The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-08-01
LIEUT.. BECKER IS
HELD FOR MURDER
New York Police Officer
Placed Under Arrest.
ENTERS mot. GUILTY" PLEA
Reported Three Men Charged With
Staying Gambler Rosenthai4, Are
Ready to Confess After Prom
ise Of Immunity.

New York, July 30.-Police Lieut.
Charles Becker, whose connection with
the Rosenthal murder has threatened
to involve the police department in
the gambling scandal, was formally
placed under arrest last evening.
After his arrest Becker was ar
raigned in part one, general sessions
on charge of murder. He pleaded
not guilty, and was remanded to the
Tombs.
Three Ready to Confess.
With the fear OF the vengeance OF
the Tenderloin ringsters driven out of
their minds by the greater fear of the
electric chair, three men who are held
for completely in the killing Of Rosen-
thai are reported to be ready to con-
fess. These men are Jack" Rose, al
legged to have been collector for police
graft among the gambling resorts;
"Bridgy" Weber gambler and enemy
of Rosentbal, and Harry Vsllon. gang
ster and hanger-on around gambling
houses. In the criminal courts build.
ing it was declared that these men
had been promised immunity II they
would tell all, and that they had
agreed to talk
Rose is said to be weakening and to
have assisted in influencing the other
two prisoners to tell all they know.
The district attorney Is said to have
in his possession checks given by Rose
to police officials in payment of the
latter's part in the gambling graft, for
which Rose acted as go-between.
Got Bullet Instead Of $4,000.
Rosenthal, when he walked to the
entrance Of the Metropole hotel on the
night of his murder, expected to re-
,ceive $4,000 instead of a bullet In the
brain. This sum had been raised to
induce him to leave New York, and
several police officials, as we'll as the
gamblers ring, are said to have con-
tributed to the fund. The men who
killed the gambler are believed to
have double-crossed their employers
and, instead of paying him the money
intrusted to them, killed him, pocket
ing the fund. s...- 80 !
Forced to Plan Killing.
When the grand jury recOnvened to
day it resumed consideration of the
confessions of Rose, Weber and Val
Ion, who said they arranged the muir.
der which resulted in the arrest of
Police Lieutenant Charles Becker
last night. The men were not sent
back to the Tombs last night, as they
expressed fear the organization
would kill them. They slept on cots
in a room adjoining District Attorney
Whitmans, under guard. Rose says
he was forced to plan the killing of
Rosenthal. He said that he and his
two companions were threatened with
a frame up against themselves If
they did not arrange the killing of
Rosenthal. Rose named the quartet
who shot Rosenthal as Harry Moro
WITT. Frank Muller, Louis Rosenzweig
and Frank Cicofici, the last only be.
ing now under arrest.
Sullivan Will Tell All.
Hartford Marshall was today sub
stituted as attorney for Jack Sullivan,
held as a principal in the killing, and
he soon afterwards stated that his
client was prepared to tell all he knew
about the crime. He will not talk to
the district attorney or to the police,
however, declared Marshall, but If
called on by the grand jury or sworn
by the coroner he will make a state
ment that will amaze everyone who
thinks they already know everything
about the crime.
The alleged alliance between the
gamblers and other law-breakers and
the police as a side line of which
Herman Rosenthal was murdered and
Police Lieutenant Becker has been
indicted for murder in the first de-
grees is to be uncovered. The board
of aldermen will conduct a sweeping
investigation and outside counsel will
be barred This will be entirely in
dependent of the grand jury investiga'
ton now in progress under District
Attorney Whitman. and between the
two II is confidently asserted that
the entire inside of the police graft
viii be revealed.