The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-02-27
WEBBER, CHIEF STATE WITNESS. NOW MISSING .Bridgiep Disappears As Beck CT Is Returned to Cell
 In To1nbs. GUNMEN ARE READY TO MAKE NEW STATEMENT District Attorney Plans to Pre- sent Fresh Evidence
 At Trial.

New York, Feb. 27-.sBridgie' Web Der. one of the principal witnesses against Charles Becker, has disappear ed, and it was declared today he will not be on hand to testify at the next trial of the former lieutenant
 Becker, in the ToIulbs today, WAS cheered by circumstances regarded as having 3. tendency toward weakening the case against him. The mystert- oT1s absence of Webber, the uncertain-
 y concerning the attitude that Sam Schepps will take ,and the break down. of Jack Rose, three of the most important witnesses against him. are things that point to a better chance for the ex-poIice lieutenant than he had in his first trial
 It became evident today that Mrs. Becker will have leading part in the preparation of her husbands de- fense and in his second trial. It was asserted that she felt all along that he would get a new trial and that she obtained from him his promise that he would insist upon going upon the witness stand.
 present new evidence at the trial he will call in April or May
 GUNNIEN HAVE STATEMENT. The four gunnen condemned to death in the electric chair in the week of April 13, planned today to make public their side of the case in q statement G5sI the Blood was ready to give the document out, but decided to wait until after conference with former Magistrate Wahle, counsel for the quartet still in the death house
 Although Beckarss liberation on bail pending trial would violate all prece- dent in cases like his it Is known that l a strong fight will be made to obtain his freedoTn- The size of fhe bond, 1 it was asserted, would rst discparage the prisoners drIeTfds. They 4sall1Ee they can convince a c@nrt that there would be no danger of Becker for feitfng any sum deposited for his ap- neaance at the bar.
 CROWD DISAPPOINTED. It was expected that Becker would be brought to this city through the l Grand Central Terminal, and crowd I of several hundred was waiting there l to see him. It was disappointed, l however. By order of Sheriff Grifen- hagen, Beckers custodians took him l off the train at One Hundred and Twenty-hfth street and hurried him 1 into an automo bile, in which he was rushed down Fifth avenue to Wash l ington Square and then to the Tombs.
 Those in the car with him said he l took a keen delight in seeing the lights A of the town once more. 1 There was a crowd of a hundred or more persons at the TonIbs. The 7 only thing they saw was a. large clos I ed automobile drive through the Lafa- 1 yette street entrance.
 I A crowd of policen1en were station 4 ed there under Lieutenant Brady ot the Elizabeth street station, and but for their closing in after the automo- bile had entered the gate many would have followed the car into the prison yard.
 OCCUPIES CELL 117. Inside the gate and the door closed z Becker was parted from those wh. had ridden with him from the Ont
 Hundxed and Twenty street sta
 tion of the New York Central Rail ; road and taken bys Sheriff Max s Grifenhagen, Frank K. Bowers, an un.
 der sheriff.; Joseph A Miller, deputy
 sheriff, and Warden Hanley to the teeH he will occupy during his seeons
 trial. It is cell No. TIT. His orll,
 comment was that New York looked
 good to him and he was glad to ge , back.
 In the party, besides Mrs Becker
 the accused man, his lawyer. Josep1 : A. Shay, and the representatives O. , the sherfn were Mrs. Becker's brother John Lynch. a=c1erk in a. magistratei , court of Bronx county, and a frient of Becker, Chris Grady