The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-17


 whole thing up.'
 "'Oh, he'll Becker said, that's only one more crook. They have only crooks to testify against us. What of that? No jury on earth will believe them
 Becker said Sit fast, Jimmy; after this is blown over they'll be giving me a pension for killing this d. gam bier Rosenthal.'"
 Under cross-examnation Hallen ad- mtted he had been twice convicted, fourteen years ago, for forgery and recently for larceny. He denied the district attorney had promised to let up" on him if he would testify against Becker. It was a few days after the alleged conversation between Becker and White that according to Hallen's testimony he communicated with the district attorney.
 Hallen, who is lawyer and was em- ployed at one time by the government of Halt as fiscal agent, denied he hoped to obtain clemency through his testi- mony.
 Did you tell Becker in the Tombs that somebody was trying to hurt you or him-that the newspaper talk was all rot?" asked MT. Mcintyre.
 'No.p
 Did you write him to that effect?"
 Never"
 NIT. mCiHlyTb HdHutu IldlltH paper and asked if he had sent 1t to Becker and if it was in his handwriting
 Positively not" replied the witness
 MT. Mcintyre then gave Hallen a pen- cil and pad of paper and commanded him to write his name. Then he die tated from Hallen's notes the alleged between Becker and White. When Hallen had finished the writing was offered In evidence for use as a
 
 indicated he would attempt to prove that Hallen had denied his own sigma ture. Mcintyre asked the witness if he had forged several names to checks men ntioning the names.
 Denies Forgery
 NO never forged" began the wit ness.
 oh I know you" exclaimed MT. Mo Intyre
 "Yes, you ought to-" responded Hal len. You were my lawyer
 "What?' exclaimed MT. Whitman. Was MT. Mcintyre your lawyer?'
 Yes, and I never got paid for my work for him." Mcintyre replied.
 That's not so,'' snapped Hallen. You were paid $500, and I got a long term in prison"
 The tilt over Mcintyre read name dilcl holit anu oShtd tlt niLhtsS n he had forged them to checks.
 Never" was Hallen's stock reply.
 In response to further questions, the witness said he was in one shower bath in the Tombs and Becker in the other when the alleged conversation occurred. Describe the man who talked with Beckett, instructed MT. Mcintyre
 'I couldn't do it in the slightest de- gree.'' Hallen sat.
 x.-ttp ha hod Ia memorandum of the alleged conversation in his cell an hour after he heard it. The note which Hallen denied signing and said was not his handwriting, read as follows:
 Becker: Of course, this is utter non sense No such rot would be of any use to anyone. Someone is trying to injure you or me. As for myself l have troubles of my own. J. D. HALLEN.' Halens note and the copy which he wrote at McIntyres desire were handed to the jury for inspection.
 Isaac V. White, a newspaper reporter. told of meeting Becker and his attorney, John w. Hart, at his office the Satur- day night before the murder.
 Wanted to See Rosenthal Affidavit MT. Hart asked me- said the witness, "whether my newspaper had obtained an affidavit from Herman Rosenthal. I told him that we had. Mir. Hart said he wanted to use that affidavit for the ar rest of Rosenthal on a charge of crimi- nal libel" sst White said he had shown Becker and Hart the printed proofs of the affidavit which his paper was about to publish. The witness then identified the affidavit and the proofs were put In evidence. White said he told Hart his paper was willing to publish denial of the affi- davit or any statement Hart cared to make and Hart then prepared a state ment aided by Becker.
 ''On Tuesday, the night after the mur- der, Becker came to my office con- tinued White, and made statement as to his movements the night before" The witness testified that Becker had said Rosenthal had a very bad record and had asked him for any clippings in the possession of the newspaper bearing upon raids on his gambling house or other police cases Rosenthal had been involved in.
 Mir Moss then read into the record MT. Hart's statement, which was gen. eral denial of the charges made in the Rosenthai affidavit, while Becker leaned back in his chair, looked at the wall high over the witness head, and loved with his glasses. After this was finished Mir Moss asked White:
 .Why did Becker and Hart want to see the original affidavit"
 They said they wanted to apply for a warrant for Rosenthal's arrest on a charge of criminal libel. They wanted the warrant Issued that night but found il was too late I told them l would keep the affidavit and they could come to me when they wanted the warrant issued
 Did they ever ask again for the af- fidavit?'
 ''No."
 The witness repeated his previous tes-