The Penn's Grove record., 1912-08-02
BECKER HELD ON
MURDER CHARGE
Police Lieutenant Indicted for
Completely in Rosenthal Case.
BALD JACK ROSE CONF ESSEs
Grand Jury In Night Session Acts
PromptIy-Murder Planned Long
A~go-Becker Kept Telling
Rose He Was Safe,

New York.-Lieut. Charles A. Beck.
er, the one-time head of Police Com
missioner Waldo's Strong Arm Squad,
whose name has been mentioned in
connection with the case ever since
Herman Rosenthal, the gambler who
had threatened to "squeal," was mur.
dered in front of the Hotel Metropole
on last July 16 was arrested, immedi-
ately indicted for murder in the first
degree at a night session of the Grand
Jury, and locked in the Tombs, there
to await a further hearing. Becker
pleaded not guilty to the indictment,
with the privilege of changing his
plea.
The arrest of Becker followed a con-
fession to District Attorney Whitman
by Billiard Ball Jack" Rose, who
practically told the whole story of the
plot to kill Rosenthal, it's inception, its
cause and Lieut.. Becker's part in it
a part which, according to Rose, made
Becker the principal figure in the
crime, the man who had demanded Ro-
senthal's death, and had insisted on it
by threats, the man who had promised
immunity to the men who actually
committed the deed, and the man
who, after the murder, had tried hard
to prevent any of his hirelings from
confessing by renewing his assurances
that his was a power great enough to
save not only himself, but every man
connected with the crime.
The confession of Rose, which was
substantiated By corroborative confes.
sions of "Bridgey" Weber and Harry
WALTON, showed besides revealing Beck,
er as the instigator of and the prime
mover in the murder, that the revela.
tions disclosed by the newspapers
since the case started were correct.
He gave the names of the men who
actually did the shooting, and they
were those which have been mention
ed for the last several days, the names
of Lefty Louie" Whitley" Lewis.
Harry Horowitz, known as "Gyp- the
Blood" and "Dago Frank" the only
one of the four yet arrested.
The Grand Jury acted speedily.
With their confessions warm on their
lips, Rose, Weber and Vallon went be-
fore the Grand Jury, put their hands
on the Bible and swore they had told
the whole truth. Within an hour the
former commander of the strong arm
squad was in a cell in the Tombs.
But the men who placed him there
did not dare to leave the District At.
torney's office. Shaking from fear,
they. begged the District Attorney to
keep them for the night in his Office.
And there they stayed under guard Of
four of Mr.. Whitman's detectives.
Roses confession, the most vital Of
the three, details how Becker six
weeks ago told him that Herman Ros-
enthal had lived too long, that Rosen-
thai had to be put out Of the way, and
that the men who did the job had
nothing to fear because he, Becker,
was a power in the Police Department.
So Rose went out and spread the word
that the strong arm commander said
that Rosenthal must be killed.
He dropped hints here and there.
He did more. He sent for Big Jack
Zelig and held a conference with that
gang leader of the East Side. Through
Zelig, ranging downward through the
strata of thugs and hired ~assassins the
arrangements were completed.
The four men who pistolled Rosen,
thai by this arrangement were Whitley
Lewis, Lefty Louis, Dago Frank and
Gyp the Blood. Rose admits that he
rounded them up that night and saw
that they we're poised for the crime.
1t was for this purpose that the gray
car of Libby and Shapiro was used.
The general manager of the killing,
Rose, called Becker up by phone a
few minutes after Rosenthal was
dead on the sidewalk in front of the
Metropole. He told Becker it was a
horrible thing. He said it was more
than he expected.
He was frightened clear to his heart,
and he was afraid to stir without a
word of confidence from his master.
And Becker said over the telephone,
while he was making preparations for
a hurried trip down to the Tenderloin:
ooh, don't worry. I'll protect you.
There won't be much fuss over
this"
Weber swear he was one of the
party that met in AID street after the
killing. He says he heard what Beck
er said to Rose at that time, when
Becker was promising protection and
immunity for the assassins.
EItrpEI E,c ruE MEG