El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-05
GAMBLERS SAY
He ORDERED
MURDER
Police Lieutenant Held in
Rosenthal Killing Charges
Conspiracy.
WILL MAKE STRONG
FIGHT FOR ACQUITTAL
Declares Gambling Clique Is
Seeking to Get Him Out
of the Way.

New York, n. Y, Oct 5.-An uncov-
ering OF graft and sordid corruption in
the New York police department that
seem like the seniIe chatter Of an old
women's tea party is the outcome pre-
dicted here of the trial of police lieu
tenant Charles A Becker, which be-
gins Monday.
Becker has summoned to his support
some of the ablest lawyers in New
York in the art Of postponing trials
They have already put one postpone
ment over by using Sam Schepps-
The latter was arrested at Hot
Springs, Ark, by agents of district at
torsey Whitman After Schepps was
brought to New York, he being one Of
those involved in the Rosenthal case.
Becker's lawyers gave out what pur-
ported to be a statement made by
ScheppS in Arkansas wherein Schepps
exculpated Becker of all completely in
the Rosentha1 murder
This was sprung on the morning that
Becker was to come up for trial It
had the desired effect A postpone
ment was granted and district attorney
Whitman went to Arkansas and Sc
cured affidavits to the effect that
Schepps had made no such statement.
Just what trick the Tesourceful law
years for Becker will spring Monday
remains TO be seen That they will use
all their resources to secure a respite
Al the civilized world knows that Of
which Charles A Becker stands &C
cused-
The Killing OF ROsenthaI.
At 2 o'clock in the morning Of July
Is, Herman Rosenthal, a gambler, was
shot down in front of the Metropole
hotel. by a band of thugs who came
to the scene of the murder in q gray
automobile, now famous as the muir
der car
The day before he met his death
Rosenthal had testified to district at
torney whitman that lieutenant Beck
er had been his partner in gambling
house. Furthermore he swore that
Becker had enriched himself by levy
ing blackmail on the denizens of the
underworld
Rosenthai left the district attorney
before he had completed his alleged ex-
pose He was to have returned the fol-
lowing day to tell the district attorney
the rest Of it But he didn't return
Becker was retained in the police de-
partment until district attorney Whit
justify him, he thought, in ordering
Becker's arrest
After the thugs had killed Rosen-
thai, a function for which Becker is
to the murder car" and leisurely quit
the scene, driving down the brilliantly
lighted street, unmolested, with a score
of policemen within 100 yards Of the
SDOL WleTG ROSenLlal Ie1l.
Series of Amazing Episodes.
Then followed a series of amazing ep-
isodes, which revealed the New York
police in the light of astounding stu
pidity or callOus indifference First,
the wrong number Of the murder car
the men who had given the correct
number to the police was promptly
thrust into jail.
Second, after it became known that
Bald" Jack Rose, the gambler, hired
the car which carried the assassins to
their bloody work, and that the gamb-
ling house of BRIDGE" Weber was
the rendezvous Of the conspirators be-
fore the shooting, neither Rose nor
Weber could be found, although they /
were in the city all the time, until at
length they both rode to police head I
quarters in a taxicab and sent in their !
cards.
Then Sam Paul and Harry VaIlon, !
the latter said to be the paymaster for |
the murder crew. got tired Of being in /
hunted and accordingly |
walked into police headquarters and i
submitted to arrest
Then it became known that Whitley" |
Lewis, alleged TO be one of the night /
riders in the murder car. was sojourn- /
ing in the Adirondacks- The police 4
heads shreWdly appropriated the tip /
and several department sleuths were 1
despatched to the Adirondacks. Al /
though Whitley was eventually
caught, that first mission was enough I
to arouse the envy of Arsene Lupin. |
According to Whitley" he was lying /
asleep one night when two or three of /
the New York sleuths came up to him /
and, turning down the bed covering so
they could see his face, they said, who |
are your"
.'My name is Smith," responded
Whitley"
"Oh." exclaimed the sleuths, Tex
case US" and carefully replacing the
IL
And so 1t went on, blunder after
police department with the work of
developing all the material testimony
ieyolving upon district attorney Whit
nan alone.
Because Of this laundering, or what
sver it was, the police department was
entirely distrusted by the district at
orney. 1t was his men who captured |
Whitley" Lewis, and on his orders they
'efused to turn their prisoner over to
he police.
Whitman Distrusts Police.
So far did district attorney Whit I
mans distrust of the police 60 that
when he offered a reward of $4,000 for
he capture of "Gyp the Blood" and
Lefty Louie" two other alleged mem
,ers Of the murder squadron. he ex-
,Iuded the police. And the irony of
ate, bent upon having its little joke,
20 arranged it that "Gyp" and Lefty
ell into the hands of the police.
The arrest Of the two latter finished
he man hunt
All the alleged members of the muir