Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-30

entered a waiting motor car to go to
Sing Sing for a last farewell with her
husband. Within ten minutes the gov!
ernor was on his way to Albany.
Denies Press Agents Statement.
The governor denied vigorously that
he ever told Charles B. Pitt, Becker's
so-called press agent, that he intended
to pardon Becker If he became gov
ernor
'"The statement" he said. "is too alb
surd to consider"
Mr.. Johnston declared in the pres
knew of Becker offering to plead
guilty to second degree murder.
The governor said positively that any
report attributed to him to the effect
that Becker had made such an offer
was unwarranted, but he added that
he would not deny the truth of such a
statement.
Press Agent Pitts Tale.
NEW YORK. July sO.-Gov. whit
mans denial of the story told by
Charles B. Pitt referred to a statement
made here yesterday by Pitt often de-
scribed as Beckers former press
agent.
Pitt in his statement said:
Gov Whitman while district attor-
ney Of New York county summoned
me to his Office a short time before the
second Becker trial, and in the pres
ence of others, whose names | cannot
now make public, Mr.. Whitman said to
me:
81 want you to help convict Becker
in his coming trial. Your appearance
on the stand as his former press agent
Will make big difference in the out
come"
Pitts statement continued:
Il am not sure of Mr.. Whitman's ex-
act words, but he said in effect: Just
as soon as l am elected governor / will
ago l went OF Albany and reminded the
governor of what he had said to me
| on that occasion. He replied that he
did not recollect the conversation"
Gov. Whitman's Rejoinder.
ALBANY, n. Y, July 30-Charles
Becker never made a direct offer to
plead guilty to murder in the second
degree and never offered directly to
implicate others in graft exposures,
Gov. Whitman declared upon his return
from Poughkeepsie.
Becker Is right in saying he never
made direct offer, for | have not
spoken to him since the night Rosen-
thai was murdered" the governor said
liz -" eli CdI say tHdt IOT ne personally
never has made any proposition to me
1t is well known fact that his counsel
offered to implicate others in graft
disclosures and named five persons 1t
was only short time ago that Beck
er's counsel in New York city said that
IT. was up to me to name the men"
The governor refused to discuss the
assertion that Becker had offered to
plead guilty to second degree murder
other than to say that Becker himself
ma Ia nff
Becker's denial that he had ever sent
counsel to men arrested for completely
in the Rosenthal murder and the allie
cation that his first wife had died I'M
der mysterious circums stances the gov
ernor would only say that these
charges have been published in news
papers for three years"
After answering questions concern
ing the Becker letter the governor ex-
claimed Il don't wish to say more
about a man condemned to die. This
man is guilty. There isn't the slightest
doubt about it. 1t was the most per-
fectly proven case in the annals of
criminal history"
Governor at His Office.
Still showing the effects Of the strain
under which ne has been during the las,
week, Gov. Whitman arrived at the ex-
ecutive chamber about II o'clock this
morning He did not retire until about
2 o'clock after returning from Pough-
keepsie, where he heard the final plea
Of Mrs. Becker for her husbands life
The governor had no comment to, make
on any phase Of the Becker case. The
letter which the former police lieutenant
wrote the executive just before going to
the death chair had not been received at
noon today.
BECKER'S CASE.
July II, 1912-Herman Rosenthal,
Ne ynrl p,bler nuhlfcly accpceS