The Sentinel=record., 1912-08-15
CAPT. GEORGE HoWELL's LONG VIGIL WITH THE MUCH WANT
 ED NEW YORKER ENDS.
WHlTMAN'S MEN HAVE HIM
VIII Likely Return to New York by an Early Train Today--Actinq Mayor Petit SlIences criti-
 cism of Local Force.

After constant vigil lasting from early Saturday morning and being for the most part in steady confinement until midnight last night, Captain George w. Howell formally turned Sam Schepps. wanted in New York as a witness in the Rosenthal murder case. over to Assistant District At torney Rubin, and Detectives Thomas and Stewart of Mir. Whitman's forces.
 Schepps had pgomised trouble ear. Her on the arrival of the assistant district attorney and Mir Stewart, but that was through @ misunderstanding, and by the time the situation was bet ter understood there was perfect unity and harmony existing between all the officers and Sdhepps. and 1t is not believed there will be any fur. ther delays or trouble over the re moyal of the prisoner to New York.
 Schepps has contended all the while that he was willing to go to MT Whitman, but that he did not want 10 take chances of being delivered or falling into other hands, and there mas been the hltcn,
 None of the officers have any pa pers for Schepps. in fact he Is return ing to New York a voluntary state $ witness, and while he is under con stant guard is construed as for the safety of Schepps, which leaves him in clean standing as witness should he decises to' go on the stand and tell what he knows for the district attor. ney.
 Schepps contends that the stories as to what he knows have been ex- aggerated, but there is no disputine the importance of his evidence when the district attorney has used such powerful influences to get him back to New York, net so much for any part he might have played in the tragedy that was enacted in the glare of Broadway, but for the light he might throw on general operations in New York which are under the scru- tiny of the public censurc and which District Attorney Whitman is at tempting to remove.
 Thomas is said to be the Strong Arm man of the Whitman forces, the
 
 dependent upon but few, and who de. pends on but few, and Thomas is said to be one of his most dependable men.
 That Thomas and Schepps under stand each other very we'll is eyi- denced through the fact thas they took quarters together last night without any of the furry that marked the arrival of the other officers, and a cordiality exists between them which makes the situation easier for all
 When George Howell turned the prisoner over last night, he bespoke for him kind treatment en route, and informed the New York officers that for the tension of the situation, and the surroundings, Schepps had made a most model prisoner for him, and while he had been strict in the mat ter of not permitting Schepps to start anything that was against their un- derstanding, yet he had been able to be lenient with him at times without taking chances of any escape.
 As was to have been expected, con siderable comment has been heard relative to the manner in which Sam Schepps has been treated since his arrest in this city. The police de partment has come in for a great deal of unjust criticism, simply because the public, generally speaking. were not cognizant with the true facts in the case.
 The truth of the matter is that Schepps has never been q city pris oner. He was arrested by Postmaster Johnson, as everyone knows. and was held by two members of the city DO lice force, Captain George Howell and his brother-in-law, Officer Mosh CT, and this detention came at the re quest of Postmaster Johnson ant Schepps himself.
 The city only interested itself il seeing that Sdhepps did not escape and that he was delivered safely t' representative from District Attor ney Whitman. who arrived yesterday
 Acting Mayor Tom Petit, resentini the criticism that has been heard rela tive to the detention of Schepps, las night issued the following statement To the Public
 Owing to remarks made relative U sam Sehapps' arrest, and the censur cast upon the city officials. l wish t state that Sdhepps never was held a a city prisoner here. He was arres' cd by Postmaster Johnson, fedora officer and placed under the care c Captain George Howell and Office