The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1914-05-28
POLICE LIEUTENANT
AGAIN CONVICTED
FOR INSTIGATING MURDER OF
HERMAN ROSENTHAL--END
OF CAUSE CELEBRE.

New York, May 23:-Twelve men
today decided for the second time
that Charles Becker was the arch
conspirator responsible for the MUIR
der of Herman Rosenthal, the gam
bier, which nearly two years ago
awoke New York to a realization of
corruption in the police department
and opened new era of police re-
form.
Becker, once a police lieutenant.
was found guilty of murder in the
first degree. Only pardon or in
Gerference again by the court of
appeals can save him from follow
ing to the electric chair the four
gunmen who shot Herman Rosenthal,
the gambler, early on the morning
of July 16, 1912. The jury today
decided that the gunmen were Beck
er's agents.
One ballot decided Becker's fate.
1t was taken almost Immediately af-
ter the jurors returned from lunch
con at an uptown hotel where they
went when Supreme Court Justice
Samuel Seabury had finished his
charging. 1t was unanimous for
conviction. Tears streamed down
the foreman's face as he announced
the decision and tears stood in the
eyes of several other jurymen. They
had agreed that the corroboration
which the District Attorney failed
to present at the first trial to sup
port the stories of Rose, Vallon and
Webber, the three accomplices who
turned informers, had been furnish
ed by new witnesses at the second.
Becker's counsel announced that
he would appeal and gained weeks
stay for the preparation of his fu-
ture campaign. The defendant was
granted a short meeting with his
wife and his brothers and then was
taken back to his cell in the Tombs.
Becker and his wife " ere talking
shortly before 5 o'clock in a room
adjoining the Sheriff's office, when
q court attendant announced that
the jury had reached q verdict. Mrs
Becker was not permitted to ac-
company her husband to the court
room. Newspaper men, court at
tendants, counsel for the defence
and District Attorney Whitman and
his staff were the only other per-
sons admitted. The defendants
two brothers, Jackson and John
Becker, the latter a detective, a
lieutenant, hurried to side entrance
where they stood awaiting the ver-
dict.
When the little group in thecourt
room had found seats the twelve
men who alone knew Becker's fate
filed silently in with Foreman F
Meride Blagden at their head. All
twelve faces were expressionless.
Justice Seabury mounted the
bench. He glanced quickly at the
faces of the jurors, but he learned
nothing there. Old court attend
ants who declared long practice had
made them able usually to tell the
verdict by the jurors looks, admit
ted that on this occasion they were
at a loss.
Becker in the room overhead was
still talking to his wife when Justice
Seabury took his seat. A bailiff
was sent for the defendant. Becker
kissed his wife as he left her.
It's all right" he told her; don't
worry. They'll free me-"
Becker walked briskly through
the court room to the rail facing
Justice Seabury and gripped it with
both hands. His face was colorless.
He glanced hopefully at the jury,
but he didn't catch the eye of a
single man. From all outward ap-
pearances the jury did not even
know the defendant was in the
roopo Tho olarG osLad tba iurx, to