The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-08
Tale of New York Gambler
Eclipses That of
Jack Rose
PROMINENT MEN
ARE IMPLICATED
Police Commissioner and Brother in
Law of Charles Murphy Among
Those to Receive "Protec-
ton Money

New York. February Herman Rosen-
thals one-time partner in gambling
picked up the broken threads of Rosen-
that's story today and told the alder
manic committee investigating graft a
tale of money paid for police protection
eclipsing that OF Jack Rose, Charles
Becker,s collector. For Il years James
Purcell said he had paid for the privi.
lege of running a gambling house, MAX
ing a handbook or conducting a pool
room. In all. he gave the police more
than $4,000 he declared, during this Pc
riod.
Former Sheriff Harvey of Queens coun-
ty; Police Inspector Mclaughlin, half a
dozen police captains, including a brother
in-law of Charles T. Murphy the Tam
many leader. and scores of ward heelers
and policemen, some now on the force.
others off. were among the men who got
the money, he said. Once, he said, orders
came Indirectly" from Murphy himself
to close up. He moved at once.
Charles Becker, now in the death house
at Sing Sing for the murder of Rosen-
thai, got $3.50 from him for "fxing' the
evidence against him and five Others
taken In a raid Becker made on his
gambling house. Purcell declared. Becker
was then head of the strong arm squad
for tho suppression of gambling.
COstigan Was Honest
II have paid money to every squad that
was ever detailed by headquarters 10 sup
press gambling except one Purcell tes-
tilted. They all took It. except Cost.
gan. Costigan was on the level
Costigan was referred to during tht
first investigation of the Rosenthal case
as the "honest policeman
In return for this protection money
Purcell said. the police generally let him
alone. When they had TO act Oh com
plants from the outside, they tipped
him off," he declared. He always moved
to another house when thus Informed
For WHILE he moved every day.
Once he dehed the police. For nns
months when he had Jack Nc cAuliffo. for.
mer lightweight champion. for a part
ner. they ran a gambling house on thu
upper East Side without making thg
weekly payments to collectors The po
lice stationed two men at the door o
his establishment, he declared, to war;
all customers that it was gambling
house.
but Jack beat that scheme" he said
III the two policemen forgot to talk Oh
talked nice, he gave them IS apiece 6
day. IL they didn't they got no money
They generally talked nice
Inspectors Knew Facts
Police commissioners, inspectors ant
captains came and went during the time
Purcell was operating in the Tenderloin
he said. but 1t made no difference. Col.
lectors for the system" came around
regularly every week or every month
When he was making Il handbook h
paid them S25 week; when he was run.
ming a pool room or gambling house h,
paid from $50 to 500 q week. When h,
was doing nothing he paid nothing.
There were one or two captains ant
one inspector who didn't "do business
with the gamblers. Purcell asserted, pu
they didn't come along together in hi
district Thus. when the captain was "oI
the level the inspectors men cam,
around and vice versa. One inspector
he thought incorruptible. he said, wa
Richard Walsh, dubbed Smiling Dick"
What became of the money after I
reached the hands OF the captains o.
inspector, Purcell did not know II,
had an idea, gained from talk among
his fellows in the tender1oin that som,
say. he testified as tc that.
Purcell said he operated for / 2 year.
in one police precinct-the twenty firs
and probably dill business durini
that period at half hundred places
Naming the men who collected pro.
lection money from him each week
he said they acted for Police Captain,
McCIintock. Cannon, Delaney holland
Cochran, Burns and Cray The las
named is a brother-in-law to Charlie,
f. Murphy
81 got permission from Mike Cruise
Tammany leader, to open a gambling
house In Third street." Purcell said
"Cruise wanted $50 week for him.
self, the same for Captain Cray, and
SO apiece to the two men who came
to collect the money each week. SO
for a while / paid them 81 20 a week
How long did you pay this money p
For five weeks. Then a friend oi
mine called up on the telephone and
said Murphy had ordered my place
closed Murphy's word was good enough
for me. ] closed UP at once
Becker Raided Place
Purcell said Becker raided his place
In 1911 and arrested five men. James
A. White, Becker's lieutenant, caused
the raid At court Purcell said h,
asked White and then Becker to hell
him.
"'All right Becker said. I'll dc
(Continued ON Page ElevenD
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