New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-29
Can't Understand why
Becker Gets New Trial
and They Don't.
DRAW INFERENCE
FROM ZELIG CASE
On Trial He Was Believed Guilty,
Yet He Was Innocent and Freed
by Accident, They Say

,erday public opinion is blamed by TIT
fNnr sunmen for their conviction fol
the murder OF Herman Rcsenthah TO-
which former Police Lieutenant Charle'
Recxer was .-rcnted a new trial while
in their case the Court Of Appeals con
nrmed their conviction. The statement
was prepared by the men in the deati
house al Sing Sing and made pubic oS
heir counsel, Charles G. f. Wahle'
The statement in fun follows;
We ask the public TO answer to
themselves these questions
Did nuhlic opinion conNict US
N What created the puohc opih-
iii When Jack" Zelig was ar
,.a,ened for trial before Judge Malone
i'm June 1912. charged with an offence
Tor which the penalty IS tour'ev S,.,
Years in state prison was there one
ncreon who read OF his case at that
limo who did not believe he Was
entity and who would not have Noteu
Tor his conviCuonF ,.-s .Ao+
IN. What created that oenet t thstt
Jack" Zelig was guilty OF 'na'
y What created that mental atti-
tude in those from whom would haNs
been drawn the jury 70 try MN
Not even the public oficials ch3rsee
vim the care of his trial believed
hin, innocent. What 60 the otnclels
and public say now about the oplh-
ion and belief they haG formed on tiIe
basis Of rumor ana mlsIeauins M ~
ences gathered from wherever they
did.
Escaped by an Accident.
Zeljr was innocent public officials
announced that he was lnhoCent' a
arsnd Jury said so when they inolCt.
cd those who falsely accused MN, IL
was only an unlocked for event Whlch
enabled him to prove his innocence
and escape fourteen years;
We have bean accused by persons,
vbst of whom the Court of Apeals
said is now we'll known by the puollc.
V-Rotaver we have said and what we
now saw we ask the public 10 please
believe us that we in no way mean 70
eriticise the court or Judiclal auiilit 5
iStrstion: as we have ALREADY sdlu.
We are not LAWYERS. We nave on,
records and briefs on aIpeals anu anu
opinions in our case. ana ndtulaiiS
In the quiet moments we nave Ieau
md re-read the testimony IN our case
md the 5ninioas Of the Court OF APP
W. are still at loss to understand
,yb,, POSE Schepps. Weber ana val,
Ion are persons not 10 be beIleNeI
under naIn IN the bCNhNi Ne'NNf
Vet as persons whose testimony III
our case should be taken as true anu I
iron, whom should be accepted IN our
$50 the version as the true version
of the whole Rosenthal ahair ana Oh
the motive for this terrible crime,
OF I,uban. the Court of Appears
statas in the Becker case that ne Is
unbelievable. and bases such concur
sion on the fact that his story Is M
probable and that he had a motive IN
1an
that 1ootive was his release from
prison in Jersey. That he was placeu
In the company Of Rose, Schepps,
Weber and WALTON so as 70 enacle
him to talk matters oyer VIII % ina, tbat
Schepps, Weber and NaNon SO tha -
his story would dovetail win thelrs,
Vet i'm one case this same Luoan Is
believed.
Luban and Shapiro Unbelievable
Sbaniro another one. was the first
80 arrested and accused of the muir
der and afterWard indicted on the
came blanket indictment with US; ana
i'm the City Prison with us ooys lot
long while and could not ldehllIy
~ one of US until after he was
yisced in that b4th street jail, for
the same opportunities for meetlhs
and arranging their harmonious
stories, which was condemned Dy the
court Of Appeals in the Becker case
were also given them In our case.
\Vbv are the same facts ana actlons
aIIoN,sd in our case and condemned in
ne Rocker case? The same reasons
tbst make Luban unbelievable IN the
Recker case applies to Shapiro in our
case, and more so, as ms InotlNe wa"
to save his own life, Shapiro. 60,
Harry Horowitz, Jacob Selden-
sinner and / swore on the stand we
seen WALTON. Weber and a stranger
shoot Bridge. WeDoer says &c
does not know this man, yeI ~ - g
fact that this man was In BrldSIe.
Webber's gambling room ana IeII
with them for the scene or the Shoot-
Ne simply ask people WHO know T,. OF
the real conditions In New Oth Jae}{,
life in the gambling business anu
v,bo was as shreWd and careful as
VVebber. 10 allow a perfect STRANGER
10 enter bis gambling room aho I'm
midnight trips about town WIN hHtiEfta
Now in the records, on page ~,
folio 1854. Schepps states that ne
was told 10 go as far as ne coulu ano
not stop until he got there: ne dlIo
states that he got 500 from WEI
her and from a man he don know
bV name $3.50. Why could II not pc
that Weber also wanted 10 get thlS
stranger out Of the way?
There IS no attempt or intention on
our part to create the idea tnat We
are over brave or any kind or heroes,
for our lives and liberty are just as
dear TO US as any one else. yet We 90
nor believe we should be the victims
10 save men who on their own sworn
Testimony are concerned in the crime
we ask the public to please Judge
the facts for themselves.
The statement is signed by the fou
men, Louie Rosenberg, Frank Cirohc
Jacob Seidenshner and Harry Horowlt
l,of, 10 xrnr wi