The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-01
JACK ROSE REFUSES MRS, BECkER'S PLEA
 TO ASSIST HUSBAND
Reformed Gambler Tells of Unexpected Meeting With Wife of Condemned Man And the Last Message From Charley That Has Remained Undelivered.

was the first time had seen her since the trial. I stood there facing her, unable to talk I don't know how long it was but it seemed ages Fin ally I spoke to her and she came for ward and began to cry.
 '' T wanted to see you,' she said and she asked me to do something for Becker. I told her I told all the others that could do nothing. But you know my husband is inno- cent she said. If I believed that-you know how I testified three times you know it would make me out to be a perjurer,' I told her.
 "' I have admired you for your loyalty, for your love for your huB- band I said to her, as every one has admried you and respected you. But this meeting was none of my choosing, and now you must stand for the consequences I said. You know that Becker is guilty as he'll added.
 You must have g. dictograph in here to talk like that, she said, and told her that I didn't have a dicto- graph, that dfd1Pt even know that I was coming there until Schepps called me, and that I had no idea. of seeing her. After a while sine said: T want to talk to you, outside or up at my house. can'tefaIk here T asked 2her why, and she leaned forward and whispered. T have g. message from Charlie
 By this time Kaufman was leaning forward, forgetting to smoke, listen ing with all his might. Rose was perched nervouSly on the edge Of his seat, his deep voice trembling and broken. He stopped under the stress of emotion and all one could hear was the beating of the rain outside. Rose heard it too, and listened for a moment. then strengthened up and went on:
 '4Gentlemen, ann human and there are some situations that are almost away, get away from tire most uncom- foz1table situation have ever been in. could not stand it any longer. So told her that would not go to her house, bs1t that f she would give me her tefeph0z1S number would call her up the next day and she could deliver Hae message. took tt''-Rose pulled an envelope from his pocket and read from the back of 1t the number he had totted down.
 ftBut when Monday came could mot do tt,'' he went on. T waited all day trying to make up my mind to teIe- phone, but couldn't. Than the next day asked Finch, my friend, to ca.n up the number and tell whoever an swered it that the person who was to have called up the day before would not call up and could not meet her. That was all there was to the story that called up Mrs. Becker and of fered to go to Gov. Whitman. would have given anything to have avoided the meeting. could not he7p her. How the meeting was arranged do not know yet Schepps said he didn't know anything about it.
 +'As tor the ci1arge of frame up,' these people forget all that I did at The day afser the shooting Becker told me to go into hiding, and I did. I signed an affidavit saying that he had nothing to do with 1t When gave myself up I still denied that Becker was Implicated At the district at torney's oflce said the only state rnent wanted to make was tf1aft did not know Becker except as a man who ra1ded my gambling house.
 fin the nonobs F19tt, BeckerAs mes seuger, kept coming to me, and Itto4d him to tell Charlie not to worry. I had been raised in an environment in which it was the law that Thou shalt not squeal; and I intended to live up to it Does all that look as if there had beenea +frame u1?' q did not turn against Becker until found that everybody was getting from under, that he felt safe behind that affldav1bj of mine, that wUSTbeing abandoned, and the instinct of self- preservation aSsertedF itself. F weuts in with Weboer when he decIdeds to etsal and from that time on I told the truth