New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-06

by several letters found in the pock-
cts, the man who had killed him was
questioned. He told the police his
name and other facts about himself,
but Kept reiterating, they say, that ne
had done the shooting out Of revenge
Davidson said he had met Zelig at q
ball on the East Side on Friday night
and the gang leader had shown grea'
friendliness toward him. Davidson
said he. too, grew confidential over the
drinking tables and let the fact be
known that he was well supplied with
money. He did not see Zelig again, he
said, until yesterday afternoon.
About 8 o'clock, Davidson said, ne
met Zelig again, and after having sew
eral drinks the two men started to
walk down Broome street. Suddenly
Zelig turned to Davidson and said:
Come here a minute" at the same
time pushing Davidson into a hallway.
Now pass over that wad of yours
were big Jacks" words, according to
Davidson, and when the latter remon-
strated the big gangman placed re-
volver to Davidson's stomach, and at
the same time brought blackjack
down on his head. BY the time David
son recovered his senses, he says, Zelis
had rifled his pockets of the $500 and
disappeared.
Davidson told how he had hunted for
Zelig all the rest Of the afternoon and
finally found him on the Second avenue
car
How closely the killing OF big jack
Zelig is associated with the killing OF
Herman Rosenthal can be CLEANED
from the fact that District Attorney
Whitman gave orders to Captain Fau-
rot, the fingerprint expert, not to oues-
ton Red Phil further until he him
self had had a chance to question tn:
slayer of Zelig. 1t will be remembered
that the District Attorney adopted the
same measures when the other men
now held in the Rosenthal case were
first placed under arrest.
Little Money Found on Zelis.
The story told by Davidson has many
weak links in its structure, II appeared
last night. So far as can be learned
he was never known as man VINO
carried large sums with him. Another
thing, only a small amount OF silver
coin was found on the dead gang leader
when his body was searched.
The prisoners brother in law, David
Alter. with whom Davidson and his
wife have been staying on the third
floor of tenement house at No IL 7th
street, went to Police Headquarters
with Mrs. Davidson soon after the
shooting.
My husband does carry money,
sometimes as much as $1,000" said
Mrs. Davidson, who is named Dora and
is about twenty-five years old. Il
don't know if he had any last night
when he went out. l think he said he
was going TO an East Side ball"
From the woman II was learned that
the Davidsons were married about two
years ago in New York. and Davidson
at one time had a fruit stand in
Brownsville. Much of their time has
been spent in Peekskill. she said.
I'VE came mere from Peekskili last
Thursday" she went on. and went 10
David's house. / don't know anything
about Pills being a gangster. He
never said anything about it TO me.
always thought he was honest and hard
working"
District Attorney Whitman broke up
her conversation with the reporters by
taking her into the Detective Bureau
until he could get time to talk to her.
Say Davidson Is Boston Man.
Gangmen had it that Davidson was
Boston character known as Red
Phil" and was known by the police
and had done work for them. One man
said what really happened was that
Davidson came from Boston, either
yesterday or the night before, and when
Zelig met him on the street, big Jack"
said.
Here, you crook, what are you doing
here? You're nothing but stool, any
way, and I've got my eye open for
you"
"A stool. am I?' Davidson is said to
have answered. How can you talk
about stools, when you're a stool for
Becker and his crowd"
While Captain Faurot was firing
questions at Davidson before the ar
rival Of Mr.. Whitman the man got
badly confused. He could not remem-
Der Just how he knew that Zelig was
in the neighborhood Of 14th street and
Second avenue. Nor could he explain
how 1t was that Big Jack" had re-
ceived a telephone message few min
utes before he went TO his DEATH while
in a restaurant at No. "a Second ave-
nue., asking him to go to 14th street
and Second avenue. Davidson sullenly
protested that he knew nothing about
this telephone message. although he
himself left 18th street and Second
avenue just in time to meet the car on
which zelig was riding.
When attempts were made by news
paper men to learn from the proprietor
of the restaurant what conversation
had taken place over the telephone,
nothing could be learned except that
Zelig had said: "All right. kid, I'll
hop on a Second avenue car and meet
you there in five minutes" He then
ran out and got ON an apprOaching