The Calumet news., 1912-07-16
Herman Rosenthal Who Made
Charges Of Graft Against
Police Shot Down
IS KILLED BY FIVE MEN
Victim Was to Have Given Evil
dence to Prosecutor Today
SAID POLICE COLLECTED TAX

New York. July l6.--Herman Rosen
thai proprietor of gambling house
here whose sensational charges thai
the police were guilty of grating ana
oppression were 10 be investigated to-
day by the grand jury. was shot and
killed In front OF the Hctei Metropole
early this morning by rive men, who
escaped in l. large gray touring car.
AT least two witnesses agree one or
more OF the men in the au-
iomcbile were policemen. Rosen
thai was murdered only "A few
hours before he was TO appear at the
home of District Attorney Whitman
and give further statements To sub
stantiate the police grating charges.
Three hours after the shooting de
tectives captured a man describing
himself as Louis Libby. Deputy Police
Commissioner Dougherty asserted eye
Witnesses Of the murder identified Lib
by as one of the euntette who drove
up TO the hotel and called the gam
bier from the dining room To the side
walk where he WAS shot down by fu-
sillade Of bullets.
Widow BIames the Police.
Rosenthal was shot five times I'M the
mead The police also recovered the
automobile that they say was the one
that figured in the murder Mrs. Sadie
RosentLal. widow of The gambler, In a
statement to District Attorney Whit
man, rut the assassination Of her hus
band squarCly mp To the police. She
had warned her husband II he kept the
appointment he would come to "A Vio
lent end She said she had a Fremont
ton tragedy would follow such a
conference and che named a police of
ncial as one Of the men who was To be
present.
Gained Sudden Prominence.
Rcsenthal sprang suddenly into pub
he notice last Friday when he hurled
"a bomb into police circles by filing at
hdavit the police We're IN league vita
gamblers throughout New York. and
that every gambling house was being
assessed mixed sum for police pro-
lection. Roscnthal explained he had
been for some time proprietor Of a
gambling establishment at West 45th
street. which was closed April Is after
a raid by Police Lieutenant Becker.
head of the so-caled strong arm
squad This raid, Rosenttal declared,
followed misunderstanding between
himesf and Becker. The latter, Ro-
senthal alleged, was his partner IN the
profits of the establishment.
Inquiry is Started.
When the Rosenthal charges were
made Police Commissioner Waldo ami
District Attorney Wlitman were both
cut of town. They cat short their va
cations tc start an inquiry. Commits
sioner Waldo yesterday went To the
district attorney S.demanding an inves-
tgati0n by that official rather than by
his own department. He said Rosen-
thafs accusation was not SO much II
charge OF had discipline as one of out
and out crime, which. II worthy of se-
fious consideration at ali, would be
worthy of adjudication before rega-
latlv constituted criminal tribunal.
Whitman then announced he would
begin an investigation today When
Rosenthal left home he told his wife
he had an appointment 90 meet Police
Lieutenant Eecker at the Hotel Met
ropole
Had Been Threatened.
The police learned Rosenthal talked
with friends about the degree of safety
In which he moved
Il nave been threatened" Rosenthal
is quoted az saying, but | don't care
hang for anybody. In, going To stay
light here and get Justice. Common
Justice, that's all | ASK and I'm going
TO get H."
District Attorney Whitman said Ro.
senthal told him yesterday he feared
death at the hands of the police
The police have killed better men
than me when IL became necessary To-
suppress evidence" the gambler saic,
according TO Whitman. Ii was because
of TINS fear. Whitman explained. he
'old Rosenthal TO come to his apart
Anent this morning instead of going 10
'ne criminal court building.
Lieutenant Becker said:
ought To be needless for me e.
say that | know absolutely nothing
about the crime. who perpcrated u, ami
"het was the motive. | bore the man
u" malice. He set himself up az my
snemy. explained every move made
:" regard tc this man to the satisfac-
uon of my superior.
Charge Libby With MURDER.
Depuly Police Commissioner Dough
F said the car used by the mu:
serefs was bought by Libby last octo.
~ ~ has been positively identifed