Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-09

Ia IN securing evidence oil police
graft, which he has turned over 10
District Attorney Whitman. for use
in connection with the prosecutors
Investigation of alleged corruption
among high police officials that has
grown out of the murder of Herman
Rosenthal
While starr ]. Murphy, Mr.. Rookie
feller's attorney. denied today. the
published report that the oil million
aires son had been conducting a dis
orderly house for the purpose of oh
tanning evidence of blaekmafl agains;
the police, he let it be known tina.
Mr.. Rockefeller who was, about
year ago, a foreman of the grand jury
that investigated the white slave
traffic, had placed in the hands of
the district attorney information
bearing on the police SYSTEM
Mr.. Rockefeller having become in-|
terested in white slave matters while
foreman of the special grand jurs,
has since been securing statistics with
regard to theF social eviisS reads Mr.
Murphy's statement What fever in
formation was secured bearing on the.
roiiee Situated has heeii placed at
the disposal of the district attorney
This information. IL was learned,
tonight, will be presented to the grand
jurygfn toniunetion witflsahe rapidly
increasing mass sof. SIMILAR evidence
the district attorney and his assist
ants have unearthed since Bald
Jack" Rose made his first charges
Involving high police officials in
gambling graft.
Along with the publication of, the
report Mr.. Rockefeller has been con-
Quoting a diserderly house for the
purpose of trapping the police, it was
reported, today, a detective agency
had been operating a gambling house
for the same purpose. As far as Mr..
Rockefeller is concerned. it was learn.
ed. tonight, the young millionaire is
prepared TO furnish all the funds nee
essary to enable the district attorney
to conduct sweeping investigation
designed to wipe out the alleged cor
rupt alliance between the police and
disorderly elements of the city.
THE Rockefeller evidence was
given to me by Starr j. Murphy, Mr..
Rockefeller's personal representative
said District Attorney Whitman, to-
night.
III EClitidi WAY Il
pretended disorderly house had been
concerned and that 1t was conducted
without Mr. Rockefellers knowledge
! was told Detective Rose of Chicago
and other agents of Mr. Rockefeller
had supplemented the information OBJ
tanned in this manner by quiet work
among real resorts
Mr.. Whitman added the information
had come to him a police inspector
had received $500 a month from a dis
orderly house. This house, it is UNI.
derstood, was one of those investigated
by Mr.. Rockefeller's representative.
Mr. Whitman said also one of his as
sistant district attorneys, James Rey-
nolds, had been working with the
Rockefeller agents the past few
months
The possibility that the sealed doors
of the so-ealled system might be
opened wide was strongly suggested,
tonight. when it became known coun-
sci for Lieut.. Becker. who is charged
with instigating the murder of Rosen-
thai. had visited the district attorney,
today. and discussed with him the
question of leniency for his client Not
long after Becker was arrested the
district attorney made it known the
police lieutenant's only chance to es-
cape efforts to convict him of murder
in the first degree depended upon his
willingness 10 tell all he knew about
gambling graft. u t
The district attorney had before the
grand jury. today. sixteen witnesses,
one of them being Lieut. Dominick
Reilly. one of the strong arm squad
raiders, who testified New York City
had been wide open" for a year and
a hair. He was asked If he believed
the police could close up the disor-
derby resorts and said the best evil
dence of this was that there was not
a gambling house in operation at pres
ent. Reilly. it was reported. criticised
severely the methods of the police in
getting evidence, which was of such a
nature. be declared that the courts
could net convict.
Other witnesses were three women en-
ployed in the household of Jack Rose"
who, it is understood. testified Becker
had called at Roses house practically
every day for six months previous to the
murder They were unable to corrobor-
ate, it was said. Roses statement that
| they had seen him pay to Becker cash,
which he said he collected for the po-
lice lieutenant from gambling houses.
Another witness was Giovanni Stanich,
| a citizen who saw the murder and who is
regarded by the prosecution as one of the
most important of all the witnesses thus
far subpoenaed. 1t was said his testimo-
ny was of such nature as to assure
| the district attorney he has strong
case against the four men charget. with
being the actual murderers. "Gyp, the
Blood and his crew
| Mrs. Rosenthal, wife of the murdered
gambler. made her second appearance
! before the grand jury. today. and 1t is
understood added much to her story Of
| the alleged graft relations between he,
J husband and Becker
| Jack Sullivan, the newsboy charged
with completely in the murder, was, to-
| day, removed from the Tombs to the
West Side prison and placed in cell adj
| joining that of Rose. "Bridgie' Webbel
and Harry WALTON. The explanation wa.
that while in the Tombs Sullivan ha.
! been under the influence of Becker anS
/ has shown no disposition to tell any
/ thing of his alleged part in the murde