The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-15
BECKER IS HUNT
BY EVIDENCE Or
DR|OG|E WEDDGI|
Witness Coroborates Roses
Testimony and Tells How
Police Lieutenant Ordered.
Rosenthars Murder

NEW YORK, May 14.--Bridsi9
Weber did his worst for Becker, ana
his best for Rose today.
He matched his cold heart and Mn
supple mind against the impetuoSity
of Beckers lawyer, Manton, and on
" the jurymen know who had tne
better of the encounter.
The simple facts are that Manton
left him without a. shred OF repute
except the mere title mister" grant
ed him by the gunmen and gang
sters who were awed by his money
and his airs, but that Webber chung
TO the main accusations against
Becker. that Becker, In the Harlem
conference. took the job of murders.
ing Rosenthal out OF Roses hands,
and gave. 1t to him and that he met
Becker in Fortysecond street after
the killing, heard Becker's ferocfouS
comment on the dead suuealer ana
supplied. at Beckers command, $1,000
TO pay the gunner. &
Because Of a natural talent Tor \
cold blooded narration, Webher made
the accusations against Becker sound
worse than Jack Rose ever did. And
ike Rose. he emphasized the tive
great points on which the whole case
swings the Harlem conference, ana
the Forty-second street post mortem
arrangement. In every way possible.
Mr. Manton tried to squeeze from
Weber some statement, or admission.
that would support the defense put
forward that Rose had Rosenthal as
saslnated because Rosenthal sent
word to the gangsters that Rose put
Zeilg in the Tomhs. But Weber
carefully protected Rose, exculpated
him wherever exculpaton was pos
zibe, and invariably guided back to
Becker as the man responsible.
The three main witnesses, Rose.
the fxer SO hesitating and water
wilied in the face of murder that me-
tried to double cross Becker al the
/ last minute; Webher. the moneyed
man. to whom murder was triv-
Iality. and WALTON, the colorfess conn-si
dante who "butted in, as Rose says
were on the stand today. There was
only one lacking of this gentle crew.
! That was Schepps, but now that's
Whitman has new witnesses to back
schepps' confederation of the Har-l
les conferencece story schepps may
be called on to testify once more. s
Begins With Rose. E
The day began with Rose. who
corrected. under Mr. Whitman's brief
questioning. seemingly glaring CONTRA
dlctions, extored by Mr.. Manton. The
| first concerned his statement under
| cross-examination that he was IN
II
Rosenthars gambling house on April
! /, 1912, although he had testified
under direct examination that he
stood with RosenthaI and heard Ro-i
! senthars angry comments about
| Becker while the raid WAS going on.
! He explained today that he was in
! Chicago in April. 1911. The second
! had to do with his testimony under
! REORGANIZATION. that Becker gave
j <nr ~ q -
ing Zelig's bail fund. though he had
said on direct examination that It
was he who put up the money. He
said today that both statements were
| true because he carried 5000, COLI
! lected for Becker. TO the Harlem
conference. gave It to Becker, who.
in turn. handed Weber $500 out
| of It,
Weber. arriving late from his hat
| manufacturing business In New Jer-
sey delayed the court fifteen min
| utes, and showed his face at 1880
! o'clock. Mr. Whitman spent little
| time over his most opulent witness.
merely drawing from Weber testt-
mony as regards Becker's ordering
! the murder at the time Of the Harlem
meeting, and testimony as to what
! Becker said to Rose and himself In
Forty-second street, two hours after
/ Rosenthal was beyond telling tales
49,
/ to whitman. But Manton devoted
! three hours and half to the task
| of stripping Bridge of credihiiity. He
/ had not a rag TO cover his oui when
/ Manton finished at 4:5o Pm.
The last witness Of the day was
/ WALTON, a sort of East Side vassal OF
| Baron Webber Of Gangiand. In the
/ last ten minutes that remained OF the
/ session. he supported Rose and Web
| Der as to Becker having met the
| three of them at Seventh avenue
/ and One Hundred and Twentyfourth
/ street on the night of June ~. 1e1f.s
| and as TO Becker supplanting Rose
with Weber as the director Of MUIR
! der. S
! The serenity of the trial was upset
| in the afternoon by clashes betweeM
!! Mr.. Whitman. on the one side. ana
/ Mr.. Manton and Mr.. Marshall, on the
other.