King OF New
York's Apaches, and his connection
with the Rosenthal gunner. Zelig was
primarily a pickpocket: n good one, too,
according 10 the police records. He be-
gan hitting feathers" when he was n
curly headed boy OF fifteen. He was
then known by his true name. William
Aiberts. lie played baby when
caught and his childish innocence got
him out OF many scrape. re name
Jack Zelig was fastened OIL him when,
IN 1905, ne began to do less pocket pick
Ing and more shaking down" He did
lis "blt" a dozen times or more for
crimes
But finally he decided that "stickinR
vp' stuss games on the east side was
more profitable than picking pockets
The danger was greater. but the danger
Of arrest was nil. for robbed gamblers
did not dare "squeal' 10 the police. SO
..elig became east side gang leader.
knife wielder and gunman.
When the dance of THE Boys OF
the Avenue was held at the Stuyve-
pant Casino. on Dec. 2. 1911. Julie Nor
reil was bowled over with BULLETS.
frank Riazzo. alias Renese. had been
stabbed. Zelig was wanted, but he
made n clean getaway. The police
grabbed him later. but nothing came
81 Il. His biggest bit OF notoriety
came when he had q shooting ARRAY in
Chinatown and cutting affray in
Coney Island. all in one night.
SHOT As HE LEFT THE COURT
ROOM.
II was while he was coming from the
Crimina, Courts Building. where he had
secured ball for carrying a revolver, that
Zeiig was shot by a vengeful member OF
the Jack Sirocco gang. but he recovered.
Zelig also got credit for slashing the
cneek5 OF a man down at Coney Island
last summer because, as the story goes,
tho man, a saloonkeeper. would not give
one Of zelig's friends Job.
: For several years Zellg terrorized the
cfst side. Some OF his friends said he
had acted strangely ever since he had
received a beating at the hands of a
Western policeman. The night he was
killed there was general celebration
: - <,vsr aha ~ stNA