The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18
wife Mt CounscI's once.

wire Mt COunscIa once.
What do the attorneys plan? Men
who have talked with them daily do
not believe they know now. ten days be-
fore the execution is to take place. just
what steps will be taken W. Bourke
Cochran. Becker's chief counsel. says
that as soon as he has decided def
nitely upon any move he will announce
II. hut the announcement was not forth
coming yesterday, and Mr.. Cochran did
not 60 to his office. Neither did Mr..
Manton, although John Il. Johnston. "a
young associate, spent some time at the
office in conference with Mrs. Helen
Becker, wife of the condemned man.
Meanwhile the time is getting shorter.
II an application Is made in any direc-
ton In Becker behalf borrow il
fs not considered probable that there
will benin days only will be left. The
John Doe inquiry does not act as a
stay and the writ of habeas corpus in
the Fedora. courts will be dismissed i'm
mediatcly inless the attorneys are able
TO prove the jurisdiction Of the Federal
courts.
The hitch over applying for the writ
OF habeas corpus seems TO be that
Supreme Court Justice Hughes has al
ready denied - grant "A writ OF error on
practically the same ground as that on
which Il writ of habcas corpus would be
sought The difficulty over starting a
John Doe inquiry seems to be that the
attorneys have no definite evidence.
One of "A group of reporters who were
talking with Mr.. Cochran on Friday said
that to the lay mind Becker's only
chance was in the John Doe hearing.
Sometimes the lay mind is as good In
. case like this as the legal mind" said
Mr.. Cochran, and would say no more.
Ma Move In That Direction.
But IL this means that Mr.. Cochran
and his associates also believe that
Becker's only hope is in the John Doe
inquiry no move has been made since
then In that direction.
Mr.. Mcintyre has expressed "A doubt
that Jack Rose. Bridgie Weber, Sam
6chepps and Harry WALTON, the four in
formers, would testify at a John Doe in
Quiry, but Bernard II. Sander, attorney
Tor Jack Rose since he was arrested. said
yesterday that Rose, Schepps and WALTON
would be willing to testify and that he
would accer. the service of subpuenas for
them.
1t IL believed that II three of the quar-
tet were willing to testify Weber would
also consent to accept service. All Of the
-FOUR could cvade service by staying out
Of this State until after the hearing.
Webber's and Roses testimony is what
Dir. Mcintyre desires. as he has learned
from various sources. II was said, that
these two men have on occasion intimated
that their testimony at Becker's trials
was not true.
Mr. De Ford Sees Duty.
William A De Ford. Assistant District
Attorney, who is said to nave some
knowledge that improper methods were
used to obtain the testimony of one OF
the most important witnesses against
Becker. has said too that he would con-
slider 1t his duty to return from New
London. Conf. where he is passing his
vacation, to testify at a John Doe in
curry.
II is a queer kink of the present in
v~estigation that Mr.. DE Ford is respon-
sible for section 5s4 of the Penal Code
under which the John Doe hearing would
be held. In 1910 Mr.. De Ford brought
about the enactment of the section to aid
In his prosecution of the so-called poultry
trust, and that is the only time it has
been invoked.
Mr.. Mcintyre attended Justice De-
laney's funeral yesterday morning and
was at his Office for two hours in the
AFTERNOON, where he was engaged in mat
tiers not associated with the Becker case.
He and the other attorneys will hold
another conference on Monday, and Mr..
Cochran and Mrs. Becker will probably
visit Becker in the death house to-day.