Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-01
.R0SENTHAL DREW
TEN DAYS OF LIFE
Gamblers Add Another CHAPTER
to Their Amazing Allegations
about Becker.
MURDER WAS SET FOR JULY 6
They Say Assassins Courage
Failed and That Lieutenant
Said "1'll Have to Do
It Myself.
MURDER WAS SIT FOR JULY 6

New York. July 3'-Police Lieutenant
Charles Hecker head Of the "stronr arm
squad" of gambling raiders. who is
| charged with instigating the murder of
Herman Rosenthal, was tonight further
Implicated In the plot to got rid of the
gambler when BALD Jack" Rose and
"Bridgie" Wehber added another chap
ter to their already amazing allegations
They told District Attorney Whitman
that Rosenthal was to have been killed
at the instigation of Becker 10 days be-
fore he actually met his fate and that
| the plot failed because the underworld
thugs selected to do the murder lost
their ncrve at the last moment
Ihe district attorney spent the greater
part of the afternoon with Rose ana
Nebhcr in their cells at the West Side
police station and under the promise of
leniency which the prosecutor has given
them they talked freely They gave lit
tie additional information regarding tho
N'4'oy0 fund which they alleged illegal
city every year, but their story of the
alleged anxiety of Lieutenant Becker be-
cause of Rosenthars threatened expos-
ures was amplified to the district attor-
ney and in the prosecutor opinion he
strengthened his evidence against Recker
ASSASSlNS LOST THEIR NERVE
The plot that failed" was to have
| tn Dii
| len restaurant on 51st street on sat
urday night. July g. when Rosenthal
ana his wrfe were dining there. ac-
coriing to the account told by Rose
to Mr. Whitman as spokesman for the
two gamblers. With Rosentaal and
his Wife at tee time was Jack Sulli-
van. the IA" boy. now under arrest
for alleged co,nplicity in the murler
| Rose himself ENGINEERED the lob and
brought to the restaurant "a fleet of
| thugs who We're to do the actual
shooting. according to Rose. Two of
tn" hired assassins were "Gyp the
Blood, ami Lefty" Louie. who are
wanted by the police as two Of the
men who actually shot Rosenthal 10
days later in front of the Hotel Met
ropole. Becker at that time was
murder plot to be consummatcd
Becker had talked with me every
day" Rose said. He kept saying to
me, Why don't you kill this fellow
off? Rosenthal would have been kill
ed off that night if the bunch hadn't
lost tneir nerve. They got the notion
| after they reached the restaurant that
| a detective was on to them. After
|
to 'Bridgie' Webhcr's place and there
| we met Becker. He denounced us
all up and down.
| -" You are all lot of cowards he said
I'N have to do 1T myself -
| Rosenthal II was recalled by the dis
trct attorney when he heard the story.
| had hut few days before this made his
first complaint against Bec~er charging
that the police lieutenant was "A partner
in his gambling house.
THINKS. BECKER WILL 'SQUEAI..'
has thus far refused to make any state
ment other than that he is innocent and
that his plight is the result of IA frame
up on the part of his enemies in the
gambling fraternity, Rose predicted to the
|
lieutenant would eventually break down
and tell all he knew.
The district attorney expressed con
hdence tonight that II Becker would talk
frankly, his evidence would open the door
to the larger phase of the Rosenthal case
namely, III. general extent of the police
graft system in Which Rose has declared
several high police officials are involved
|
real evidence against the men mentioned
by Rose as heads of the -four graft
bureaus" through which Rose alleged that
about $500, goo each was collected as vice
|protection money and distributed. The
district attorney Is not relying solely
upon Roses story. lie expects to call be-
fore the grand jury scores of witnesses
who may have knowledge Of graft rela
tions between the gamblers and the
lpolice,
"Rridgie" Webbcr told the dis riot attor-
new to his own payment to Becker for
police protection of his gambling house
was 500 "A month but that this rate was
a small one compared With the sums lev
led on larger establishments.
SAYS BECKER WAS PRESENT.
tan alone there were probably "A hundred
gambling houses paying tribute to th'
nolice and that the sum total of 2,4O0, OO
maid annually was conservative figure
Webber incidentally said to-day that
Becker was present when the money was
produced which went to the thugs hired
ia KIN Rosenthal shortly after the muir
der, he said. Becker met Rose and Web
her in front of the Murray Hin baths and
, said
"Now 'Brdgie,' You will have to give
these boys some money to get out OF
town. ri fix II up with you later" Web
her said that he then handed l,ooo in larg'
hills IN Rose who later transferred II u
Sam Schepps and on that afternoon
schenns gave it to 'Nyp the Blood" and
Lefty" Louie in front of the Times builc
ing.
In corroboration of this statement ol
Webber. the district attorney has the
names OF two wttnsasa1 1ana a Manap