Las Vegas optic., 1914-04-13
-FOUR GUNMEN DIE
FOR ROSENTHAL
MURDER
Continued From Page one)
Last Hone Failed

ne last dNGuu6 VI nOpS lOl LhV AouA
gunmen was closed six days before
their execution when Governor Glynn
refused to grant a stay, pending the
second trial of Charles Becker, former
police lieutenant, who was convicted
in the lower courts of having plotted
the murder of Herman Rosenthal, to
prevent him from making graft reve
lations to District Attorney Whitman.
The court of appeals, in reversing the
decision for Becker, declared itself
unconvinced that he had directed the
murder, but upheld the Judgment OF
the lower court that the four gunmen
had been the instruments. Motions
for new trial, on the ground Of new
evidence, made by their attorney,
were denied and they were sentenced
to die during the week beginning
April 13.
Four days before their execution
a delegation of New York rabbis Wis
tied Governor Glynn and pleaded in
vain with him to postpone the execu-
tion until after the second trial OF
Becker. The governor remained fixed
in the opinion that he had already
expressed-that BecRer's guilt or In
nocence could in no way affect the
guilt of the gunmen who had been
judged guilty b1 two courts.
The real names Of the men who
have been known as "Gyp the Blood
Lefty Louie, "Dago Frank" and
oWhitey Lewis" were Harry Horo
witz, Louis Rosenberg, Frank Cirofici
and Frank Seidenshuera The young
est. Lefty Louie, was 21 the oldest
'Dago Frank 27. Except DagC
| Frank. the men were Jews. As the
nickname implies, he was an Italian
Gyp the Bloc and Lefty Louie were
married Their young widows survive
them.
Not only during the trial but il
statements given out at Sing Sing
! three of the gunner persisted in thu
declaration that Dago Frank had no
been present at the time of the mur
der, and was not in any way concern
ed in the plot to murder Rosenthal
! During their stay in the death hous
all four maintained an attitude 0
martyr-like innocence, tempered witt
an optimism growing, out Of their be
! lief that their fate hinged upon Beck
ers and that if he were not guilty
they must be set free. The new
crushing hopes of this nature as al
nounced by the warren was receiye
with stoical calmness.
The crime for which the four CUR
men paid the death penalty, starte
wave Of police reform, from whicl
the ripples have not yet subsidet
Throughout the revelations made a
the time and subsequently, stake
the vague and sinister monster know
as the police system.
"A Rosenthal was shot down early @
tie morning of July 16, 1912, in iron
of the Hotel Metropole, in the hear
Of the Tenderloin On ERceiving a
announcement from man. who cam
into the hotel, he waiKed out and fel
dead before fusillade Of bullets TIL
murderers leaped into an automobil
and escaped. Weeks later after Becl
| er had been arrested the gunmen wer
found in flat in Brooklyn.
Their conviction and Beckers wer
based chiefly on the testimony G
| three go-betweens who turned state
evidence. These men-Jack Rose
Bridge Webber and Harry Vallon-
declared that they hired the gunme
to kill the gambler, Rosenthal, a
Becher's request. ac
Sam Schepps, a little gambler col
roborated their testimony and wa
not adjuged an accomplice.
Becker was police lieutenant il
charge Of the STRONG arm squd,
whose duties we're to keep in subjeC
tion the gangs Of the city and to regu
late gambling houses and places of Ill
fame. Rose, Webber' and VallOn, sal
that Becker had made use Of his po
sftion to collect money from thes
almost innuperabIe commissions an,