The Detroit times., 1915-07-30

| confessions OF Bald Jack" Rose
Bridge" Weber and Harry WALTON.
who also had been taken for his
value as q witness. II was not until
month after Becker was indicted
that murder Indictments were re.
turned against "Gyp the Blood"
Lefty Louie" "Dago Frank"
Whitley Lewis" Jack" Sullivan.
and Willie Shapiro. The lGst two
got out OF the muss because Of their
work In aiding the state. and be.
cause they were not directly impli-
Gated in the killing OF Rosenthai.
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 trial. The
Investigators found money In vari.
GUS 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
attorneys chain, as II tended to cor.
roborate Roses graft revelat tons.
Becker attempted TO explain the
money by saying II was the accumu-
lation OF years OF saving by him and
his wife. but the agents discovered
that Becker had been divorced. dis.
proving his story.
On Oct. 8. the day before Becker
was put on trial. Big Jack" Zelis.
famous east side gunman. and
boss" Of the four that slew Rosen-
thai, was shot to death In Second
ave. by a gangster.
Becker went to trial the next day
before Justice Con. In three weeks.
on Oct -. the Jury returned . YER
dict guilty In the nrst degree
Becker was convicted mainly on
the testimony Of Jack Rose. about
the now famous Harlem confer
ence." In that conference. Rose
swore. he met Becker at One Hun
dred and Twenty .fourth-st. and Sew
enth-ave., on the night OF June n.
and Becker promised him and his
pals immunity II they would put
Rosenthal out OF the way. The tes-
timony OF Weber and vallon cor.
roborated Roses statements. II
was further corroborated by q Ne
gro named Marshall, In no way con.
nected with the case, who said he
saw Rose and Becker talking on
that corner that night.
After his conviction. which he
took with remarkable fortitude.
Becker was sentenced to die Dec. q
An appeal saved him. however. ~
It acted a. q stay Of execution.
On Nov. 10. "Gyp the Blood
Whitley Lewis "Dago Frank" and
Lefty Louie were found guilty and
were sentenced to be electrocuted.
Little OF importance occurred IN
the cases during 1918. There cere
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 await
ing death. His iron nerve never
faltered. Neither did these of his
four hirelinss.
II was Feb. - before . rift In
the clouds revealed TO the convicted
police lieutenant q chance TO escape
the chair. On that date the court
Of appeals set aside the verdict and
ordered q retrial. The same court
however, a. . part Of the same rui
ing. afirmed the death sentence Of
the four gunner. and they were
electrocuted in Sing Sing on April
10. after every means to save theii
lives had been exhausted.
Becker was jubilant over his new
trial He could not see anything
but that he would be acquitted.
On May 8, he was again put On
trial, this time before Justice Ssa.
bury. Sixteen days later he again
stood before the bar and heard +:
Guilty OF murder in the first de.
gree" But again he kept his 70
markable nerve and walked from the
courtroom without q tremof. He
was again sentenced to be executed
| His friends and attorneys. how
ever, cheered him mp with pros.
poets of another victory on the ap'
peal.
| The case dragged along then un.
I'll May Is, 1915. when the court Of
appeaIs oil but crushed HE last hops
when Il afirmed HE second convic.
ton. Three weeks later the court
sealed his fate BY refusing to listen
TO the rs-srgument Of the appeal.
i There'was but one chance left-s
: cemnstatisa hen Ne oevsrnos'