The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-31

IIlS UnuEuCE OL IdI1lDtSr 6OSSnlhdAS was under constant espionage in his cell, today. Warden Hanley, of the Tombs, who is responsible for the &C., cused policeman, posted guard where he could observe his every movement. In addition, all who visited him, his lawyer and even his wife, were searched before they were permitted to approach the central fig ure in New York's worst scandal.
 Hanley said that, while he person ally did not take any stock in rumors that Becker might commit suicide, he did not intend taking any un- necessary chances"
 Becker laughed at the precautions, reiterated his protestations of inno- cence and declared he would be able to prove that the case against him was gamblers frame up" when his trial was reached.
 District Attorney Whitman indi- cated by his manner, today, that. he realized he would have a hard time convicting Becker on the evidence now at hand. The testimony of Rose, Val1on and Webber is admittedly worthless unless corroborated from
 an independent source. Whitman
 hopes that, through Mrs. Rosenthai
 and others he can show motive and
 
 would make the extraordinary story
 of the murder plausible.
 When Whitman was asked about the statements originating in his of-
 fee, that he will grant immunity to
 Becker if he will squeal on his as-
 sociates in the department he showed
 that he, had doubts of the strength
 of his case.
 If it can be proved that Becker
 instigated the murder of Rosenthal, said Whitman, T could not allow him
 to turn states evidence just to turn
 up police graft. That a police official could inStigate the murder of a c1tf-
 zen is too great crime not to have
 the full punishment meted out. But
 you must remember that we presume
 Becker to be innocent until he is
 proven guilty"
 Whitman made it very plain, to- day, that he did not believe the three confessors had told all or nearly all that they knew. He also said that William Shapiro; who drove the mur der car had been too close-m outh ed
 for seeking clemency. Whitman be- lieves that, while driving Rose and his gangsters all about town the night of the murder. Shapiro heard the en- tire thing discussed down to the min utest details and he will have to tell all he knows before Whitman will let up on him. The district attorney went to the west side police station, today, to put Rose, Vallon and Web Der through another grilling in the hope of getting more information out of them.
 Police Iaieatenarts O,Reillv and Costigan., squad commanders had
 been scheduled to go before the grand jury, today, but Whitman said they would not be called. He declined to give any reason:
 7of txyI1 lr'' nr aids the authorities in any way in un- covering the trail of graft between the police department, the political world and the underworld, will be marked for death was the firm be- lief of many interested in New York S
 great scandal today.
 This belief was emphasized by the open declaration that James Verrella, proprietor of the Dante Cafe, West 18th street, was killed in a fight iD his place, yesterday. was murdered
 because he betrayed 'Dago Frank" Cirofici to the police. Cirofici is al- legged to have been one of the actual murderers of Herman Rosenthal. He
 used the Dante Cafe, a notorious re- sort, as a hangout previous tQ the crime.
 The police set the murder of the proprietor down at first as an attempt
 to rob the cash register and arrested l. They were told by friends of Verrella that there was no attempt at robbery but that, in shooting down the cafe owner, the four men who fired the shots cursed him as ''squealer" and declared all who squealed in the fu- | ture would meet the same fate. The men under arrest deny this and say they went into the place simply to get drink, that they made no dis turbance, that Verrella attacked thedn with q revolver and that a man who | escaped took the pistol from him and shot him.
 This denial is not taken seriously and many at work on the case be- | lieve that there will be numerous kill ings before the present scandal is completely uncovered. Rose, Webber and VallOn, are so apprehensive that they will be murdered that a special guard has been assigned to watch
 them in their cells although the dis;
 trict attorney professes to believe 1 their fears are groundless But he is taking no chances.
 The amount of the annual graft collected for permitting gambling in New York, which was fixed fi2st at $60O,OOO and then raised to $2,4OO,- 900 a year, by Jack Rose, is laughed
 at, today, by those who have care fully followed the case. If graft was accepted at all men who ought to know say, the amount was far great CT than this and they intimate that these figures were put forth from the district attorneys office chiefly for the effect they might have in getting certain gamblers and men affiliated with them to tell all they know about the alliance between the underworld
 and the police.
 The report was generally circulated, today, that if Police Lieutenant Beck CT, under arrest for murder in the first degree, will make complete
 confession of all he knows about
 gambling in New York, and give the names of the men who accepted the
 money so that they may be reached,
 he can have immunity. Whitman, it was rumored. would be willing to re-
 lease Becker if he could get the "men higher up, and the names of the statesmen referred to by Rose who
 was alleged to have taken care of''
 legislation aimed at gambling, The grand jury, today resumed it's consideration of the scandal. It was
 stated that it would follow the lines
 suggested by the Rose confession in
 order to trace the progress of the
 gambling slush fund.
 Meanwhile, Becker, through his at- torney, is preparing his defense. Att
 torney Hart declares that he will show when the police lieutenant ls
 put on trial that he is being jobbed
 by the confessors. It is understood that Hart will call a dozen witnesses who will swear that they heard Rose, Webber and Vallon discussing what
 they would tell Whitman They will