The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-01
BECKER IS FURTHER
IMPLICATED IN THE
ROSENTHAL MURDER
Gambler Was to Have Been
Killed Ten Days
Previous
ROSE SAYS BECKER
WILL BREAK DOWN
Italian Breaks Down After Arraigp-
ment and May Make Statement.
Becker's Counsel Ridi-
cules Allegations

New York, July S1.-Poliee Lieuten-
ant Charles Becker, head of the strong
arm" squad of gambling raiders who
is charged with instigating the murder
of Herman Rosenthal was tonight fur
ther Implicated in the plot to get rid
of the gambler when Bald Jack" Rose
and "Brldgie" Webber added another
chapter to their already amazing alle
cations. They told District Attorney
Whitman that Rosenthal vas to have
been killed at the instigation of Becker
10 days before he actually met his fate
and that the plot failed because the
| underworld thugs selected to do the
murder lost their nerve at the last mo-
ment.
The district attorney spent the great
er part of the afternoon with Rose and
Webber in their cells at the Westside
police station. and under the promise
Of lenieney which the prosecutor has
given them they talked freely. They
gave little additional information re-
garding the s2,4o0,0O0 fund which they
alleged Illegal resorts paid for police
protection in the city every year. but
their story of the alleged anxiety of
Lieutenant Becker because of Gambler
Rosenthars threatened exposure was
amplified TO the district attorney and
in the prosecutors opinion ..e strength
ened his evidence against Becker.
THE plot that failed was TO have been
brought TO It's climax at the Garden
restaurant on gfty-frst street on Sat
urday night, July 6, when Rosenthal
and his wife were dining there, accord
/ ing to the account that Rose. spokes-
man for the two gamblers. gave the
district attorney. with Rosenthal and
his wife at the time was Jack sullivan.
the newsboy now under arrest for al
legged completely in the murder. Rose
himself engineered The job and
brought to the restaurant a fleet of
thugs who We're to do the actual
shooting, according TO Rose
Becker Was Waiting
Two of tle hired assassns wee
fjS spslH al Lefty Louie,
ffybo are w snted by tire pofles as tgo
of sns men sho actually Slot Hoseip-
! thai / 0 days later In front Of the Hotel
iMetropole Becker at that time was
down town. Rose said waiting for the
murder plot to be contaminated
| Becker had talked with me every
day. lie kept saying TO me, Why don's
| you kill this fellow on?' Rosenthal
would have been killed off that night
II the bunch hadn't lost their nerve
| They got the notion after they reached
the restaurant that detective was
onto them After giving up the as
sassination we went to Bridge Web
| ber's place and there we met Becker.
| lie denounced us all up and down.
/ ou n "a a nf cot IVA r1c la
said III have to do 1t myself"
Rosenthal 1t was recalled by tho
district attorney when he heard tho
story had but few days before this
made his first complaint against Beck
err. charging that the police lieutenant
was partner in his gambling house.
Although Becker, still In the Tombs.
has thus far refused to make any state
ment other than that he Is innocent
and that his plight Is the result of n
"frame-up" on the part of his enemies
In the gambling fraternity Rose pre-
dicted to the district attorney today
that the police lieutenant eventually
would break down.
The district attorney expressed con-
fidence tonight that If Becker would
talk frankly his evidence would open
the door TO the larger phase OF the
Rosenthal case, namely. the general eN-
tent OF the police graft system In which
officials are involved
Little Real Evidence
SO far Mr. Whitman has obtained lit
tie real evidence against the men mem
toned by Rose as heads of the -four
graft bureaus" through which Rose al
| legged that about 100000 each was col
lected as vice protection money and
distributed. The district attorney is
not relying solely upon Roses story.
| lie expects to call before the grand
| Jury scores of witnesses who may have
knowledge of graft relations between
the gamblers and the police.
| Bridgie Webber told the district at
torney today that his own payment to
Becker for police protection of his
gambling house was 5000 month, but
that this rate was a small one COM
! pared with the sums levied on larger
establishments.
He and Rose both said that I'm Man
haitian alone there were probably 100
gambling houses paying tribute TO the
police and that the total of s2,40o,000
pa id annually was a conservative fig
ure Webber incidentally said today
that Becker was present when the
money was produced which went TO
thugs hired 10 kill Rosenthal. Soon
after the murder he said Becker met
Rose and Webber in front of the Muir
raw Hin baths and said: Nov, Bridgie.
you will have 70 give these boys some
money TO get out OF town. I'll fx IL
up with you later
Webber said that he then handed
$1,000 In large bills 10 Rose, who later
transferred II 10 Sam Schepps and on
that afternoon Schepps gave II 10 "Gyp
the Blood" and Lefty" Louie In front
OF the Times building.
In corroboration OF this assertion or
Webber's the district attorney has the
names of two witnesses. one woman.
who he said. would testify that they
saw Weber and Rose talking to
Becker in front of the Murray Hill
baths shortly after the murder.
Italian Breaks Down
After his arraignment again late today
before Coroner Falnberg. "Dago Frank
CiroHci charged with being one of the
actual slayers of Rosenthal was led
weeping back TO his cell In the Tombs.
Cirodci's collapse led to reports that ho
was about 10 make a statement telling
all he knew OF the killing. but no Off,
.iol conformation Of this could be oh
tanned Assistant District Attorney Moss
--eeraH Cor the state before ths
coroner. and Deputy Police Commissioner
ilohgnerIy were in conference regarding
"Dago Franks" case after the hearing
and appeared pleased with developments.