The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-26
the BECKER Case.
TAKING OF TESTIMONY ENDS IN
DRAMATIC INCIDENT,
Under Judges Orders. District At
torney Reads Into Record Evidence
Supporting Conspiracy.

Becker in connection with the murder
OF Herman Rosenthal. closed abruptly
and dramatically this afternoon with
the district attorney. at the courts
command. reading into the record
flood Of testimony from Becker's star
witness. Jack sullivan. for whose ad-
mission Becker's lawyer had fought
long and hard. when Sullivan testi-
fed before.
Amid the vigorous protests of
Becker's counsel. who had objeoted
as vigorously when Sullivans testi-
mony was barred several days ago.
the king OF newsboys" unloosened
his tongue. He told his story bellig-
erently and exeitedly. In his own way.
just as he had asked permission to
tell II when he was on the stand be-
fore. His testimony was In direct
support OF the contention OF the de-
Tense that Rose. webber. vaiion and
schepps. inforiners and State wit
nesses. had eol,spired In Jail to send
Becker TO the electric chair by their
perjury.
John II. Mcintyre. Becker's chief
counsel. had declared his case rested
when Sullivan vas recalled. Mr.. Nc
Intyre refused to question him and
Justice Con. leaning down from the
bench. instructed the district attor-
ney to ask tina witness. "as part oil
the case OF tho defense" certain ques-
tions. which the court had excluded
during Suilivan's previous testimony.
These questions had to do with
conversations sullivan said he had in
the West Fifty-third street jail with
Rose and webl,er.
Rose told him that he and webber
and vsllon and schepps were going
to frame up webber." Sullivan declar-
ed. He asked me to corroborate his
testimony. They all ass<ed-kept at
me day and night. When one left off,
the other began. Rose got a letter
from the district attorney one day
and after he had read IL. he came to
me and said. Jack. the district at
torney writes rne that he wants to
know IL you are going to corroborate
u.s. He says IL you do. II will be all
risht; II you don't. youll be indicted
Weber said to me: "The only way
you can get out is for you to do as
Mr.. Whitman says and swear that you
saw Becker with Jack Rose and me
few hours after tho murder. II
you do that, you'il get out. like we
will. after the trial. II you don't
you1l be indicted and spend six
months In jail
"once webber said to me: Jack,
for Gods sake say you saw Becker.
as We will testify. IL you wan. money
Ill give you $1,000 now and when you
get out wen go into the hotel busi-
ness. All you have to do is lie
bit. IL you do it's all right. IL you
don't youll go to Jail
To these importunities Sullivan said
he replied that rs would spend six
years In jail II necessary rather than
swear a mans life away.
Louis Pitt. brother OF Becker's So
called press agent. was another wit
ness for the defense who was forced
TO the stand by Justice Con- after Mr..
Mcintyre had declared his case closed.
Mr.. Mcintyre refused to examine Pitt
and again the district attorney read
into tre record evidence against the
States case.
Jack Rose told me-" Pitt testi-
fed. that Becker did not have any
thing TO do with the murder. He said
III swear TO you on my mothers
grave that Becker did not have any
thing to do with this. He is innocent.
but I've been talking too much and
I've got to testify against him. "
There was but one witness called i'm
rebut,al and none In sur-rebuttal. The
case was closed for both sides at 3
o'clock and adjournment taken soon
thereafter. Tomorrow will be devoted
10 summing up. Justice Goff will
charge tho jury Thursday morning.
William Shapiro. driver and part
owner OF the gray murder car. which
carried the gunned to the MetropoIe
and then supplied their means OF es-
cape after shooting RosenthaI. was
the witness In rebuttal. lie added
nothing to publish versions OF his
story except his statement that 80 or
80 seconds elapsed after the shooting
before ne was able to start his car
with the gunmen inside in flight.
What ls said TO have been an Ilth