The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-03
Consolidated Aug. 3, 1881.
the METROPOLITAN CRIME.
ROSEN THAL'S MURDER WAS
PLANNED FOR EARLIER
DATE.
Jack Rose and ''Bridgie" Webbcr Tel
District Attorney Some More As
founding Tales of Vice.

Charles Becker, head of the strong
arm" squad of gambling raiders, who
Is charged with instigating the mur-
der of Herman Rosenthal, was to-
night further Implicated in the plot
To get rid % the gambler when BALD
Jack" Rose and Bridge" Webber
added another chapter to their al
ready amazing allegations. They told
District Attorney Whitman that Rose
enthal was to have been killed at the
instigation Of Becker ten days before
he actually met his fate, and that the
plot failed because the underworld
thugs selected to do the murder lost
their nerve at the last moment.
The district attorney spent the
greater part Of the afternoon with
Rose and Webber in their cells at
the West Side police station and un-
der the promise of leniency which the
prosecutor has given them they talked
freely. They gave little additional in
formation regarding the $2,4OO, 900
fund which they alleged illegal resorts
paid for police protection in the city
every year. but their story Of the al
legged anxiety Of Lieut.. Becker be-
cause Of Gambler Rosenthll's threaten
ed exposure was amplified to the dis
trict attorney and in the prosecutors
opinion he strengthened his evider =
against Becker.
The plot that failed" was subse-
auently brought its climax at the
Garden restaurant on Fifty-first street
Saturday night July 6. when Rosen-
thai and his wife were dining there
according to the account told by Rose
to the district attorney, as spokesman
for the two gamblers. With Rosen-
thai ami his wife at the time was
Jack Sullivan. the newsboy, now un-
der arrest for alleged completely in
the murder. Rose himself engineered
the 'job" and brought to the restau-
rant "a fleet" Of thugs who were to
do the actual shooting, according to
oSSdSSitiS
were "Gyp the Blood and "LeYty
Louis" who are wanted by the po-
lice as two of the men who actually
shot Rosenthal ten days later in front
Of the Hotel Metropole. Becker at
that time was down town. Rose said
waiting for the murder plot to be
consummated. Becker had talked
with me every day." Rose said. "He
kept saying to me. Why don't you kill
this fellow OFF, Rosenthal would
have been killed off that night If the
bunch had not lost their nrve. They
got the notion after they reached the
restaurant that a detective was on
to them. After giving up the assassi-
nation we went to "Bridgie" Webber's
place. and there we met Becker. He
denounced us all up and down. You
are all lot Of cOwards.' he said. I'll
have to do IL myself
Rosenthal, it was recalled by the
district attorney when he heard the
story. had but few days before this
made his first complaint against
Becker, charging that the police
lieutenant was partner in his gam
bling house.
! Although Becker still i'm the Tombs
has thus far refused to make any
statement further than that he is
innocent and that his plight Is the
result of "a frame-up," on part Of
his enemies.
The district attorney expressed CON
fidence tonight that If Becker would
talk frankly his evidence would open
the door Of the larger phase of the
Rosenthal case. namely, the general
extent Of the police graft system i'm
which Rose has declared several high
police officials are involved. So far
Mr.. Whitman has obtained little real
evidence against the men mentioned
by Rose as heads Of the -four graft
bureaus" through which Rose alleged
that about $500. 900 each was collected
as vice protection money and dis
tributed. The district attorney is not
relying solely upon Roses story. He
expects to call before the grand Jury
scores Of witnesses who may have
knowledge Of graft relations between
the gamblers and the police
"Bridgie" Webber told the district
attorney today that his own payment
to Becker for police protection of
his gambling house was 5000 month.
but that this rate was q small one
compared with the sums levied upon
larger establishments
He and Rose both said that i'm