The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-09
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.,
Turns Over Evidence
to Attorney
WILLING TOPAZ
FOR INVESTIGATION
Reported That Becker's Attorney Has
Discussed Question of Leniency
for His Cient--Expect to
Open Doors of System"

New York. August SIT became known
today that john ID. Rockefeller Jr has
been instrumental in obtaining evidence
of police graft which he has turned over
TO District Attorney Whitman for use in
connection with the investigation of al
legged corruption among high police Of
ficials growing out of the murder of Her
man Rosenthal
While Starr ]. Murphy Mr.. Rockefel-
ler's attorney, denied today the published
report that Rockefeller had been conduct
ing a dlsorderly house to obtain evidence
of blackmail against the police, he let it
be known that Mr.. Rockefeller, who was
about a year ago foreman of the grand
jury that investigated the white slave
traffic, had placed in the hands of district
attorney information bearing on the
police situation"
Mr. Rockefeller having become inter-
ested In white slave matters while fore
man of the special grand jury has since
been securing statistics with regard to
the social evil reads MIR. Murphy's state
raent. Whatever information was Sc
cured bearing on the police situation has
been placed at the disposal of the district
attorney. The statement that Mr.. Rookie
| feller or his representatives have been
conducting a dIsorderly house is entirely
without foundation"
| This information, Il was learned to-
night will be presented to the grand jury
In conjunction with the rapidly increas-
ing mass of similar evidence which the
district attorney and his assistants have
unearthed since Bald" Jack Rose made
his first charges involving high police
officials In gambling graft.
Along with the publication of the re-
port that Mr.. Rockefeller had been con-
ducting a disorderly house for the pur-
pose of trapping the police, II was report
ed today that a detective agency had
been operating a gambling house for the
same purpose If this is SO, it is thus
far news to Mr.. Whitman, who has re-
ceived no reports ON the result that may
have been obtained AS far as Mr. Rock
efeller is concerned, it was learned to-
might that the young millionaire Is pre-
pared 10 furnish Dll TIE funds necessar ~
10 enable the district attorney to CON
duct sweeping Investigation designed
to wipe out the alleged corrupt alliance
between the police and disorderly ele-
ments of the city.
"fhe Rockefeller evidence was given
to me by Starr j. Murphy. Mr.. Rookie
fellers personal representative" said Dis
trict Attorney Whitman tonight
II was told by him that Mr.. Rockefeller
Is interested In the developments of the
Rosenthal case and wants me to use II
possible the evidence he has obtained in
bis private investigation
| II understand In a general way that a
pretended dsorderly house had been con-
cerned and that 1t was conducted with
out Mr.. Rockefeller's contributings. +
was told that Detective Rose of Chicago
and other agents OF Mr.. Rockefeller had
supplemented the Information obtained in
this manner by quiet work among real
resorts
Mr.. whitman added that information
has come to him that police inspector
had received 5000 month from a dis
orderly house. This house. II Is under
stood, was one OF those investigated by
Mr. Rockefeler's representatives. Mr.
Whitman said also that one of his as
sistants, James Reynolds. had been work.
ing with the Rockefeller agents for the
past few months
Possibility that the sealed doors of the
| so-called system" might be opened wide,
was strongly suggested tonight when It
became known that counsel for Lieuten-
ant Becker had visited the district attor-
| ney today and discussed with him the
| question of leniency for his client
Not long after Becker was arrested the
| district attorney made 1t known that the
| police leutenants only chance to escape
| conviction of murder In the first de-
gree depends upon his Willingness to tell
all he knew about gambling graft. 1t was
| reported the lawyer today made some ten
tative suggestions of great interest.
Gave 16 Witnesses
The district attorney gave the grand
| jury today 16 witnesses. one of them be-
! ing Lieutenant Dominick Reilly, one OF
| the strong arm squad" raiders. who, =
was learned, testified that New York city
| had been wide open" for year and q
half. He was asked IL he believed the po-
/ lice could close up the disorderly resorts
| and said the best evidence of this was
that there was not a gambling house in
| operation now. Reilly, II was reported
| criticised severely the methods OF the
police in getting evidence which was Of
such a nature, he declared. that the courts
| could not convict.
Three other witnesses were Margarete
Rose. Mary Storr and Anna Glatner. em-
ployes In the household Of Jack" Rose
| who, ii Is understood testified that Beck
er had called at Roses house practically
every day for six months previously to
| the murder. They were unable to cor
roborate Roses statement that they had
| seen him pay Becker cash which he said
gambling houses.
Another witness was Giovanni Stan
ich, who saw the murder, and who Ia
regarded by the prosecution as one Of
the most important of all the witnesses
! thus far subpoenaed. 1t was said that
| his testimony was OF such a nature as
| to assure the district attorney that he
has a strong case against the four men
charged with being the actual murder
ers. "Gyp the Blood" and his crew.
Mrs. Rosenthal on Stand
| Mrs Rosenthal made her second ap-
| pearance before the grand Jury today,
and II is understood added much to
her story OF the alleged graft relations
between her husband and Becker
/ Jack Sullivan, the newsboy. charged
! with completely in the murder was
/ today taken from the Tombs to the
Wesfside prison and placed In cell
adjoining that OF Rose "Bridgie'' Web
Der and Harry yallon. The explana-
ton given for the change was sullivan
has been under the Influence of Beck
| err 1t was hoped that under the in
| fuence of Rose and Webber, Sullivan
!, might become more laxative IL Is
expected the grand jury will hand down
| indictments in the murder case when 1t
meets next Tuesday. although the dis
trict attorney VIII seek the indictments
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