Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-26
BECKER TO ESCAPE
WITHOUT A TRIAL
SUCH Is THE IMPRESSION IN NEW
YORK FOLLOWING ACTION
or COURT or APPEALS.

New York, Feb. 25.-Charles Becker.
FORMER police lieutenant convicted OF
ihstlgatlng the murder of Herman Ros.
ehthal, the gambler, who has Just been
sranted new trial, was visited in the
aeath house at Sing Sing prison today
ny MS attorney, Joseph A. Shay. To-
morrow, the attorney told Becker, he
expects to serve the remittitur OF the
court OF appeals on the prison warden.
becker will then leave the death house
Where he has been confined since the
iaii OF 1912, and be returned to cell
III the Iombs prison here until the fin,
al disposition of his case. s
behlnd him in the death cells Becker
leaVes the gunner convicted of
actual killing OF Rosenthal whose nj ).
TEST against the graft system In New
YORK was charged. caused him to be
shot to death.
Dlstrlct Attorney Charles S. Whit.
man, who will determine whether
BECKER shall be tried again has thus
iar refused to say what further action
ne VIII take In the case. 1t is known,
however, that he believes that sec
ono trial would be futile in the face of,
the court OF appeals decision. That
decision in effect. stamps San
schepps. one of the principal wit
lesses Tor the state, as an accomnlice
in the murder plot.
The judge discussed the case fully
as to the facts and then the rulings
or the trial justices He declared
there was no error OF law committed
at the trial which would justify
reversal
In the gunmen's case the court said
that the only question to be decided
was whether the court had erred. II
was apparent the court OF appeals held
that neither unfairness nor er.cr was
shown in the case.
History Of Crime.
New York, Feb. 25.-The crime for
which Becker and the four gunmen re-
celved sentences of death stirred
every stratum of New York society
and Its echoes were heard in the re-
cent city campaign. Herman Rosen-
thai gambler was shot down early
on the morning of July is, 1912, In
front of the Hotel Metropke. in the
heart of the tenderloin He was sit
ting III the hotel cafe when man
told him he was wanted outside. He
walked to the ..:or and fell dead be.
lore fusillade of pistol shots. The
men who killed him jumped into
waiting automobile and sped away.
he police failed to trace the car
until the clerks Of the rG1ks club
nearby told them it's number. When
the car was found It's owner and it's
chaufeur were arrested and other ar
rests followed rapidly The convic-
tions OF Becker and the gunner were
chiefly based on the testimony of Jack
Rose, gambler: ''Bridgie" Weber.
Roses partner and Harry WALTON one
OF their agents. This trio turned
states evidence and declared they had
hired the four gunner to kill ROsen-l
thai at Becker's request
Becker was lieutenant in charge of
the strong arm squad" whose duties
was to keep in subsection the gangs.
of the city and to regulate gambling
places and houses Of ill-fame. Rose.
Weber and WALTON said the police lieut.
enant made use OF his position to COL
lect money from these houses as the
price of letting them do business.
Rosenthal knew Of the operations.
IAcy Sdlu anu HdVluS grievance
against Becker was about to turn over
: his evidence to the district attorney.
States witnesses insisted that
, Becker urged and threatened them
until they agreed to do his bidding.
Becker was arrested July 50. 1872.
but nearly two months elapsed before
the police found the gunner. The
search covered the whole country and
dozens Of innocent persons were de-
tanned as suspects.
Men Hear the News.
Ossining, N. Y, Feb. 25.--News that
they were to die and that Becker was
J to have a ne wtrial reached "Gyp the
Blood Whitley Lewis, Dago Frank CT
roficl and Lefty Louis Rosenberg In
the death house almost the same time
it reached New York.
| 1t came by long distance telephone
and was broken to them and Becker
by turnkey. It was said that pos.
sibly later Becker would issue state
ment.
| j =