New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-13
ROamed Free After Gam
bler's Murder Until Whit
man Took Hand.
HAD LITTLE FEAR OF
ARREST FOR KILLING
Influence of Good Homes and
Education Lost on Four Who
Chose Evil Career.

I
morning Of July 16, 1912, and told the
lieutenant that he knew the number Of
the gray automobile that had held the
four assassins of Herman Rosenthal.
who had been murdered an hour before.
The man was Charles f. Gallagher, living
at the Hotel Gerard.
1t was TO have been expected that the
police would welcome that information,
for a few days prior to the killing Rosen-
thai. in an affidavit, charged that Lieu
tenant Charles Becker had been pressing
his graft tolls on the gambler so unmiti-
gatedly that Rosenthal. to save himself
from financial ruin, was forced to lay
the situation before District Attorney
Whitman. Usually policemen make every
effort to clear the name of an accused
member OF the force; most of them had
stated openly that Becker was not as he
had been pictured by the gambler.
But what happened? Instead OF listen
Ing carefully 10 Gallagher and endeavor-
ing to get from him all he knew, the
lieutenant twisted the auto license num-
ber h,3lS. into something that In no way
resembled It, and placed the incorrect
a
for his valuable information, Gallagher
was placed in a cell.
1t was not until District Attorney Whit
man arrived at the station house that
Gallagher had an opportunity to have his
story taken down correctly. The police
asserted that he had given the wrong
number That Gallagher gave the right
number was-iater events showed-not
to be questioned.
OF all the names concerned In the in
vestigation into the murder those of the
four gunner did not appear for several
days. On July is Jack Rose, the bald
headed gambler who had been instru-
mental In procuring the murder Of Rosen-
thai, gave himself up at Police Head
quarters. Though he was supposed TO be
well known to the policemen of the
white light section, and though the po-
lice had supposedly bent every effort 10
find him. he strolled around for two days
Then, practically convinced that the
police wouldn't arrest him even II they
came upon him, he motored TO Police
Headquarters and stepped into the Detec-
tive Bureau. lie was not then ready to
confess, bur from the various stories he
told It was gathered that a bunch Of
gunner loyal to Jack Zelig had been
hired TO do the job.
"Oaoo Frank" Caught First.
On July 20 it was learned that three OF
the passengers in the murder car were
Lefty Louie" Rosenberg, "Gyp the
Blood" Horowitz and Whitley Lewis
Seidenshner The name of ''Dago Frank
Ciroflci did not appear until two days
later. But he was the first of the actual
slayers to be arrested He was traced to
an apartment house in Harlem, where he
was found with woman and another
man. all showing the effect of the use OF
opium.
Cirohci asserted that ne had had no
part in the killing Of the gambler. Just
before the murder he and the three other
gunner had been eating In Bridgie
Webber's gambling house, at Sixth ave-
and 42d st. Weber had gone out when
"Dago Frank" announced that he was
going home: that he wouldn't stay out
with the others. His girl. he said. would
be angry, for he hadn't been home In a
couple of days.
So. according to his story. he went
home. lie was there but half hour. he
said. when the others came In. About
4:30 a. m. he learned OF the murder, and.
though it had a particularly sensational
appeal for him and the three others, he
didn't awaken them. he said. When they
got ND they told him OF what they had
heard.
The next development was the indict-
uent and arrest OF Becker, then doing
desk duty at the Bathgate ave. police
station, In The bronx. That came ~on
the night of July %.
"Whitey Lewis" was taken into custody
on August / at Fleischmann's. n. Y, In
the Catskills A detective who knew him
found that he was living at farm in
the mountains. A few days after the
sleuth appeared In the vicinity Whitley
decided to come back to New York; Sec
ond Deputy Commissioner Dougherty had
made little progress with the case, and
New York seemed to afford the safest
| hiding place for the criminals.
AS Seidenshner was stepping on a train
the detective brushed against him.
Whitley" turned. and. recognizing the
detective remarked:
Hello! l guess l might as well give
myself up
The four gunner were indicted for
murder on August %. but "Gyp' and
! 81 city" were still out Of the laws grasp.
For weeks after this reports came In
/ from all over the country to Police Head
quarters here with statements like Two
men resembling 'Gyp the Blood and
Lefty Louie were seen here a few days
ago" or else It was. Stranger under
arrest here; may be one Of the fugitive
gunner"
But no real Roadway was made until
| Sentember Il, when the pair of slayers
were traced to an apartment at 7b6 Wood
ward ave. Queens. They and their wives
had been living there for month, excit-
ing no comment from the proprietor OF
the house or the neighbors. As with
"yyhitey Lewis" they believed that they
wore I'm less danger OF capture In this
citv than elsewhere. They had moved
around openly, living in much the same
unbindered way as the other tenants Of
the house.
Didn't Resist Arrest.
The most remarkable feature OF their
arrest was that they made no effort 10
ight the policemen. They were con-
WINGED that they would not he convicted .
they had absolute faith In the power Of
Becker to save them from punishment.
/ ma chair Thought been ANYTHING else