The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-07-17
But District Attorney Indi-
rectly Charges Rosenthal
Was Done to Death by Po-
lice Gang.
A THOROUGH PROBE
is STARTED TODAY
District Attorney Says Ros-
enthal Was Killed as He
Was About to Give Import
ant Testimony.
tNationai News Association,

NEW YORK, July 17.-with five
men either under arrest in connection
with the assassination of Herman
Rosenthal, the gambler. or detained az
material witnesses. District Attorney
Charles S. Whitman. after declaring
his belief that the killing was the
work of the police department through
certain members OF IL, took steps today
to make one of the most searching
grand jury Investigations in the annals
of New York county.
Mrs. Herman Rosenthal. widow of
the slain gambler. was summoned as
the first witnessed to appear before the
grand jury to tell what she knew of a
conspiracy against the life of her hus-
band.
Mrs. Rosenthal had stated her posi-
tive belief that the New York police
were responsible for the killing of her
husband who was shot down in the
glare of New York's white light dis
trict, in front OF the Hotel Metropole
early yesterday. She based her conclu-
sion upon information given her by
her husband.
Rosenthal had been warned she
said but refused to heed the warning.
Two Searches Begun.
The fifth man arrested was locked
up in the Mulberry police station at
midnight by Detective James Shev-
lin. The prisoner is an East Side
character named Louis Weber, but
better known along the Bowery as
"Bridgie" Weber. He was held as a
suspicious person. Detectives from the
Central office worked all night on the
case while detectives from the dis
trict attorneys office continued their
inquiry along line showing that the
police were under strong suspicion.
Thus the two currents of search were
at counter lines and the two forces
were working along entirely separate
I lines.
District Attorney Whitman early to-
day made the indirect charge that
the police system" was connected
with the murder of Rosenthal because
of revelations which the gambler had
made concerning protection tribute.
Mr.. Whitman said that IL Rosenthal
had lived six hours longer the district
attorneys office today probably would
be in possession of absolute proof that
money was paid to the police in vari-
GUS amounts for protection" in the
conduct of their illegal resorts.
Il intend to use my entire force to
get at the bottom of this affair" said
Mr.. Whitman. 1T is one of the great
est blocks to the administration OF
justice this community has ever known
and ii was intended to be Just that an
well as a deterrent to others. Other
men who had intended TO aid In the
execution o. the law have been slain
in the past. The police sometimes
went through a most perfunction ef-
fort to find the slayers on the theory
that the community was better off
without the men who had been killed.
Refused . Hearing.
"Rosenthal had given me valuable
information and was on the point of
giving me more and supplying further
corroboration of what he had already
/ told. He had sought unsuccessfully TO
be allowed TO talk to other city Off
cials in whose hands his complaint
had more right to be lodged than in
mine. He had never been allowed ac-
cess to them.
Just as he was about to give i'm
portant additional evidence and -
give the names of eight OF ten mao
who could and would support hfs
statements, just as ne was preparing
to come to my house with these mat
tars, so as to avail himself of privacy:
just as the situation shaped up most
dangerously for the police involved.
he is killed and his evidence with
him. There were five policemen with
/ in 100 feet Of the shooting when IL
took place Two were Tithin 100 fest
1 five men were able to shoot to pieces
the head of a grand jury witness. get
into an automobile and escape with
out even being seriously inconven-
/ fenced and this at 2 o'clock in the