Evening journal., 1914-04-13


to support the aged woman from the
wardens carriage into the building.
There, for certainly more than an hour.
she wept over her son and as the wit.
nesses Of the execution We're leaving
the building the means and walls OF
she and her daughter could be heard
echoing shrilly through the otherwise
silent house of punishment and death.
Belief that the gunner were surely
guilty Of the crime for which they died
bred by Seidenshners statement-and
more, perhaps, by the manner OF its de-
hvery-was intensified before the exeeu-
tionslby Father Cashn
"Father." he was asked, "will Dano
Frank confessl" Il think not" was the
reply.
'Do you personally think him
guiltyY" was the next query. Don't
answer unless you wish to do So"
II can't say that, was the priests
reply. "But If you knew what is here"
touching his forehead-"you would
have some news" The bodies OF rn-
gunner will be surrendered today to
their relatives who, according 60 War
den Clancy, asked for them before the
execution.
No statement was given out as to
when or where they are to be buried
but it is expected that all will be inter-
red from New Yorl,'s East Side, where
oil lived and were widely known until
they entered into the plot to kill Rosen-
thai which ended today when their lives
closed in the death house.
Story Of the Crime.
The murder OF Herman Rosonthal.
the gambler who. "sQnealed." prob
ably was he most cold blooded in
its conception and the most carelessly
and contemptuousiy carried out Of
/ any in all the sordid and sensational
criminal history OF Greater New
York. Police Lieutenant Charles
Becker. leader OF New York's "strong
arm squad" was convicted, previous
to the gunmen, OF first degree murder,
as instigator OF the crime. and sem
tenced to death. For over a year
he sat in a cell on the "life side" OF
the little green door" which leads
TO the dread chair and the beyond
Then he was granted q new trial
by the Court OF Appeals on technical
grounds. He is now I'm the Tombs.
Besides the five convictions mem
toned, four police inspectors. one pO-
lice captain, a police sergeant and
several patrolmen, were sent TO the
! penitentiary, following Investigations
of graft conditions revealed at the
murder trials. Dennis Sweeney, John
j. Murtha, James Il. Hussey and
James T.. Thompson. all police inspec-
tors. were convicted OF grating and
served a year at BlackwelPs. Three
days before their terms were up,
Murtba's conviction was reversed by
the Appellate Division. which upheld
the conviction of the others.
Herman Rosenthal was murdered at
a. m. on the morning OF July 16,
1912 He had heen furnishing Dis
trict Attorney Whitman with evidence
Of police grating which connected
Becker with gamblers. He had been
several times warned TO 'hold his
tongue" While dining at the Metro
| pole located Just off Broadway on
! West Forty-second street, he was
called to the pavement by a man
never Identified As he stepped to
the curb he was shot through the
] brain. The murderers calmly walk
ed to a waiting automobile and rode
/ of toward Fifth avenue. policeman
car A bystander who had Witness
ed the shooting. took the license num-
ber, and was arrested when he gave
II to the police OF the Forty-seventh
street station. Only the fact that Dis
trict Attorney Whitman got out of he'd
to assume immediate personal charge
OF the case. saved this man and his
memory Of the car number 10 the pro-
secution. II was this slender thread
OF evidence from which Whitman
traced the real slayers, and built up
his case.
Il was subsequently learned that
Becker received word Of the shooting
from Jack Rose. Becker's stool pigeon.
by phone, and that the police lieuten-
ant Immediately rushed from his
apartments uptown TO reassure the
men who had engineered the shooting.
II was also learned that Becker. in
an automobile. had passed the Metro
pole a few minutes before Rosenthal
was killed.
Up TO the very last "Dago Frank"
"Gyp the Blood" Lefty Louie" and
"Whitey Lewis" asserted their inno-
cence. Becker was tried before they
We're They were confident Becker
would not be convicted When he
was. however, they did not lose hope.
Following their conviction before Jus
tice Goff. who presided also at Beck
er's trial. they appealed but the State
Supreme Court sustained the verdict.
Il also sustained the verdict against
Becker. Then came the appeal TO the
Appellate Court Even when that tri-
bunal unanimously confirmed the ver-
dict against them they kept their
nerve. and issued statements tending
TO show their innocence and why they
should get a new trial.
TED. BECKER UNCONCERNED.
/ by The United Press.
| NL.ur NnDK An 10 L.. lie nnI