Norwich bulletin., 1914-02-25
Becker Escapes
 Electric Chair
CONVICTION REVERSED BY
 COURT OF APPEALS.
WON'T BE TRIED AGAIN
District Attorney Believes It Useless in View of Courts opinion-court
 Finds Becker Didn't Have Fair Trial.

New York, Feb. 24.-The conviction of Charles Becker, former police lieu tenant, of the murder of the gambler Herman Rosenthal, was annulled to- day. by the court of appeals at Albany, the highest tribunal in the state. Beck CT is entitled to a new trial, but it seemed probable tonight that he might go free without facing a second or deal. It was made known that Dis trict Attorney Charles $. Whitman believes that under the prevailing opinion handed down by the court con- viction second time will be impos- sible.
 "rhe district attorney is the last man in the warld,'' said Mir Whitman to- night, '"who should want a conviction to stand which is not juStifiable by law. That is all the comment that I care to make"
 Testimony of AccompIices Not Cred ible.
 As the district attorney was said to 1 have interpreted the opinion, the tes- timony of the three chief witnesses against Becker-Jack Rose, Bridgie Webber and Harry Vallon, self-con- 1 fessed accomplices-has not been held by the court to be credible. Although it is known that the district attorney has new evidence which he could bring i forth, the testimony of these three the gamblers who said they hired the 1 gunmen to kill Rosentha1 at Becker S behest-was the foundation of the case. MT. Whitman was also under the inn pression tonight that in effect the court l had held that Sam ScheppS, the smooth | talking little gambler who corroborat- ed the trio, also was an accomplice. To Request Dismissal of indictment. of twenty men were in the conspira- . 1 1xr tn 1or-s a Ia o1o In tho ] district attorney said tonight "and nineteen of them were to turn states 1 evidence against the twentieth, the 1 twentieth could not be convicted under 1 this decision. It would be futile to I bring Becker to trial again The suggestion put forth tonight that 1 the four gunmen, now that their only ! hope lies in executive clemency, might i turn states evidence was not received 1 by the district attorney as one that | offered any hope of aiding a convic- l ton. He thought their testimony un- ! der the ruling of the court also would lie in the same category as that oi i Rose, Webber and Vallon. It was the ] consensus of opinion among those con- nected with the district attorneys of | flee that should any action be taken by i Beckers counsel toward securing q 1 dismissal of the case, District Attorney ! Whitman would not oppose it. To Ask Dismissal of Indictment. i Attorney Shay, jubilant tonight and i declaring that the states case had fall i en to pieces, said he was going to see 1 Becker early tomorrow, and that with | in a day or two he could confer with | District Attorney Whitman and re- l quest a dismissal of the indictment. As soon as the prison authorities receive 1 the courts remittitur, Becker will be 1 brought to New York and placed in the 1 Tnp1hG hG until his ig diSnOcRd nf
 Mrs. Becker Kisses Shay.
 Mrs Becker was informed of the re- ! versal by Attorney Shay. She immedi- l ately left her home and went to Shay's | office. There fifteen reporters, Beck | CTS two brothers. Jackson Becker an6 l Police Lieut. John Becker were walt ing for her. Shay himself was sitting 1 in an inner office, fifteen feet from the door leading to the corridor. WheT
 Mrs. Becker opened the door she glanc- ed hurriedly around the room. Hel eys fell Topn Shay and she rar l through two offices to reach him. Int
 score of men parted for her. The wom- an threw her arms around Shay's pecl and kissed him. Shay looked embar- rassed, and Mrs. Becker, realizing there were spectators. blushed and retired
 behind a door leading te the reception room. Later she said
 TT really suppose I should apologize for having kissed MT. Shay before sC | many people. But I just couldn't hell
 1t. Anyway, why shouldn't l KISS him
 He has saved my husbands life"
 Mrs. Becker Happy in Bereavement.
 Mrs. Becker's mother died yesterda, and will be buried tomorrow. Despite this fact, Mrs. Becker's face wal | wreRthed in smiles.
 | 'I am the happiest woman in tn,
 world.' she said. 'T do not believe m, l husband will ever be tried again, ana 1 neither does he.
 Every Saturday. with but one or twt exceptions, since Charlie has been 1T the death house at Sing Sing, I hav' gone there to see him. Last Saturday ! he told me he felt confident that hi | conviction would be reversed and tha
 he would be granted a new trial FL
 has always felt this would be the out
 come"
 In reply to a question as to what sh' believed to have been the cause O.
 Beckers conviction, she said:
 There was a hue and cry to get
 someone for the murder of Rosenthal ! My husband happened to be caught il
 the net"
 Mrs. Becker Teaching School.
 "As far as my husband not beini
 re-tried for the crime they alleged h.
 committed, I wish they would re-tr! | him. l want him to be acquitted O every suspicion. He had absolutel! nothing to do with the killing of Ros ! enthal He was the victim of a vil' conspiracy and that should be prov
 ed"
 Soon after Becker was sent to tn
 death house Mrs Becker returned |, the public school in Harlem, where sh' l had been before she married the DO lice lieutenant. She has been teaching l there ever since.
 
 THE COURTS FINDING.