Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-10-19
CALL WHITMAN
IN BECKER CASE
Mcintyre Causes Stir Putting
Prosecutor on Stand.

New York, Oct. 19.-CounSel for Lieu
tenant Becker, accused of the murder
Of Herman Rosenthal, scored heavily.
1t was agreed that heavy inroads have
been made in what vas considered the
strong case built up by the state.
The loudest witness, though not the
most effective, who testified In Beck
er's interest was Jack Sullivan, one Of
the seven indicted for the murder. He
extinguished the voices of justice and
counsel with his shouts that there was
no Justice In the world and that he
and Becker had beer framed up by
dope fiends and liars. Yelling down
objections, haranguing Justice Golf and
Assistant District Attorney Moss,
shouting his loyalty to Becker and his
hatred of the informers, the padrone
Of newsboys filed the courtroom with
din and fury.
But the most telling witness In Beck
er's behalf was Frederick HI. Hawley,
q reporter for an evening newspaper,
who swore that he was with Lieuten-
ant Becker almost constantly from
$3.50 until $50 o'clock on h morning
of the murder and hat Becker did not
see or talk to Jack Rose and Bridge
Webber. This testimony was OF the
utmost value to the defense because
Rose had told the jury that Becker,
after leaving the West Forty-seyenth
street station, had come to him and
Weber at Sixth ayenu and Forty
second street about dawn, a told
them Of his delight In seeing that
~sauealer' lying on the floor Of the sta
tion house and had ordered Weber to
put up $1,000 to pay the gunner. Mr..
Hawley's testimony produced another
important point for the defense In that
he said be had called Becker on Beck
er's private phone a. about 2:2O a. IN.
and that the lieutenant had said over
the phone that he was sorry to hear
that Rosenthal was dead a he
had the goods on him and was pre-
pared to show him up.
Didn't Like Whitman's Stand.
Under cross examination, however,
Mr.. Hawley admitted that Becker
might have beer out Of his sight as
much as twenty minutes. He didn't
, think it could have been as much as
an hour. When Mr.. whitman pressed
him as to why he hadn't given bis
newspaper that morning the story he
was telling or the stand he said he
didn't think 1t was important. When
he was asked why he hadn't COM
municated his information to the dis
trict attorney at tho time he salo he
didn't like the district attorneys att
tude.
p The defense was elated also over the
testimony Of Bessie Feldman, a young
girl, who was very positive that Nor
ris Luban, one of the principal wit
nesses connecting Lieutenant Becker
with the murder, was at her stepfa-
theirs house u R<3cKtyn until about
Ito z. ii. on The morning OF July 10.
.dban, as a witness for the state. and
an exceedin Ily important one because
of his e that he had heard BECK
or. at Lafayette baths two weeks
before The murder threaten to kill
Fosenthal himself, had testified with
a girl he spen. the early part OF the
night at the Victoria theater and that
he went with the girl to the Metro
pole after having supped at a Seventh
avenue restaurant. The prosecution
made Miss Feldman admit that she
had discussed with her stepfather.
who had cause to dislike Luban, the
story she was to tell on the stand.
Whitman Called a. Witnes%.
A most unusual feature was the call
ing of District Attorney Whitman to
the stand to testify for the defense.
The purpose was to force confederation
for Hawley's story and to get In evil
deuce the stipulation by which Rose.
Weber, Vallon and schepps were
guaranteed immunity as a reward for
becoming states witnesses. Mr.. Whit
man SAID that he did not recall seeing
Hawley at the West Forty-seventh
street station and he did not see
Becker at the police station after 4
q. M. and that when he went to call
on Mrs. Rosenthal at 8 a. m. Becker
was nowhere around.
A great disappointment to the de-
Tense was their inability to get DO
fore the jury a story upon which they
had counted la~rgely-former District
Attorney Jerome's description Of q
meeting between Becker, Becker's law
yer, Hart. and himself at the Bar as
ISOLATION. The purpose of calling Mr..
Jerome was to show that Lieutenant
Becker had acted openly In sending his
lawyer to visit Rose and that Mr..
Hart himself was acting with the
knowledge of his former chief In the
district attorneys office. Mr.. Jerome
was allowed by the court to say that
he met Hart and Becker at the Bar as
ISOLATION at about 8 o'clock on the sec
ond night after the murder. but he
was not permitted to answer questions
as to what he heard Becker say over
the phone to Rose. About all that
Mr.. Mcintyre could get before the
jury was that Mr.. Jerome heard Beck
or mention the initials j. H." Harris
open seasame to the Pollock apart
ment,