Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-07


mony was chiefly based the indictment
OF Police LIEUT.. Charles Becker, on the
charge Of ii1stigating the murder OF
Herman Resenthal, today, furnihe /
District Attorney Whitman with a
written statement disclosing in detail
the history of his relations with Beck
er as one of the police officers al
legged graft collectors.
Rose. in his confession, as the dis
trict attorney term it, reiterates his
previous allegation that Becker was
one of four high police officers who
collected between $2,0o0,0a0 and 49,
100000 yearly from Illegal resorts, and
gives a complete table of his eollee-
lions from gamblers. which he says he
turned over to Becker
Becker, the self -aceused gambler
wrote, was continually bounding him
for more money, telling him, he said
that .the bunch down town is not get
ting enough"
Roses statement coveted 80 pages
of finely written note paper. The gam
bier had been working on it in his cell
since District Attorney Whitman, on
the promise of lenieney. got him
week ago to make his first confession
of his part in the plot to assassinatc
Herman Rosenthal
Rose declared heshad always turned
his collections over To Becker in cash
frequently at Roses home, and that
his wife and servants had see nthe
money pass and could testify to the
truth of his statement.
Becker's method of bringing the
gamblers to terms was to raid them
first, Rose said. This was the police
officers way, he explained of getting
acquainted"
After the raid he would offer to
fix the case before the grand jury,
Rose charged, provided the raided
gambler, would ''come across" II he
did, then Beeker's men, he said, would
give harmless evidence before the jury
or forget" what they had told in the
police court. To further impress the
gambler that his case was hopeless,
Becker would procure extra warrants
for his arrest and threaten to raid
again and again as long as the gam
bier refused to pay his blaekmail
Rose detailed two specific instances
OF Becker's alleged methods, giving
names, dates and places. One was
that of a Brooklyn poolroom keeper.
The other instance described by Rose
was that of a gambling place known
as the Sans Souci, in which sam
Paul. the East Side gang leader was
said to be interested. Becker, Rose as
serted. never got real evidence
Describing his own relations with
the police lieutenant, Rose said his
rlil l.
ed his gambling house on the East
Side. The outcome was, Rose said,
that he became a stool pigeon for
Becker in his raiding activities and
then his collector with others, whom
Becker employed for the same pur-
pose.
Rose substantiates in his statement
all that Rosenthal had charged against
Becker. He asserted that Becker got
50 1-2 per cent. of the play" 20 per
cent. on his own account and one
half of Roses share. which was 20
per cent.
In addition to Roses statement, the
district attorney, it was learned, to-
night, secured telephone records sub
Stimulating Roses story that few
minutes after ting murder of Rosen-
thai. Rose called Becker up aed asked
him to come down at once and that
he communicated by telephone with
Becker several times that day.
The prosecution has also discovered
the whereabouts of Pollock, at whose
home Rose stayed before he gave. HIM
self up and has subpoenaed him and his
wife. Their evidence, Mr., Whitman ex-
poets, will substantiate Roses story that
he was in communication with Becker
while in hiding there.
The police lieutenant saw newspaper
men in his cells, today, and was asked
If it was. true that the system" was col
lecting a $4,000 fund to defend him.
II have engaged John Mcintyre to
conduct my case by advice of my coun-
sci, John w. Hart. Martin W. Littleton
had been suggested to me by friendly
advisers, but I wanted Mr.. Mcintyre and
I retained him. No system win suggest
my counsel. | am master of my own
case"
1t had been said that the collectors OF
the defence fund had tried to influence
Becker's choice of a lawyer.
The search of both the police and dis
trict attorneys detectives for 'Gyp, the
Blood" and Lefty Louie" wanted as
Rosenthaps actual murderers. has thus
far proven fruitless.
Two SUSPECTS.