The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-30
I AM NOT AFRAID TO DIE, SAYS BECKER;
 OJUSTICE HERE, HE
 ADDS TO ADVISERS
tCcntinucd from Page Onc)

0NP ter, "he had offered to give testimony against several persons (whoso names arc undisclosed) of having shared with me in collecting momeny from lawbreakers; that he had sent counsel to two men ar rested for compllcity in the Rosenthal murder. and that with a cruelty almost income eivable. it is stated that my first wife died under circumstances warranting suspicion that I had caused her death
 Becker explained the death of his first wife by declaring that she had died of "hasty consumption, and that no breath of suspicion had ever been raised against him in that connection
 Attacks Governor
 Mark well. sir, these words of mine' the letter concluded, when your power passes, then the truth of Rosenthal s murder will become known. But not while your nominees remain district at torneys and can hold the club over these persons.
 with the aid of judges who were mis- led Into misconceiving the testimony or fered in my trial and into misstating It both to the jury and on appeal, you nave proved yourself able to destroy my life.
 But believe me, l will surrender It With out rancor. Not all the judges Tn this state nor in this country. nor the gov ernor of this state, nor the district at- torney nor all of them combined, can de'
 stroy permanently the character of an in' nocent man.
 The letter was mailed to Governor Whit man tonight Becker had spent nearly the whole day preparing it. The state ments that elicited 1t appeared in morning papers sent to his cell shortly after he arose at a. m., to spend what were to be the last 24 hours of his life. He had, the night before. learned that his appll- cation for a new trial had been denied, but had slept we'll He ate his usual morning meal.
 To Deputy Warden Johnson of Sing
 Sing, who notified him thnt his appeal hnd been denied, Becker said;
 "WeII. I'll die like man, anyhow To Father Cashin, the prison chap lain, Becker saidi
 .sThere is no justice here. I nm con- fident that I will get 1t in the next world.. I know that the truth will come out and that the world will know that Rccker told the truth and is not tn. mu rdcrer he Is accused of being. | do not fear death, but I feel the stigma which this death attaches to the nnme Bccker, md I feel the distress and sor- row that it will cause my wife," Becker was taken to the prison barber for the usual har-clipping given to pris- oners who are to go to the electric chair. After a bath, his clothes were changed for the "death suit' of black and he was taken back to his cell. He found that all his personal belongings had been re- , moved
 Begins Statement
 Becker obtained paper and began his
 statement, finishing the first draft about noon Meantime at the suggestion or Father William E. Cashin. the prison chaplain, his attorneys, w. Bourke Cock
 ran and Martin T. Manton. were sum moned from New York. They went to
 the cell and read the statement. Neither would discuss it's contents, but 1t was understood that Becker subsequently modified the original draft. "All I can say is that the statement is not legal matter" MT. Cochran said.
 Father James Curry of New York, who has been Becker's spiritual adviser since his first conviction, was a visitor today. He left him a prayer book and testament marked with consoling passages, which the prisoner promised to read. Late in the afternoon Jackson and John Becker, brothers. and Mrs Katherine Geuigher, a sister, visited him and re- mained with him in his cell until long after his evening meal. which Becker ate with apparently his normal appetite. Mrs. Geuigher was weeping when she came out
 Dr. Charles w. Farr, the prison phy- scan. and Dr. Henry Mereness, his as- sstant, made a customary physical ex- animation of the prisoner at noon. They reported that his pulse was normal. Becker seems to have a strong grip on himself" said Dr. Farr When we
 entered his cell he half-smiled and said, Well, suppose you've come to say good by"
 Becker Is Calm Tonight Becker seemed coldly resigned to his fate. Prison officials reported that while he awaited the arrival of his wife somewhat impatiently, his composure was remarkable
 He was seated in his cell smoking a cigar" said, Leon c. Weinstock, com missioner of prisons, who the pr!s- oner in the death house at about 10 O clock.
 He was as cold as ice. When I re- IT arked that he seemed to be taking it easy, he remarked: What else can 1 do? I've got to face it, haven't 1?' Becker was to be followed in the death chair by Samuel Haynes. negro mur- derer. Becker requested that he be the first of the two to die. Twenty-seven witnesses-prison officials, physicians, priests and newspaper men-expect to be present at the execution Father Curry was to hear Beckers spiritual confession at { a. m. and give him the Catholic communion. At 5:40 he was to be taken to the execution cham ber
 As the night wore on Mrs Becker had