The Washburn leader., 1915-08-27
bECKER'S PLEA TO
ESCAPE DEATH
Dealh House Document ImpII-
Gated BIg 6 Tim Sullivan.
BITTER ATTACK ON ROSE.

Sixty Page Statement Gave Former
Police Lieutsnant's Version Of tn.
Murder Of Herman RosenthaI, II
Which Hs Made Allegations Which
Had Not Been Revealed Before.
In his final effort to escape the dealt
chair, having been convicted and sen
fenced to die on a charge Of instigatine
the murder of Herman Rosenthal. d
New York gambler, Charles Becker
former police lieutenant. issued sixty
page statement from his cell In the
death house at Sing Sing, in which he
told his version Of the shooting and
asked suspension of his sentence "il
the light Of certain facts now disclosed
for the first time"
This proved one Of the most sens;,
tional turns in the history of this case
which has attracted the attention OF
the entire nation. The statement al
legged that Big Tim Sullivan, at one
time one Of the most influential poll.
ticians in New York city and forme;
member Of the house Of representa-
tives. was interested in gambling
house with the victim. Rosenthal.
Sullivan is now dead. His was a
tragic death. The big Fellow" as he
was commonly known, was confined in
sanatorium. when he escaped his
guards and met mysterious death on
railroad track. 1t has never been
fully explained.
esei<srs New Version.
In his appeal to Governor Whitman
Becker claimed:
That Big Tim suiIivan's secretary
appealed to him to keep that poll
case, saying that Big Tim was
the murder.
That no agreed to do this only
after the secretary had visited the
informers In the Tombs and OBJ
tained their promise not to involve
Big Tim.
That Police Inspector George Me-
cIuskey, now dead, never spoke to
him after he had raidsd gambling
house in which Mccluskey was re-
ported to have .25 per cent inter.
est.
That the public thought no "had
something on Gaynor" because the
mayor had stood by him and that
the newspapers .pounded" him bs.
cause he wouldn't tell somsthing
about Gaynor that he didn't know.
That WaIdo's refusal to suspend
him after Rosenthal's murder was
instrumental in the same way in
influencing public opinion against
him because he had nothing to tell
about Waldo.
That his guilt Of RossnthaPs nur.
der has never been clearly estab-
Iished and that, although he pleads
for life, he would rather die fel.
on's death than live feion's life in
prison. -
Throughout the lengthy statement he
referred to Jack Rose. one of the in,
formers. as a perjurer. He also said
he preferred death to life term in
prison and that II worse came to
worst he was ready TO meet his fate.
Some of the striking assertions in his
statement follow:
Some Striking statsmsnts.
II know nothing whatever-I never
did know anything-aboutt that dread
full crime.
"If Lam to die am as ready now
to meetsmy fate as have any reason
to think ever will be.
ITO a, criminal so depraved l freely
concede there could be neither warrant
nor Justification for mercy.
1.-The action you Governor Whitman
may take will be between your con-
science and yourself. Your power is
unlimited; so also Is your responsibility.
THAT should select such man
(RosenthaD for partner is concetv-
able only where preconviction of my
guilt has become an inmovablc mental
obsession.
"Of course If it could be shown that
Rose had been intrusted with sum of
money to be given Rosenthal 1t would
shed food of light.
Rose has acquired added distinction
by removing the halter around his own
neck and fastening 1t around the neck
Of a cop by perjury.
"lt was not until Roses personal
reasons for desiring Rosenthal's death
were made clear on the trial Of the
gun men that myself could form any
reasonable theory of the motive for the
murder.
"Is 1t conceivable IL had known
Rose was the instigator Of this crime
that on the day after could have been
seeking him at Poll0k's house. not &C.
cretly or alone, but openly in COM
pany with notary who was perfect
stranger?"
The occasion Of making the story
public before the execution. Becker
said, was the publication Of what pur-s
ported to be statement Of his. which
was disclosed through other persons to
whom he was said to have told the
story. Had It not been for that. Beck
er asserted. the story which he had
prepared would not have been made
public untillafter his death.
Henry c. Terry. reporter. who 10
referred to as Deacon" Terry in Beck.
cr's statement. confirmed Becker's a..
sertion that a few hours before Rosen.
thai was killed Terry brought Becker