Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-09-28

~HE gambling expose which fol-
lowed the murder of Herman
Rosenthal and which has kept
the police department of New
Yorl- city in the public limelight since
the tragedy has been productive of
good results. Developments in the
searching investigation into condi
lions revealed through the confessions
of members of New York's gambling
gangs, besides arousing the govern
ments of other municipalities to a
sense of the advisabilit of looking
more closely to the prospective endur-
ance of their own official regulations,
have spread before the susceptible
youth of the country n sermon which
all have read and which many have
needed, for the Rosenthal case af
fords grim picture of the fruits of
yielding to the gambling temptatio
of big city.
While in recent years public antag-
onism to gambling as practiced and
countenanced openly, as was the case
at Canfeld's famous Saratoga place,
has had a salutary effect upon this
evil and stories of gigantic Billings
have been denied by that element be-
longing to the class ever ready to take
gambling chance" at anything.
gambling continued just the same.
Everybody knew that there was gam
bling on a smaller scale everywhere
under cover. OF course there was
gambling in New York. No matter
how well the police might perform
their duty, it was still going on, as
everybody admitted. But when Rosen-
thai was shot down in cold blood
that nfOhf in 0f
third street hotel by a band of chosen
assassins In an automobile and when
It was alleged that they had been al
lowed to escape at their leisure be-
cause certain influences in the police
department did not desire their arrest
even blase New York was shocked.
1t was declared that Rosenthal had
forfeited his life because he was about
TO give to District Attorney Charles s.
Whitman Information showing that
the police tolerated gambling dens for
q share in the proceeds
The widow of Rosenthal. who him.
self was a gambler. pointed an accus-
ing finger at the police and declared
that even though '.they had killed her
husband" they had failed to prevent
the transmission of the damaging evil
dence to official channels. RoSenthal
had made the statement. that Charles
Becker. police lieutenant and head of
the strong arm" squad. was his gam
bling partner and bounded him when
he refused to be shaken DOWN for
large sums of money Then came the
arrest of Becker on the charge of homi-
eide in connection with the killing of
Rosenthal
Mayor William ]. Gaynor declined to
take any precipitate step and instruct
ed Police Commissioner RhineIander
Waldo not to dismiss Becker unless he
was proved guilty. While Becker lam
guished in cell the district attor-
ney's force was ut work looking up the
financial condition of the accused S, :
$50 year police lieutenant. and he
was found to have deposited consider
able amounts in various banks In
spite of these discoveries and the con-
LESSONS of the smaller fry in the gam
bling net. Becker maintained his inno-
ceace But ut that time. regardless of
Becker-S guilt or innocence in the death
of Ro~enthal. the slain .'Squealer. the
fact had been made apparent that gain
bling fiourisLed in New York to an sx-