davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05
A BEAUTIFUL STATUE
The Beautiful Memorial Erected to
the Late Emma Smith is the
Most Magnificent thing Of
Its Kind ever Brought
to the City.
HUNDREDS OF HER FRIENDS WERE
PRESENT AT THE UNWILLING

The unveiling of the monument
erected at the burial plot of the late
Emma Smith in beautiful Highland
cemetery was witnessed by the largest
crowd ever assembled on similar
occasion in this city and an impress
sive program was rendered under the
auspices of the Clio Art Club partici
pated in by some Of the foremost peo-
pie of the city and state. The exer-
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05
A GLORIOUS TRIBUTE

A CHRISTIAN HERO AND A WORK.
ER FOR THE LoWLY AND UN-
FORTUNATE HoNoRED AFTER
DEATH BY A MODEST BUT
BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT ERECT
ED DER HIS REMAINS.
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05

Mr.. Robert H. Hill. 17o4 East Tenth
street, one of our loyal subscribers,
is spending two weeks in Excelsior
Springs. Col. for his health
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05
OF INTEREST 70 KNIGHTS

The Grand Commander will spend
Saturday and Sunday in Hannibal.
Mo-, arranging for the Grand Encamp-
ment to be held in that city in August.
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05

Mt. Dread Lodge. the youngest Ma
sonic body in Kansas City, recently
conferred the apprentice and fellow
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05
Samuel Eason Not Forgotten

MRS. A. E. JENKINS AND THE
HoNoRED LADIES ASSOCIATED
WITH HER IN SECURING THIS
MARKER FOR THE GRAVE OF
THIS DEVOTED SERVANT OF
HIS RACE, DESERVE MUCH
PRAISE.
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05

tish Rite Masons wishing to take ad-
vantage of this opportunity had better
see Chas. Monroe, Chairman of the
Glass Committee.
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05

Get the habit Of going to the Handy
Store for notions.
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05

Every Lodge Treasurer should be
required TO give bond. II they
are unwilling to do so then you
should select a new treasurer.
Amt that fairl
The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-06-05

Say, have ysu a furnished or un-
furnished room for rent7 Adver-
tise it in The Sun and let ii be
bringing you in something.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30
CHRONOLOGY OF BECKER CASE

July H. graftnq July 15 1912-osenhaI offers before
 day.
 July 1912-RosentEaI killed Hotel
 4IetropoIe. ### July IF, 1912Vie" Sapro murder driver, July surrenders himself. Webber, Harry VaIon "Dago" Frank Cirofici arrested. July 29 1912Rose, Nebber and ValIo
 rested. @%S August l. 1912-"Whitey' Lewis arrested. August 5 1912-Beckcr pleads guilty. # September 14, 1912Gyp the Blood" and Lefty
 rested. E= October z, 1912-Becker's trial begins. October 24, 1912-Recker found guilty. November 19 1912-Four gunmen convicted February 24 1914Ne trial granted Becker Conviction
 qunmen sustained. April f914-Gunmen e1ecrocuted. May G. 1914-Second Becker trial opens. May g, 1914-Becker- found guilty second time. s July 28, 1915-Justice grant July 3O 1915-Becker dies in electric chair
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30

70 When Waldo and Gaynor threw him down he went after Judgs Eorri- gan. Hes{is trying to break in tossee Chief Magistrate MeAdoo now. He is dangerous. He's got to be stopped
 Rose said Becker sent him to see was held in the Tombs on the. charge of carrying concealed weap apons. Beck CTS men had. framed up'' ZeIig, and Becker offered to square the case if the latter would furnish men to- 'get' Rosenthal.
 Do you want them to beat him up?" asked Rose.
 -t'No. I want him croaked. murdered, his throat cut, ynamited-anyt ything that will take him off the face of the earth and out of my way
 Freedom for ,Ze1ig.
 Rose took "Bridgie" Webber and Harry Va11on, gamblers, into his con- f1dence and the two latter men ar ranged to secure ZeIig's freedom on S10, ,oOo. Sam Paul was among those who subscribed and was consequently later accused of having. a guilty knowledge as to why zelig's liberty was desired.
 Rose, through Jack zelig secured the services of Harry Horowitz, alias tGyp, the Blood; Louis Rosenberg. alias Lefty Louie''; Frank Muller. alias ttWhitey sLewis,'' and Frank Cir ofici alias ''Dago Frank These four gunmen were commissioned to- kill RosenthaI one night early in July when the gambler left the Garden Restaurant in West Fiftieth street, where he had been dining with his wife and with Jack Sullivan Rose says that at the last moment his nerve failed him and he called off the crew by telling them that they, were being shadowed by Burns detectives
 When it became known to Becker that .Rosentfa1 had actually told his story to District Attorney Whitman, Rose says the latter was n1aniacai in his rage.
 "You tell them to get that-any- where. It is all right Tell them to get him right in front of a police man if neeessary.'' Becker ordered Rose to direct the gunmen,- the. iattr says.
 Tells of Message From Becker.
 "On the afternoon before the n1pr- der,'' Rose declared, Becker te1e- phoned to me at the Lafayette Baths and told me that Jack Sullivan had just informed him that RosenthaL was going to be taken before the Grand Jury.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30

Rosentha1 mad given the names of Abe Hab1o. Dollar John Lang and Abe who were going to swear that Becker had been Rosentha1s sf1entp5 artner, and that Rose had been the *Iieuten- ants collector from gambling resorts 5 Rose left the baths, to go to the Sam Paul Association, but happened to meet. Harry VadIon and Jack SuI- livan. Then the ordered an automo- bile and took Sullivan to Madison Square Garden. where the latter met Lieutenant Becker and attended a, prize fight. Vallon and Rose went to see Dora Gilbert, RosenthaFs former wife. and obtained from her an affidavit damaging to the gambler which was to be used to discredit him. The car in which Va1lon and Rose were rid ing lost a. tire after leaving the home of the former wife, and the pair went to Sharkeys saloon in Fourteenth street, where Rose telephoned for the Shapiro car. z
 Prior. to this the pair had been join ed by Schepps and when the autono- tbiIe arrived at Sharkey's the trio en- tered it. They then proceeded to tfDa- go F'rank's' boarding place in Seventh avenue and picked him up. The gun men told them that his three partners had gone uptown and would meet the party at Bridgie Weber's poker rooms.
 RosenthaI Found in MetropoIe
 At Webber's the entire party in dulged in considerable liquor and were still drinkingi when ttBndgie,'' who had left to locate Rosepthal, returned with the tfdings that the latter was at the Hotel Metropole, where he had been decoyed by a telephone message. The rest of the story is best told in Roses own words.
 Even though wanted to stop it, couldn't do anything. Without a word everyone got up and went out 'Gyp.' Lefty eWhitey,' Dago,' Web ber@af1d Va1Fon. Schepps started to go but I asked him to wait with me-
 This is the gist of the story upon which Becker was convicted and on the strength of which he is called up- on to pay the penalty of his life.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30
Following the Trail of the
 MurdererS.

The first step in the invesaiga ton which followed the killing was the arrest Of Willie Shapiro, chauffeur of them under car. A few days later F'Bridgie'' Webber. a gambler, who conducted a. rival establishment in competition with Rosenthal at Forty second street and Sixth avenue, was arrested. In this instance the Dis trict Attorney was merely experi- menting. It was known that bad blood existed between RosenthaI and Webber, and it was current gossip in the underworld that the dead man had caused Webber to suffer a griev- ous assault at the hands of Spanish Louis,' a notorious gangster. Webber was dismissed from custody, only to be rearrested the day following the apprehension of Jack Rose.
 R It was Becker who caused the unz doing of Rose. Naturally suspicion had strongly attached to the former, and his every action was followed with the closest scrutiny. Therefore when it became known to the district at torney that the police lieutenant had attorney, John w. Hart at the apart ment of Harry Pollok, 2, mutual ac- quainltance, word was sent out that Rose was wanted. The next day he surrendered himself at police head quarters
 Told Who Hired Gar.
 In his anxiety to clear himself tsWi1- 1ie'' Shapiro, the chauffeur, informed the district attorney that Jack Rose had hired the car and had telephoned to him from Tom Sharkey's saloon to the Cafe Boulevard early on the fatal night. Shapiro also mentioned the names of Harry Yal1on and Sam Schepps as the com panions of Rose, and Val1on was subsequently, appre- hended. sam Paul, a well known East Side character, was also tenn porarily locked up. Jacob. Reich, alias Jack Sullivan, the King of the Newsboys,'' wasa sappTehended and lodged in the Tombs.
 July 29, 1912, Jack Rose, Harry Val lon and "Bridgie'' Weibber confessed the full details of the alleged murder plot. The Grand July was summon ed to a night session and heard their stories under an assurance of irpmun-7 ity from prosecution if their tale was s1Ibstantiated and it<was shown that they had not with their own hands fired the shots which killed Herman RosenthaI. The Grand Jury voted a. true bill accusing Becker of the mur- der Shortly before midnight he was aligned before Judge MuIqueen in General Sessions and entered a, plea. of mot guilty.
 Two days after the arrest of Becker, ''twhitey'' Lewis, one of the four gun men who had committed the actual shooting, was arrested by New York detectives in the Catski11s. August 10 Sam Schepps, who was sought by Dis trict Attorney Whitman as a material witness, was located in Hot Springs, Ark, and brought back to this city.
 Becker was re-indicted, and with him were named t+Gyp, the Blood, z sswhitey Lewis Lefty Louie, "Dagoe Frank Willie Shapiro and Jack Sul- livan The indictments against the two latter men were dismissed. Soon afterward the three remaining gun men were found hiding in a house in remote section of Queens.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30
The Threatened Expose of
 Becker by Rosenthal.

So matters stood on the day of July II, 1912, when the public of New York was mildly interested by the announcement of District Attorney Charles s. Whitman that hef had re- ceived a visit from Herman Rosen- thai. a wel-knovn Tenderloin gam bier, who had made startling revela= tions concerning Lieutenant Becker. MT. Whitman insisted that, the
 graft disclosure would startle the city and would result. in an. uph eayaI in the; police department.
 Rosentha1 for a. score of years had been professional gambler He had conducted some sthirty-two places in the city, most of them on the lower East Side. With increasing prosper
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30
The Story Told by Bald
 Jack" Rose.

The story related by Jack Rose, Schepps, Ya1lon and Webber, concern ling the alleged plot conceived by Becker against the life of Herman Rosenthal, follows. It is this story which convicted Becker at both trials, and it is the story which he denounced as a lie concocted by the actual con- spirators to save themselves, when the halter began to tighten around their necks.''
 Rose corroborated the story related by Rosentha1 concerning his relations with Becker and added that as early as June, 1912, the latter expressed an intense fear of the dead gambler.
 This Rosentna1 is going fur ther than I ever thought: he would Rose quotes Becker as having said to him at a conference held in the Union Square Hotel toward the end of June, more than three weeks before the mur-
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30
The Murder of Herman Rosenthal, the Informer.

Early on the morning of July 16, 1912, a large gray touring car, con- tainfng several men, drew up in front of the Hotel Woodstock in West Forty third street. While the chauffeur re- mained in his seat with the engine running the passengers alighted and walked west toward Broadway. Sud- denly they halted in front of the Hotel Metropole, from which a port1y, n1idN dle-aged man. of medium height and prosperous appearance, had emerged
 Suddenly the group closed in on their unsuspecting victim, there was a fusillade of shots and the sudden batter of running feet. Back to the waiting car tore the gangsters, while from behind came shouts. From cafes and restaurants. the night rofsterers of Broadway came pouring in hurried streams. Ina trice. the street was filled with an excited mob, although it was after one o'clock Although there were four: policemen within easy reach of the crime. the pursuit of the Inur- derers was delayed several seconds. When PatTolman File, of the West F'orty-seventh street police station, who had been in the Hotel MetropoIe whe nthe shooting took place outside, gave chase in a communicated taxicab
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30
BECKER DIES I0 THE ELECTRIC CHAIRI

the low, gray touring car had turned the corner of Sixth avenue and was lost in a, stream of motor traffic.
 Identity of Dead Man Revealed. The body of the murdered man was still lying unrecOgnized upon the sidewalk when a stranger thrust his way through the press and exclairn- claimed: My God! They've killed Ro- senthal."
 It was the news that the informer had been murdered that caused Dis trict, Attorney Whitman to leap out of bed that morning and hurry to the West .Forty-seventh street police sta tion, whither the body had been taken: His zeal resulted in the dis covery of the identity of the murder car and incidentally led to the ulti- mate arrest of the murderers.
 Through the ,bungling or conniv -ance of the police, a spectator who had g1impsed the number of the tour ing car from the steps of the Ell<s' clubhouse had been placed under ar rest and false number entered upon. the police blotter. District Attorney Whitman questioned the witness and caused the mistake to be rectffed and the man dismissed from custody
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30
lBECKER'S LIFE
 AS ASPOI.IC'EMAN. THRILLING ONE

Charles Becker became a member of the New York Police Department November 1. 1883, and from the. first day he donned a uniform his career was a checkered ones~ Possessed Of splendid physique and an indo1nit- able will. he quickly obtained an as tendency over his fellow patrelrnen in the Tenderloin precinct. Some former comrades Of these early days recall distinctly Becker's freuuent clashes with superior officers and the reputation which he enjoyed as a 'two-f1sted copper" One of his ear Hest escapades was the result of a thrilling midnight man-hunt through West TInirty-seventh street after a pair Of fleeing burglars whom he had surprised footing cigar store at 1 399 Broadway.
 With Becker at the time was PatrolTaan Carey also of the old West Thirteth street precinct The two blueeoats pursued the thieves and re- yolver shots were exchanged. In the midst of the fustIade a boy named John Fay, a plumbers helper, turned
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30

1ty he became ambitious to ''break into the swell mob'' and open a gam bling resort de luxe in the heart of the hotel and theatrical district. he secured capital from Big Tim Sullivan and had jumped into the big game by opening an establish nent at No 104 West Ferty-fifth street.
 It was not long before Rosenthal made the acquaintance of Billiard Ball Jack,', sBecker's reputed collector, otherwise known as Bald Jack Rose. Then. according to Rosen- fhafs story, a meeting with Becker followed. The newly fIedged gam Bling venture had not proved a bonanza and Rosenthal was in, need Of funds. He had been playing heay- fly for police protection and his finances were at a low ebb. Accord i ing to his story to the district attor- ney, Becker took a share in the en- terprise and contributed $1.5oo to- ward the bank In return he was to reap twenty-five per cent of. the gross receipts and in order to assure himself of ian even breal'' had i1i- stalled Rose in the premises.
 ReprisaI Followed RosenthaI BaIk.
 But the gambler said the demands of Becker became greater and great CT as the profits increased. Finally, Rosenthal baked and swift reprisa1 followed Headed by Becker the Strong Arm Squad swooped down on the place in a sensational raid. which Becker insisted to Rosentha1 had been ordered by Commissioner Waldo. The gambler disbelieved the tale and said so hat1y. He accused Becker of trying to ruin him and get the place for Rose. Then a police man was stationed in front of the house while Rosenthal writhed help lessly within, tortured alike by the loss. s.sof revenue and the consci ousness that he had. been given a 'sraw deal"
 Finally he took his story to Police Headquarters,, but the commissioner was at all times too busy to see him. He journeyed to city hall, but Mayor Gaynor refused to grant an audience. Finally he called on the district asttor- ney and told his story, swearing to it in a. lengthy affidavit.
 District Attorney Whitman irnme- diatedy arranged for the gambler to appear before the Grand Jury on the morning of July 16, 1912, four days later, and consternation seized the gambling fraternity at the prospect of the lean and hungry days to. come. It was openly promised by Rosentha1 that he would spare no one, but would name each and every man enjoying the police protection, which had been denied to him
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30

the corner from Seventh avenue and unwittingly entered the zone of bat tie. Before the startled youth could take shelter in a friendly doorway a stray bullet pierced his heart and he crumpled forward in a heap upon the sidewalk. Both Carey and Becker were suspended but were restored to duty. It was never definitely estab- lished who fired the fatal shot. The killing of Fay occurred two years after Becker's appointment to the force.
 Horsewhipped Boy in Rage.
 Shortly afterwards Becker's hot, brutal temper involved him, in anoth- CT scrape and4caused him to be repri- nanded. He had ordered a newsboy named John Stein to move on'' from a certain Broadway corner, and the ganin. became fnpertinent. In a burst of rage the policeman seized a heavy horsewhip from a carriage and dashed the urc1ain across the legs. Still later he was tried before former Inspector Harley on the charge of having assaulted Frank McMu1lin and his wife, cigar vendors on Sixth ave- nue-
 On February 10, 1897, Becker ar rested a woman of the TenderIoin on an infamous charge, of which she was cleared through the efforts of the late stephen Crane, the novelist. She attempted to sh oyx that her arrest was due to a deliberate l.sframeup = and Becker retalfated Sby publicly knock ing her down on a street. corner
 Despite his numerous offenses against discipline, Becker was regard ed by his superiors as in many re- spects a Z6erftorious officer. E He was the terr or of eviIdders in the Tender loin and in November, 19 o3, was proz noted to roundsnan. Within a, year he received a medal for rescuing Jas. Butler from drowning. at the foot of West Tenth street. Two years later Butler made an affidavit that he was paid s15 for his part in the. perform ance and that the rescue" was a fake.
 Trial as Result of Activity,
 Tn 1906 Becker made several raids in the district where Inspector Schmittbergersw was in command, and as a result of his activity, the 1a5ttr was put on trial. SchTnittberger was exonerated, but Becker was reward ed by pfomotion to lieutenant. On June 30, 1911, Becker was placed in command of the newly created Strong Arm Squad by-PoIice Com missioner Waldo, and took charge of raiding poolrooms and gambling re- sorts.
 Alf1oSI 1Ian1eo1aJeIy~ ugly fumOrS became current in police circles that Becker was selling protection to a favored coterie of gamblers, and that high officials in the department were cognizant of his activities. In March, 1912, negro gambler was shot and killed in one of the spectacular Strong Arn'' raids, and later Charles B. Pitt, an intimate of Becker, was Indicted and tried for the crime. Pitt was acquitted largely through the as sistance of Becker. and the latter, who had been temporarily deposed from the. command of the special squad, was restored to duty.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-30
fcontinuea from Page 1.1

 tain pen as a gift.
 s-It is the last thing that have tc give away and l want you to have it I want youaEto give this statement te me newspapermen.
 After his wife had tsaid farewell shortly after midnight, Becker main tained a casual conversation with side the screen in front of his cell. Some times he spoke, after which he would let his heal fall upon his hand and gaze refIectively at the concrete floor minutes at a time.
 Photograph Over Heart
 Dawn found him seated on the edge of his cot carefully pinning g. photo just above his heart. Then as if he desired. to have her all to himself, Becker put on a. thin black Alpaca coat which he tightly buttoned. The photograph was not seen by the wit nesseS until the prison physician opened his coat as he sat in the death chadr.
 Becker was put to death blythe state execudoner whose name is unknown to the. public. This man succeeded State E1ectr1cian Davis and he said he would not take the job unless his name was kept secret He lives in a little town Ap-state rand sEEeRnt 2 about his work briskIy.!
 Becker,s execut1oner said that in. his opinion the man had died instantly at tho first contact
 An autopsy on the body of Becker was performed according to law i'm mediately after the execution.
 After Becker,s body had been re- moved from the electric chair, Samuel 7aynes. a negro murderer, was Aeleetrocuted.
 One of Becker's last requests to Warden Osborne was that he be put to death before the negro Haynes
 Wife Makes Statement.
 A statement credited to Mrs Becker was given out here shortly after her husbands death.
 as saying. until F have exposed the methods which were used to convict my husband Whether he was guilty or innoncent, there was no justif1ca- tien for the means employed to con Vict him
 would rather lose all the other members Of my family, as dear as they are to me, than lose Charlie. No ones can take his place. In all of the 10 years of our married life never had occasion once to regret that I was his wife
 Charlie was no angel He made no pretense of being one He was Just an ordinary human 5eing-ard perhaps that is why loved him so. .,,
 VIII Be Buried Sunday.
 Dr. w. o. Stillman of Auburn, who assisted in the autopsy. said that Becker showed unusual resistance to the electric fluid. After the autopsy Dr. StiIlman said 2.
 noticed no unusual effects upon Bechersa vital organs. The way he resisted the strong current was re- rnarkable, showing him to be an un- usually powerful Inan.',s
 It was expected that Becker's body will be removed some time today to New York where funeral services will probably be held on Sunday