The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-04-13

Produced two witnesses. One claimed
that he saw the shooting Of Rosenthal
and that the man who fired the first
shot was not one of the four The
other witnesses claimed to have recog-
nize three of the men who raced away
In an automobile after the shooting
took place, saying none of the three
were the prisoners. Justice Goff re-
fused to grant new trial and a last
appeal was then made to Gov. Glynn
in the capitol at Albany, but the gov
ernor again refused to take any action
in the matter.
The real names of the men who have
been known as "Gyp the Blood,
Lefty Louie, ''Dago Frank, and
q Whitley Lewis were Harry Horo-
WITT, Louis Rosenberg, Frank Cirofiei
and Frank Seidenshner. The Youngest
Lefty Louie, was 81, the oldest, Dago
Frank, 81 All were Jews except Dago
Frank. AS his nickname implies, he
was an Italian. Gyp the Blood and
Lefty Louie were married. Their
young widows survive them.
Hopeful to the Last.
Not only during the trial but in
statements given out ut Sing Sing,
three of the gunmen persisted in the
declaration that Dago Frank had not
been present at the time of the murder,
and was not in any way concerned in
the plot to murder Rosenthal During
their stay in the death house all four
maintained an attitude of martyr-like
innocence, tempered with an optimism
growing out of their belief that their
fate hinged upon Becker 5 and that if
he were not guilty, they must be set
free. The news crushing hopes OF this
nature as announced by the warden
was received with stoical calmness.
The crime for which the four gun
men paid the death penalty started Il
wave of police reform, from which the
ripples have not yet subsidized. Through
out the revelations made at the time
aud subsequently, stalked the vague,
sinister monster known as the ''police
svstem.'' -
Rosenthal was shot down early on
the morning Of July 1G, 1912, in front
OF the Hotel Metropole in the heart OF
the tenderloin. On receiving an an
| nouncement from man who came into
the hotel, he walked out and fell dead
before Il fusillade of bullets. The muir
derers leaped into an automobile and
escaped. Weeks later after Becker
had been arrested the gunmcn were
found in Il flat in Brooklyn.
Their conviction and Becker's wer,
based chiefly on the testimony Of three
90 betweens who turned state 5 evi
dcncc. These men-jack Rose, Bridgel
Webhcr and Iarron Vallon-declareC
that they had hired the gunmen Il
kill the gambler, Rosenthal. at Beck
er 5 request.
Sam Schepps, 4 little gambler, cor
roborated their testimony, and was no
ladjudged an accompice.
Becker was police lieutenant il
charge of the ''strong arm squad
whose duties were to keep in subiec
ton the gangs of the city and to regu
late gambling houses and places of il
fame Rose. Webber and Nallon sal,
that Becker had made use of his posi-
ti0n to collect money from thes
houses. Roscnthal, according to thes
same witnesses, having a grievane
against Becker, was about to give evi
dence against Becker to the distric
attorney.
Becker was arrested July %, 1912
but nearly two months elapsed befor
the apprehension of the gunmen. Thei
trial before Justice Golf marked
{ record of speed in criminal procedure