The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-07-30
HISTORY OF THE
BECKER CRIME

HISTORY OF THE
BECKER CRIME
CONTINUED from page ~
interior, four men standing on the
curb, fired simultaneously and the
gambler dropped to the sidewalk
His death was instantaneous.
The murderers ran across the
street, jumped into a long grey car,
the engine of which was running, and
were whirled away while the crowd
was gasping. Everything was con-
fusion, but a citizen glimpaed tho
number on the car In the melee. and
it was on this thread that District
Attorney Whitman built the case that
sent five men to their death.
The next day. vigorously prodded
by New York papers, the police ar
rested Willie Shapiro and man
named Libby, owners OF the car.
From them they drew that a gambler
named Jack Rose had hired the ma
chine. BRIDGE" Weber was arrested
the same day, on suspicion, and the
next day Jack Rose, who had been
laying low" was taken.
Rose admitted he had hired the car
and collected the four gunner, "Gyp
the Blood" Lefty Louie" "Dago
Frank" and Whitley Lewis" mem
bers OF big Jack" Zelig's east side
gang.
Then began the roundup Of the
gunner. 'fDago Frank" was the ffrst
arrested, and on August 1. Whitley
Lewis" was found hiding in the Cats
kill mountains. "Gyp the Blood" and
Lefty Louie were not arrested I'M
til late in September.
In the meantime, Becker had been
indicted for murder. due to the con-
fessions Of Bald Jack" Rose,
''Bridgie" Weber and Harry Val}on,
who also had been taken for ais
value as witness. It was not until
month after Becker was indicted
that murder indictments were return
ed against ''Gyp the Blood" Lefty
Louie, "Dago Frank" Whitley Lew
is" Jack" Sullivan and Willie Sha-
piro. The last two got out OF the
muss because of their work tn aiding
the state, and because they were nor
directly implicated in the killing Of
RosenthaL
with all the principals safely
lodged behind the bars, District At
torney Whitman began gathering the
mass OF evidence. Sleuths were put
on Becker's past and his whole life
was barred in the first murder trial.
The investigators found money in
various New York banks in Becker's
name, aggregating In all to between
$4,000 and 100000. This was one Of
the strongest links in the district at
torney's chain, as 1t tended to cor
roborate Roses graft revelations.
Becker attempted to explain the mon
ey by saying it was the accumula-
ton Of years of savings by he and his
wife, but the agents discovered that
Becker had S-<n divorced. disprov-
ing his story.
On October s, the day before Beck
er was put on trial, big Jack" Zelig.
famous east side gunman, and boss
OF the four that murdered Rosenthal.
was shot to death in Second avenue
by gangster.
Becker went to trial the next day
before Justice Con. In three weeks,
on October "a, the jury returned a
verdict guilty in the first degree"
Becker was convicted mainly on the
of Jack Rose, about the
now famous Harlem conference" In
that conference. Rose swore, he met
Becker at 124th street and Seventh
avenue, on the night of June 81. and
Becker promised him and his pals
immunity If they would put Rosenthal
out of the way. The testimony OF
statements. It was further corrobor
ated by a negro named Marshall, In
no way connected with the case, who
paclyar 70 n q
on that corner that night.
After his conviction, which he took
with remarkable fortitude, Becker was
sentenced to die December 9. An ap
peal saved him, however, as 1t acted as
a stay of execution.
On November 10, "Gyp the Blood
Whitley Lewis "Dago Frank" and
Lefty Louie" were found guilty OF
murder in the first degree and were
sentenced to be electrocuted.
Little of Importance occurred In
the cases during 1913. There were
sporadic outbursts of activity, but
nothing definite developed.
Becker spent all this time in the
death house at Sing Sing, near where
the four gunner were awaiting death
His iron nerve never faltered. Meth
er did those of his four hirelings.
1t was February "a before a rift il
the clouds revealed to the convicted
police lieutenant a chance to escape
the chair. On that date the court OF
appeals set aside the verdict and Of.
dered a re-trial. The same court
however, as a part of the same -uling,
affirmed the death sentence of the
four gunner, and they were electro
cuted in Sing Sing on April 10, after
every means to save their lives had
been exhausted
Becker was jubilant over his new
trial. He could not see anything but