The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-10-19
SAYS BECKER is
THE VICTIM OF
"FRAME-UP"
king Of the Newsboys" Wit
ness for Lieutenant
MONiY is ABRIDGED
Jack" Sullivan Not Permitted to Tell
His Own Story of the Rosenthal
Murder

New York, Oct 19.-"Jack Sulli-
van, king of the newsboys,' indicted
with the four gunner for the murder
of Herman Rosenthal, tried to unfold
on the witness stand at yesterday
session Of Police Lieut. Becker's trial
his version of an alleged conspiracy
OF gamblers to kill Rosenthal and
frame up" Becker for the murder.
Through him the defense planned TO
go far in proving their contention
that Becker had nothing 10 do with
the murder, but was himself the VIC
tim Of a conspiracy.
But much of Sullivan's story was
untold. That part which Justice Con
permitted MIN to relate was based
upon testimony already given by The
states witnesses, Rose. Weber, Val
lon and Schepps. Sullivan not only
denied portions of their testimony
relating to Becker's participation in
the alleged conspiracy to murder
Rosenthal, but declared that after
the murder W ebber and Schepps told
him they were going to frame Bee
. ker and turn him over to the district
attorney"
These two men told Sullivan, ac-
cording to his testimony that they
would frame Becker, Waldo or the
mayor" if necessary to save their
own lives. They told him, he swore,
that the electric chair was staring
them in the face and that their only
chance to escape it lay in so doing.
Sullivan became as petulant as
child when Justice Goff narrowed his
testimony to contradictions of that OF
previous witnesses. Again and again
he begged the court to give me 10
minutes to explain this thing" Once
he asked for a chance, mot only for
my sake, but for Gods sake" Coun-
sci was wrangling or Directing to his
testimony nearly every moment of
the three hours he was on the stand.
Sullivan tired of this and, during
brief recess, asked permission to ''go
out for a smoke"
When John F. Mcintyre, chief of
Becker's counsel, turned him over TO
the state for cross-eXamination, Sui
Ivan became belligerent, raised his
voice to its highest pitch, objected to
questions on his own account and
pounded the desk beside him to emp
hasize his declarations. During one
of these spells of excitement he shout
ed that he was as Innocent of the
murder of Rosenthal as MIR. Whit
mans baby" Sullivan placed his
short, heavy figure in the witness
stand soon after o'clock, swept back
the hair from his forehead and lean
ed forward for the FIRST question. He
rambled away from the subject so Of
ten that a uniformed court attendant
was placed beside him and shook him
vigorously whenever he went too far
astray.
did you ever collect money from
disorderly houses?" asked Mr.. Moss
on cross-eXamination.
"You might as well ask me-" Sulli-
van retorted, 'if | ever collected
money from Standard oil or Arch
bold" After Sullivan had adm tilted
that he associated with call classes,
from millionaires down." he was ex-
cused
District Attorney Whitman, Beck
er's prosecutor. was virtually forced
on the stand as a witness for the de-
Tense Immediately before Sullivan
had testified. Mr.. Whitman said he
had made stipulations with Rose,
Weber, WALTON and Schepps, the
states chief witnesses against Beck
er, before they agreed to turn states
evidence. The meat of these stipu-
lations was not disclosed, but Mr..
Whitman, agreeing to produce them
in court, swore that he had not
promised the four immunity
Former District Attorney Jerome
and Police Commissioner Waldo pre-
ceded Mr.. Whitman Mr.. Jerome.
who had been heralded as an import
ant witness for the defense, was uer-
mitted TO answer one question. He
was not allowed to testify that he
had heard Becker call up Rose at
Harry Pollok's home the night after
the murder Rose testified that he
had called Becker on the telephone
at Becker's home and that the con-
versauon was of an discriminating ma
ture.
Commissioner Waldo testified that
he, and not Becker, had ordered a
policeman stationed in Rosenthal's
gambling place after Becker had
raided it The state has sought to
prove that Becker did this as person
al revenge. Commissioner Waldo was
not permitted to say whether Becker
had requested a transfer from mis-
post as head Of the strong arm
squad" The defense claims that
Becker sought the transfer, fearing
that he would be killed by gamblers
for his zeal and that he did not relish
the work