The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-14
Testified Against Former PO-
lice Lieutenant Becker.
"Bridgie" Webber, in Hospital,
Refuses Information.
CONCEALED HIS IDENTITY
Former "SqueaIer" Is Close
MOuthed About Attack.
Has Received Many Threats
Since Murder of ROSenthaI.

New York. June 14.-'Bridgie" Webs
Der, one of the four gamblers who tes-
titled against Police Lieutenant Beck
er and the gunmen convicted of the
murder of Herman Rosenthal. another
gambler, was stabbed in the shoulder
after midnight this morning under cir
cumstances which he seemed 1oath to
explain. He was in the St Vincents 8
hospital today suffering some pain and
weak from the loss of blood but hia
wound will have no serious result un-
less blood poisoning sets in. Although
branded by some of his former as
sociates in the underworld as a
"squealer'' in the Rosenthal case, tho
little 'informer" closed up tight when
detectives tried to pry from him at the
hospital this morni-s the story of the
attack on him.
At first Webber tried to even hide
his own identity and the fact that
he had been wounded. The stabbing
occurred on East Eighth street. Webber
tried to walk away on the arm of a
friend, hiding the wound, but on
Broadway in front of Grace church ,.e
sank exhausted, and admitted to a
policeman that he had been stabbed
An ambulance carried him to the
hospital where the flow of blood was
stopped and where later Webber's
identity was discovered by Detective
Harvey who had worked on the Ros-
enthal case. Weber at first did not
account for the stabbing at all. Then
he said he was walking on Eighth
street on his way to a subway station
when. a small boy ran out of house
behind him and plunged a penknife
into his left shoulder. The detectives
further questioning, however, was OF
little avail except to indicate that the
boy story was not to be taken
seriously. Webber finally declared: II
do not know who stabbed me and I
don't want to know
Detectives learned that Weber had
kept midnight engagement with Sam
Paul. Paul, another gambler whose
name was often mentioned in the
early stories of the Rosenthal case as
the leader of gang of Eastsiders
who talked of "croaking' Rosenthal,
has lately kept a small restaurant
near Eighth street. It appeared that
Webber had been attacked shortly
after concluding his engagement with
Paul 1t will be just eleven months
next Monday that the murder of Her
morning hour. Although Weber was
arrested in the roundup of gamblers
that followed and was charged with
com nplicity in the murder, he never was
tried
With BALD jack Rose and others
involved, he turned states evidence
and helped to send former Lieuten-
ant Becker and the four gunner to
Sing Sing, where they are now under
death sentence.
After the trial of the gunmen Web
ber and his fellow informers were re-
leased. They declared they had re-
ceived many threats against their life,
and for several weeks afterward they
lived in dread of an attack at th9
hands of former associates in the un-
derworld, who sought revenge. Web
ber even left the country going to
Havana and Panama to escape harm.
On his return he announced that he
had given up gambling and for sew
eral months he has been living in
Morningside Park section with his
wife. If the attack upon him is an
act Of revenge for his part in the
Decker Rosenthal case. it is the first
instance of any attack on the wit
nesses.
The police up to an early hour to-
day had made no arrest in connection
with the stabbing.