Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-08
BECKER PLACED
ON TRIAL IN BIG
MURDER CASE
Former New York Police
Lieutenant Fails in At
tempt to Secure Delay;
Zelig, Witness, Killed.

New York, Oct. 7.-Charles Becker
formerly In command of "strong arm
squad" of the New York police depart
ment, was placed on trial for his life
this afternoon in an indictment charg
ing him with the murder of the gamb
Ter, Herman Rosenthal. The first tales
man examined, Philip Herrlich, was
challenged peremptorily by the prose
cution because he has formerly been
a policeman.
Much of the session had been taken
up with the selection of the extra
ordinary grand jury which will heal
all the phases Of the Rosenthal case
Becker, and the six men indicted with
him, were brought into court. District
Attorney Whitman moved that the
trial of Becker proceed separately. His
motion was granted.
Mrs. Becker was in court when the
proceedings opened. The room was
jammed to suffocation and a great
crowd surged through the corridors.
Zelig's death, although q severe
blow to the prosecution, caused nc
change in the plans for the opening
today of the trial OF Police Lieut.
Charles Becker, charged with the mur
der Of the gambler Herman Rosenthal
Two hundred and fifty talesmen re
ported early at the criminal courts
building and curious crowds swarmed
throught the corridors, waiting to see
Becker come across the bridge OF
sighs from the tombs. ~
The most rigid inquiry on the par>
of the police and the district attorney e
office has brought to light nothing to
indicate that Zelig was killed to defeat
the ends of justice. Davidson, his
slayer, appears to have been acutated
solely by q desire for personal revenge
on the man he says robbed him How
ever 1t was remarkable coincidence
for through Zelig the state hoped to
show that his gangmen retained by
BALD Jack" Rose. shot Rosenthal al
Becker's bidding.
Zelig was shot and killed Saturday
night. The east side gang leader and
prospective witness in the trial was
seated in Second avenue open troll.
ley car while Phillips Davidson, who
says he Is fruit dealer, jumped on the
running board and fred the fatal shot
Davidson leaped from the car and
ran away, but was caught, weapon In
hand. He admitted the shooting and
declared it was for revenge, the police
say. According to the prisoner, Zelig
had held him up at the point of q
revolver late Saturday in an east side
hallway and robbed him Of $400.
John F. Mcintyre, counsel for Lieut.,
Becker, asked Justice Goff to adjourn
the case because of the illness of John
w. Hart, who is associated with him
as Becker's counsel.
Justice Goff denied Mr.. Mc1ntyres
motion for a postponement. Fifty OF
those summoned having failed to ap.
pear, the grand jury panel was ex.
hausted after twenty-one of the
twenty-three required had been
selected.
Justice Goff, however, declared this
number sufficient and, after swearing
the jurors in, dismissed them for two
weeks.
Almost without exception the jurors
are well-to-do business men. Among
them we're Jesse I. Straus, son Of lisa.
dore Straus, who perished on the
Titanic, and nephew of Oscar s,
Straus, progressive candidate for gov.
ernor Of New York.