The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1912-07-18
GAMBLER SLAIN IN
new YORK STREET
Assassins Fell Man Who Charged
Police With Graft.
THREE SUSPECTS ARE HELD
Herman Rosenthai Is Shot to Death
In Mysterious Attack by Men
In Automohlle--Two Theories
Of Murder.

New York, July IA mass OF evil
dence has been gathered which clearly
Indicates that Herman Rosenthal was
murdered as the result of gambler
police plot TO nip in the bud the ex
posture of police and gamblers, which
Rosenthal threatened.
The police laid the crime at the
door of the gamblers. On the other
hand, those Of the gambling fraternity
who were closest to Rosenthal said
that the police had much greater
motive in such a tragedy than the
gamblers.
Three Suspects Are Held.
With remarkable rapidity, the po-
lice captured slate coiored auto
mobile which they alleged was used
In the commission of the crime, and
arrested three men who are charged
with having more or less knowledge
of the murder. The prisoners were
Louis Libby, whose name is registered
as the owner of the car; William Sha-
pira, Libby's chauffeur and partner,
and John Clark, who because Of his
reputation as gambler. and because
he had been seen near the Metro
poles entrance when Rosenthal was
shot dead, is believed to have some
knowledge of the plot. "a ..,. .
At the same time that. the police
asserted that they had all but solved
the mystery of the murder, five wit
nesses we're found who testified that
no slate-colored automobile had been
seen in Forty.third street near the
Hotel Metropole at the time of the
murder.
Newspaper Man Sees Assasslns.
Rosenthal was killed at three min
utes before two o'clock Tuesday morn
ing. The electric sign of the Metro
pole was at full blaze A newspaper
man, who came upon the scene Of
the murder ten seconds after 1t was
committed, said that he saw the as
sassins run into the dark areaways
between Broadway and Sixth avenue,
but that they did not take refuge in
any automobile. Policeman Madigan,
who was on post at Broadway and
Forty-frst streets,a hundred feet from
the spot where, sRosenthal fell, and
who was the first officer upon the
scene, also, says he saw no car.
On the other hand Police Leuten-
ant File, who had been In the bar
of the Metropole watching Rosenthal,
waiting for. the gang that murdered
him, stoutly maintains that the slay-
ers of the gamblers made their escape
in a high-powered drab machine.
i Charges Police With Grating.
Evidences unearthed tends to show
that those members of the police In.
volved in RosenthaPs revelations to
District Attorney whitman were In
state of absolute panic Monday
night. On the following morning Ro.
seminal had promised to give to Whit,
man four more names, which he said
would show what officers of the po-
lice department got graft money from
gamblers, and how high up In the
police department the graft went
Already Rosenthal had given six
names to whitman, three OF whom
were more or less intimately con,
nected, It is alleged. with Lieutenant
Booker, head of the strong arm
squad" whose raids had put Rosen-
thai out Of business.
Lieutenant Becker protested EN-.
phatically, when he was asked II he
believed the police were in any way
involved.
livery man who knows me knows
that I wanted Rosenthal to live" he
said. y was ready to prove myself
innocent Of his charge that I was
his partner In the gambling business
and was taking money from gam.
blers."
Investigation also revealed the fact
that Becker was within almost a
block Of the scene of the murder at
the time It was committed. and was
riding In an automobile In which he