Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-24
Charge Of Justice 0oR in Rosen.
thai Murder Case This
Morning.
DEFENDANTS FACE A Mask
Betrays No Emotion during Plea
Of His Counsel or the Denun-
citation Of the Prose-
cutor.

New York, Oct 23.-The fate Of Police |
Lieutenant Charles Becker, on trial the
| past two weeks for the murder OF the
gambler. Herman Rosenthal. will rest
with the jury tomorrow. Counsel for
both sides completed to-day their ap-
peals to the jury and all that remained to
close the case when adjournment was
| taken tonight was Justice Goffs charge
| to the jury, which he will deliver to-
morrow morning.
| Becker sat throughout the day with al
most immobile countenance. He heard
] himself characterized by John f. McIn-
| tyre, his chief counsel, as the victim of a
conspiracy plot led by by Jack Rose. "the
hell Of the assassns," and by Assistant
| District Attorney Moss as 1.-The brains
behind the gunmen. with a tremendous
motive for murder" What emotions he
may have felt were masked by perfect
control of his features.
The defense centered its attack on the
states case almost wholly on Roses
testimony which Mr.. Mcintyre denounced
as unworthy of belief because Jack
Rose testified to save himself from the
electric chair"
Mr.. Moss warmly resented the impli-
cation that Mr.. Whitman had any other
motive than duty for seeking the con-
viction of Becker. and denounced the
! vtllihcation Of counsel for the Defense
as revealing the desperate straits to
which he has come" Mr.. Moss accused
Mr.. Mcintyre OF misrepresenting the
evidence TO the Jury, impelling Becker's
attorney to jump to his feet and shake
his fist in the face OF his opponent as he
uttered an Indignant denial.
The lawyers spent four hours each in
summing up the evidence.
: WHY DID HE GET AFFIDAVIT?
'If Becker did not have motive for
the murder why did he want to get
an affidavit from Rose two days after
Rosenthal was dead?' Mr. Moss asked.
''The truth Is Becker did not know how
things would go. He saw the possibility
that Rose might be a witness against
u him and he got an affidavit from Rose
to silence him. He got Rose to swear his
y own life away. so that he couldn't
y testify against him in this case"
= Sam Schepps, Mr.. Moss conceded was
:. an accessory after the fact but had
: come forward to testify because Becker
y had thrown 'his pal. Rose, to the dogs. -
. :. why" asked the prosecutor 'i
II Becker had no interest in the murder di,
s. he visit the police station where Rosen
thal's body was lying? Becker was OF
!. duty. What reason did he have to &,
q there?"
u Mr.. Moss declared that the defense ha,
- dwelt throughout the trial upon al
/ alleged conspiracy to murder Rosentha
- founded on the hatred Of the under
!" world" as Its explanation for the mur
Il der, but had not introduced a shred o
10 proof that any such conspiracy ha
Is existed. Mr.. Mcintyre had examine
l. Rose. Webber and Vallon as to converse
ID tions with various persons concerning thi
" alleged plot. but had failed to produc
s. these persons as witnesses, Mr. Mos
j. declared.
o. Answering Mr. McIntyPe's declaratio
l. that the four gunmen. might 60 fire
even II Becker were convicted, Mr.. Mos
j. said. Have no fear that you will eve
e meet these four men on Broadway. w
+. have not disclosed our entire case agains
of them yet. and you needn't be afraid {
meeting Rose. Webber and Vallon Their
er either, after this trial is over. The
n friends the gunmen of the underwood,
Id will take care OF that"
.. NO CASE WITHOUT INFORMERs.
Id For the character OF his witnesses, Nj
ad Moss offered no apology. He declare,
t. however. that II the district attorney ha
In not accepted the testimony of the 70,
no informers. Rose, Webber, Vallon an
ht Schepps. all 10 men connected with n
va case would not be at large
os Frederick Hawley. the newspaper r.
be porter put on by the defense to prove a
n. alibi for Becker in connection with h
IN alleged meeting with Rose and Webb
-. the morning of the murder. was declar,
by Mr.. Moss to have been really wi
- ness for the State
III, "He testified that he telephoned Bee
er." said Mr. Moss. land told him OF II
murder. Jack Rose testified that VIII,
~ he teephoned Becker. Becker had To
.Ms' M him that ne heard of the murder from
:, newspaper man."
wv Mr.. Moss denounced the defense Z
q" critcsing Sam Schepps as a murder.
-. "Schepps never premeditated the kill
80 of Herman Rosenthal," he said, 'b
80. after it was done and he learned abo
80 the murder, he committed the crime
~ hiding. He was an accessory after t
W., ~" fact which Is separate crime from m,
,"' der and not punishable In the same {
'"s gree"
VI Rose wrote To Schepps his pal, a
'a' said The electric chair stares us In
is face. The only one to get out from unc
w was Becker. He deserted me like di
w dog
OF How did Becker get out from und
| will tell you. lie got Rose to swear
Is life away. He got him to mako
Inns affidavit clearing him (Becker) of q
tier motive for killing Rosenthal and fixed
adj no Rose couldn't testify against him. I'll
TO Becker turned down message at
mes sage from Rose, and Rose saw 4
irst Becker had deserted him and that
Ing and not Becker was facing the eiec'
chair. That's why he wrote " q
kSGhanna 70 haln him out