The Washington herald., 1914-04-05
Do Gunn1en'S Lives ShOW
What Makes MurdererS? ?

Whitley, with his rural upbringing. and
during his first year here he made the
acquaintance OF professional criminals in
Chinatown. He worked for a while in
a book-binding shop and then started
to learn tinsmithing with an uncle in
Jersey City.
, His first arrest came when he was
| sixteen. He pleaded guilty TO grand
larceny in the second degree and was
sent to Elmira Reformatory. He was
paroled and earned his absolute release
in seven months. Two other convictions
for similar offenses followed and then
Whitley entered the army and went to
the Philippines.
There he got into a struggle with a
| fellow who Taunted him for being a Jew
| and Whitley. who had a knife in his
hand. cut his prosecutor. He was given
hard labor for three months and dis
| honorably discharged. He returned to
this country and fell in with his old as
sociates. Like Lefty Louie and Gyp the
Blood. he declared on the witness stand
that he had met Jack Zelig. the motor
ious gang leader. about a year before
the murder.
Two Of whitey's brothers have been
| arrested. one for picking a pocket.
'Dago Frank"
Dago Frank was confirmed in a
Protestant Episcopal Church at the age
of sixteen His family attended the
church regularly and IT has been said
that Frank sang in the choir. He began
work at fifteen years of age and for
four years was an errand boy at 3 a
week for a news bureau. His employ
ers never complained of his conduct.
Soon after he left this job he was con-
victed of carrying concealed weapons.
This is the only charge except that OF
numbering Rosenthal ever made against
him. Frank says the weapons were
handed him by an ex-convict and that
he was caught with them fifteen minutes
later. He was sent to Elmira Reforma-
tory and after fourteen months was
paroled. earning his absolute release in
seven months.
He worked a year as steamfitter's help
er for a construction company and no
complaint was made against his charac-
ter or industry.
BY what steps he came to be a men,
ber Of the notorious Jack Zelig gang,
1t is difficult to learn. The attorney who
defended him and the other gunmen says
that he is ''the pity and conundrum Of
the four" This attorney thinks that II
was the evil associations Frank formed
while in the reformatory that caused his
undoing. Frank was one of the few non-
Jews to belong to Zelig's gang. A Jew
had once given his mother and sister
employment and helped them with their
rent Frank ever since had kindly
feeling for Jews. When Zelig was killed
letter from Frank was found on his
body reciting these facts, saying AL
though I'm a wop, I know you'll stick
by me-"
"Gyp the Blood"
"Gyp the Blood" was a childhood COM
panion of Lefty Louie" and the story
of his entrance into law-breaking is much
the same as that OF 'Iefty's." His faith
er is in the tailoring business and we'll
to-do. From the ages Of eight to thir-
teen "Gyp," who is a Jew, received in
struction in the Talmud and the other
usual religious teaching Of his race.
With Lefty he frequented poolrooms-
For a while he was an errand boy for
a dry goods store and it may be that
his trips to all parts Of the city brought
him into contact with evil associates.
At seventeen he was arrested for the
first time, the charge being petit lar
ceny He was discharged. The next year
for a similar offense he was sentenced