New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-15
All Defendants, Except "Dago"
Frank, Testify That Weber,
ValIon and Third Unknown
Man Did Shooting.
CALL TERM A MISNOMER
Why, None Ever Carried a
Pistol, They Assert, Though
Lefty" Had Picture
Taken with Re-
volver in Hand.


Harry Horowitz). Whitley" Lewis
Crank Muller) and Lefty Louie Ro-
senberg-three boys" who might have
been expected to shed considerable
light on the meaning OF the word
iatly repudiated the term as applicable
to themselves. Furthermore, they
swore on the witness stand they didn't
know the meaning OF the name" They
admitted they had done many bad
things, but they stoutly denied they
had ever carried pistols.
These three -defendants-who say
they have been generally referred to
under a misnomer during the last few
months as the gunner" in the Rosen-
thai case-testified yesterday in their
/ owD behalf. The fourth, "Dago" Frank
Cirofci, will tell his story TO the jury
to- day Judging from the similarity OF
narrative in the stories Of the three
, witnesses yesterday. ii is fair to as
sumo that "Dago" Frank will not pre-
sent much new material.
! The stories of the three gunmen--
using the term because OF its descrip-
! tive value-were told to large and in
/ terested crowd Of spectators who came
early and stayed late in the Criminal
t, Branch of the Supreme Court There
was not a vacant seat in the court
room during the two sessions, ant the
! halls leading TO the tribunal were FREE
quently cleared by Police Captain Tier
ney and large squad Of policemen
! from the Elizabeth street station.
! The corridors, fifty feet from the
doors Of the courtroom, were literally
barricaded with long settees, TO make
the work Of the police easier in hand
ling the crowd which clamored for en-
trance Prohtins from the experience
of the day before, Captain Tierney had
double the number Of men to assist
him.
! "Gyp" Thought Himself Target
The stories Of the three defendants
tailed admirably with the outline OF
the defence as presented by Charles
Il
no hand in the killing Of Herman Ro-
senthaI, they testified. They placed the
responsibility OF the crime squarely up
/ to "Bridgie' Weber, Harry Vallon and
a strange man." whom they all swore
they saw do the actual shooting In
front OF the Hotel Metropole in the
early morning Of July 16. None OF
them knew who the man was that was
shot at the time. they said. They did
not know the victim was Rosenthal
until the story came out in the news
papers. The fusillade opened so sud
denly and Unexpectedly. "Gyp" the
Blood testified, that he thought at first
Weber, Vallon and the strange man"
were firing at him and his companions
They ran for the subway entrance, at
Times Square, and got home as quickly
as they could to the fat at No. 2I29
Seventh avenue, where "Dago' Frank
had preceded them. Cirohci had left
them at Bridge" Websrs place, at
42d street and Sixth avenue, when they
were "lured" around TO the MetrOpole
on .he pretext of Jack" Rose that he
was going to prove TO them that he
had no part in the framing" Of Big
Jack" Zelig, their friend and leader,
who was arrested on charge OF car
rying concealed weapons, and who
| faced a fourteen-yea sentence on 4
second offence.
Fear Of zeIis as Motive.
They had not known Rose and his
friends. Weber, Vallon and Schepps, FOR
more than three months prior TO the
sbooting OF Rosenthal and their ac-
oua,ntance with these men was
brought about by the anxiety of Rose
IN assuage the suspicion which Zeligis
friends had that he, Rose, was re-
sponsible for big Jacks" arrest. In
fact. all their conferences with Rose
and the others had been over the Zeiig
matter. II was the clear inference from
| their testimony that the fear OF ven
geance from Zelig or his friends moved
/ Rose and Vallon TO lure tne lour
! Runmen to the scene OF the oH'o'e
to fasten the crime upon them.
They had never been In the gray
murder car" in going to or from the
Metropole that night. as Shapiro the
chauffeur testified they had. They all
noticed it-a gray Outstanding IN
J front OF Weber's place when they ar
rived there in answer TO a message
from Rose, they declared. But some
one else must have used it-presumao'y
Rose and his friends.
The hardest task--that Of telling the
4 story hrst-was awarded to "Gyp" the
Blood. In answer TO the question OF
MIR. Wahle on direct examination ne
4 developed the story in clear md de-
cIsve tones. He proved to be MP
pant and sarcastic witness in the hahds
Of Assistant District Attorney Moss on
cross-examination.
"Whitey" Lewis, the second witness,
y rortInusa oa sIxtb mage. second column