The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-05-07
ONLY FIVE JURORS
THUS FAX SECURED
Four Men Have Already
Been Executed for the
Actual Murder of the
Gambler, and it is Alleged
the Former Police Lieut.,
Instigated the Crime
Court Denies Motion OF
the Defense.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

D sAsSSO0tS&I EsO 1hEs5S.
New York May 6.-,Five jurors were
in the box and the entire panel had
been exhausted at the end of the first
days proceedings in the second tria]
of Charles Becker. former police lieu-
tenant charged with instigating the
murder of the gambler. Herman Ro-
sentha1, for which four gunmen the
actual slayers, We're executed The
jurors were kept in custody Of the
court.
Becker's attorneys made a bitter at
tack on District Attorney Whitman,
in an effort to have him adjudge : in
contempt of court. They claimed, Tat
Whitman tried to create a. pfeiuSisShl
atmosphere by giving stories to local
newspapers branding witnesses in the
eleventh hour effort to save the gum
men, as perjurers. The motion was
venue and another asking dismissal
OF the special panel of talesnaen.
ATTACK ON WHITMAN.
AT the outset today the defense at
tackled what it characterized as Dis
trict Attorney Whitman's practice OF
talking TO the newspapers to the
detriment Of their clients case. For
this reason they. q sked for a Change or
venue
This aiae lsnrTTts. y ersied ansq tFre sAaFas
ton or the 3ury was Begun BY nJon
thirteen taIesmen had been called and
eliminated and one juror had been ac-
cepted by both sides.
Becker, apparently in better health
than when brought down from the
death house at Sing Sing after the
court of appeals decision, sat with
his wife at the counsel table and fol-
lowed closely the questioning Of tales
men. He seemed slightly nervous
when he first took his seat, but in half
an hour regained the composure he
maintained during the first trial.
Crowds Of curious men and women
Jammed the corridors of the criminal
courts building today for the opening
of the second trial of Charles Becker.
former police lieutenant and head of
the" strong arm" squad, for the muT-
der of the gambler, Herman Rosenthal.
-Four men-the gunmen. socalled-re-
Gently paid for the murder with their
lives; but Becker, the alleged instiga-
tor, was saved by the ruling OF the
court of appeals.
After months in the death house he
was transferred to the Tombs in this
city, out of which he was brought to-
day across the Bridge of Sighs for the
second battle of his life.
1t was thought that the remainder
Of the week would be required to com
plete the jury and that the trial viii
last three weeks or a month.
Nearly 100 witnesses have been sub
by the state and defense
Many Of the witnesses at the last trial
have been ignored by the district at
tOTney. 1t is not believed that Sam
Schepps one of the principal inform
ars at the previous trial, viii be called
On the other hand new witnesses have
been discovered and 1t has been init
mated that several of the witnesses |
1t the first trial will change their tes-
imony OF the second. 1t had not been |
definitely decided today whether |
Becker viii take the stand
The crime for which Becker stands |
indicted occurred early in the morn |
ng Of July 16, 1912. and was the re-
ult Of a war among factions Of gamb- |
ers. The city had been in an uproar |
gainst police laxfty in dealing with /
rfmes that returned profit and Ros-
nthal a gambler with a, grudge, went |
0 District Attorney Whitman with a
ale involving Becker. In the Ian
-uage of the tenderloin he "squealed."
On July Is he was supposed to 20
gain to the office of the district at
orney and complete his "squeal'
urther involving Becker who it was
around among the gamblers.
Continued on Page Three)