New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-05
WARNS BECKER COUNSEL
Whitman Says Gambler Wit
neSSeS Won't Be Indicted.
ALDERMEN GO ON TO-DAY
Waldo and Flynn May Be
Called, but Inquiry Wont EN-
barrass District Attorney.

District Attorney whitman Sdlu gSSN0i
day that any attempt by counsel for Lieu
tenant Charles Becker, whose trlal lot
the murder Of Herman Rosenthal VIII
begin Monday before Justice Con III the
extraordinary term of the Supreme court
10 insist upon the indictment OF baiu
Jack" Rose. Bridge" Weber. Harry
WALTON and sam" Schepps before they
were permitted to give their testimony
for the prosecution would be futile. Jonn
Y. Mcintyre Becker's counsel, contehdeu
that the District Attorney had no legai
right TO grant immunity 10 the gambler
witnesses and that as a matter OF la"
he would demand their formal indictment
before they were permitted to TESTIFY
Mr.. Whitman said the four witnesses
in question had received immunity lot
the services they had rendered the REQ
pie in the usual proper manner ana tha'
no move on the part of the delehce
10 hold up their testimony would nave
any standing In court Though he con-
sldered he had the right under the Ia"
10 grant immunity in the interest ol
Justice, he said. the clemency eNtehueu
10 Rose. Weber, WALTON and Schepps hau
been indorsed by Judge Mulqueen' OIL
General Sessions. which made 1t all the
more binding.
"Sam" Schepps Won't Weaken
The report yesterday that sam
schepps might weaken as witness lot
tho people because of the many 'hrea's
he had received recently from underworld
sources brought his counsel, Bernard H.
Sander to the District Attorney ONCE
Mr. Sander talked with Schepps IN uIe
West Side court prison and fastened 10
assure Mr.. Whitman that his client hau
showed TO signs of cold feet and Wouiu
tell his story at Becker's trial without
break.
Three hundred talesmen. all told have
been subpunaed to appear before JuS'i0e
Golf I'm the extraordinary term OF tue
supreme Court Monday morning. Flfty
of this number are subp9naed as grand
Jury talesmen, from whom the special
grand Jury to sit in conjunction with the
"John Doe" inquiry into the graft situa-
tion before Justice Golf will he selected.
The other two hundred and fifty are on
the special panel summoned to afford ma
terial for the jury which will decide the
guilt or innocence of Lieutenant Becker.
first and as District Attorney Whitman
intends to examine each talesman Tor the
grand jury-a privilege which is not
taken advantage of by the District At
\ torney except in unusual cases-the get
u ting of the Becker jury probably Will nor
begin until late Monday or possibly until
Tuesdays session of court.
The Becker trial is to be held in the
same courtroom where Harry Is. ThaW
was twice tried for the Staying Of Stan
ford White, and where other notable
murder cases have been tried. No one but
talesmen and reporters Will be admitted
to the courtroom until the Becker jury is
completed, It was said. and then the room
TO accommodate members OF the general
public who swarm to attend every big
trial out of a spirit OF morbid curiosity
will be strictly limited. More than fifty
seats have been assigned to representa-
tives of the various newspapers who will
cover" the trial.
Aldermen to Begin Session To-day.
The aIdermanic committee which is in
vestigating the administrative policy of
the Police Department will hold a session
to-day IN the -AIutl H!oiiIS '-hai'i'N' O. -
city Hall at 1030 a. m. In order to avoid
the bringing out of testimony which
might embarrass the defence or the pros
ecution in the Becker case, Mr.. Buckner,
counsel for the committee, will not at
tempt to go into the handling of gam
bling by the police at this time. Commits
sioner Waldo will be the first witness
called. il is understood, and the organlza-
ton and administration of the detective
bureau at Police Headquarters viii be the
subject of inquiry
William j. Flynn, the Secret service
man. who was a Deputy Police Commits
sioner under Commissioner Cropsey and
had charge Of the detective bureau Tor
several months, has been busily engaged
the last few days in preparing data upon
which the committee can base its investl-
CATION along these lines. Inspector Ed
ward Hughes. who has been at the head
a. the detective bureau under Commits
sioner Waldo, is expected to be witness
before the committee while 1t is on the
subject OF the detective bureau Mr..
FLYNN himself may be called upon 10
testify. though he has been retained as a
special investigator for the committee.