Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-16
New Yorker, Accusing Po-
lice, Fails to Reach
Grand Jury.
IS KILLED AT A HOTEL
Herman RoSenthaI, Proprietor
of Big Resort, Had Informed
Officials of System.

New York, July lG-Herman Rosen-
thai. proprietor of gambling house
here, whose sensational charges that
the police were guilty OF grating and (
oppression. were to be investigated to- /
day by a grand jury, was shot and kill .
ed in front Of the Hotel Metropole ear /
ly this morning by FIVE men who es-
capped in a large gray touring car.
SOON TO SEE PROSECUTOR.
Rosenthal was murdered only few
hours before he was to appear al the
home OF District Attorney Whitman
and give further statements TO sub
stantiate the police grating charges.
Three hours after the shooting de-
tectiyes captured a man describing
himself as Louis Libby.
IDENTIFIED BY WITNESSES.
Deputy Police Commissioner Dough
erty asserted eye-witnesses of the
murder identified Libby as one Of the
quintet who drove up TO the hotel and
called the gambler from the dining
room 70 the sidewalk, where he was
shot down by a fusillade OF bullets.
Rosenthal was shot hve times in the
head.
The police also recovered an auto
mobile that they say was the one that
figured In the murder.
WIDOW BLAMES POLICE.
Mrs Sadie Rosenthal. widow OF the
gambler In a statement TO District At
tornoy Whitman. put the assassination
Of her husband squarely up TO the po-
lice She warned her husband If he
kept the appointment he would come
10 violent end. She said she had a
promonition a tragedy would follow
such a conference and she named a po-
lice official as one OF the men who was
10 be present.
PAYING FOR PROTECTION.
Rosenthal sprang suddenly into pub
lie notice last Friday when he hurled
a bomb into police circles by filing
Htiidayits charging the police were in
league with gamblers throughout New
York and that every gambling house
was being assessed a fixed sum for po-
lice protection.
OFFICER As PARTNER.
Rosenthal explained he had for some
time been proprietor Of a gambling es-
eablishment in West Forty-ffth street,
Which closed April -. after a raid by
Police Lieutenant Becker, head OF a
so-calicd strongarm squad This raid,
Rosenthal declared. followed a misun-
Outstanding between himself and
Becker. The latter. Rosenthal alleged
was his partner in the profits Of the
establishment.
WALDO DEMANDS INQUIRY.
When the Rosenthal charges we're
made Police Commissioner Waldo and
District Attorney Whitman were both
out OF town. They cut short their va
cations 10 start an inquiry going.
Commissioner Waldo yesterday wrote
90 the district attorney demanding an
investigation by that official rather
than by his own department
FOX CRIMINAL TRIAL
He said RosenthaIs accusation
was not so much charge
OF bad discipline as one OF
out and out crime, which. Il
worthy Of serious consideration AT all
would be worthy OF adjudication before
regularly constituted criminal tribu
nal Whitman then announced be
would begin an investigation today.
MEETING WITH BECKER
When Rosenthal left home he told
his wife he had an appointment tc
meet Police Lieutenant Becker at the
Hotel Meuopole.
HAD RECEIVED THREATS.
The police learned that Rosentha
talked with friends about the degre,
OF safety IN which he moved
i have have been threatened" Ros
snthal is quoted as saying. but
don't care hang for anybody In
going 70 stay right here, and get jus
tce. Common justice, that's all ask
and I'm going 10 get H."
IIBBN SEEN TO FIRE.
Deputy Police Commissioner Dough
erty said. The car used was bough
hy Libby last October. Il has beer
positively identified as the car in us,
ty the assassius. and Libby has beel
positively identified as the chaufeu
ana one 90 -.r men who frod az Re
senthal Tr s. was found IN -,
garage .u which was found the tax
used by MontGHi and the SIS, 900 tax