The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-07-31
Sworn Statement in Hands Of
District Attorney Whitman
for Probe
BECKER MAY GET LENIENCY
viii Be Given Opportunity to Tell
All That He Knows
About System

New York, July 3o,--Sworn
statements tending to show that the
annual graft collected by high police
officials in New York City from
gambling houses and other Illegal re-
sorts has amounted within the last
year to 50, 500, 900 are In the hands
of District Attorney Whitman, to-
night. The statements were made TO
the District Attorney by Bald Jack
Roce, self-contessed graft collector
for Police Lieut. Becke", who tonight
began his second day of incartion in
the Tombs prison as alledged instr
gator of the murder OF Herman
Rosenthal. the gambler,
This annual yield of $2,500,00o
protection money was equally divid-
ed, according to Rose, among fouE
high officials Of the police depart
ment, one of them being Becker,
and from other evidence the district
attorney has collected, he has reason
to suspect that to each 100000
was further distributed. In other
words there were four separate sys-
TENS OF 5ufeaus On graft collection,
each headed by high police Oft
cial
1t became known, late tonight,
that if Lieut.. Becker will tell all he
knows, not only in respect to his
own alleged completely on the mTr-
der, but will unfold the inner work.
ings Of the graft system, insofar as
it will involve "men high up no eff!
ort will be made to enforce the eX-
treme penalty for the crime to which
he now stands accused, but he will
be granted leniency on that cop,
dition only.
The alleged fact of the graf.
fund was told to him by Becker
Rose said, in sworn statement, to.
day. Becker, he said, told him he
had handled 100000 year anG
that equal amounts were handled bJ
three other officials This, n
said, came in collections from gam
bling houses, pool rooms, houses O.
i'll repute and the like He said h,
collected gambling graft for Becke
for months. and promised the dis
trict attorney that he would obtaiI
for him the rates paid by gambling
houses, and make tabulation 0
what these receipts amounted L
monthly and yearly. That thcr
were other collectors besides Rose i
the assumption of the district alto.
ney who hopes to identify them. =
Part of the business between tn
gambler and the police, the distric
attorney was told, was boldly don
through checks, although his effort
to secure evidence in this form hav
proved fruitless.
Bridgie Weber the gamblin
house keeper who also has confesse
and whose story largely resulted i
the arrest Of Becker, promised Whit
man, 1t was said, 20 corroborat
Roses statement in regard to tn
collection. incidentally Webber &
day admitted to Whitman that s.
600 was the sum which he receive
to pay the man who actually fire
the shots which killed Rosenthal.
In regard to the murder, itsel
stated Mr., Whitman that the reaso
why 1t was done so openly and thu
no effort was made to cover the mn
ber of tho big motor car, as it droy
up to the Hotel Metropole, to "ge.
Rosenthal was that Becker was "r
lied upon for protection"
In addition to the men higher u
Whitman is investigating the recol
of two members of the 'strong-ar
squad" who helped Becker in some
his so-called fake gambling raid
They will be asked to appear "voul
tarily" before the grand Jury, al
II they refuse Commissioner Walk
will be requested to suspend thel
Although Whitman realizes he
dealing with the testimony Of gam
lers in constructing his case he b
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(Cnnclnded On Para Cir