The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-07-30
-Four Gunner Who Actually Kill
ed Gambler Precede Beck
~ er In Electric Chair
MURDER WAS SENSATION
WITHOUT A PARALLEL
Former Police Lieutenant Ex-
hausted Every Angle Of ,@
Law To Save Himself
CONTINUED From Page one)

head Of the Strong Arm Squad of de-
tectiyes, freely sold police protection
and had accumulated thousands of dol
lars Of graft money. 80
Rosenthal went further than that.
He swore that Becker was his silent
partner in a gambling enterprise that
failed and that Becker, angered by
losses where he had expected large
profits, raided the Rosenthal establish
ment and drove Rosenthal out of bust
ness by stationing uniformed police
men on his promises day and night.
Rosenthal Is Murdered
These charges were published and
District Attorney Whitman began an
investigation Of them. He summoned
Rosenthal to the Criminal Courts build
ing and listened to his story. An APP
pointment was made with Rosenthai
for the next day. Before the time
came, Rosehthal was murdered. .t..s .
When the assassins had done their
work, they ran across the street,
jumped into grey automobile which
was waiting at the curb and whirled
away up town. A bystander caught
the license number of the car. -.
District ATTORNEY Whitman, notified
by telephone of the murder, reached
the police station where Rosenthal's
body lay before dawn. He aroused
his detectives from their sleep and
spread dragnet over the city for
the murder ear. 1t was found before
night. Its driver, Louis Shapiro, and
Louis Libbey, part owner, were arrest
ed and Mr.. Whitman asserted openly
in an emphatic statement that the
police had abetted the murder.
Grand Jury Investigates
New York City, already interested
in the charges of police corruption,
responded to the news of the murder
as If to a call to arms. Becker, who
had been the chief target of Rosen.
thai 5 accusations, was openly suspect
ed. He was relieved of his command
of the Strong Arm Squad and trans
ferfed TO the Bronx. Jack Rose, his
graft collector, walked into the Grim
inal courts building the day after the
murder and surrendered to the district
attorney, declaring he had nothing to
lear. Harry WALTON and Bridge Web
Der, gamblers and friends of Rose and
Pecker, were arrested as witnesses.
The grand jury began its investigation.
Rose lay in prison twelve days with
ont word from Becker, and, believing
his chief had deserted him, confessed.
VallOn and Webber corroborated his
story. He told of his long association
with Becker, of police corruption
which existed as ROsenthal had
charged, of thousands collected by
Becker for police protection, and, fin
ally, of his commission by Becker to
arrange to have Rosenthal killed by
gunmen-a commission he executed.
Becker Is Indicted
That night, July 80, 1912, District
Attorney Whitman summoned the
grand jury by telephone and telegraph,
laid his evidence before it and with
in two hours obtained the indictment
Of Becker on charge of murder
FOnr East Side gangsters were in
di"tod as the artual murderers. Rose
had testified that these men were as
signed by ''Big Jack" Zelig, a gang
leader who had been arrested by Beck
tr's men on ttumped-up charge, to
do the murder. They were to receive
$1,000 and Zelig was to be released.
Hclip's orders had been issued from
the Tombs to the gunner.
These gunmen-known in the streets
Of the East Side as 'Gyp the BIood"
llorowitz, Lefty Louie Rosenberg,
Dago Frank" CrOfci and " Whitley"
Lewis-were rounded up one by one
The last two were arrested, "Gyp the
Blood and Lefty Louie were not
found till September, hiding in
Brooklyn fiat. With them were found
their young wives who, to divert sus-
pieion, had died their light hair black.
Verdict Of Guilty Found
To give standing to the testimony of
Becker's three aeeomplices who had
turned informers--Rose, Webber and
NSllon--a eorroborating witness who
WAS not implicated was needed. Sam
SchePps, dapper little gambler who
had fed the city, was the man who
could do this, He was found at Hot
Springs, Arkansas, brought back to
New York and the peoples case against
Charles Becker was complete. 1t went
to trial on October 7, 1912.
A verdict Of guilty of first degree
murder was returned at midnight Oc-
tQber "a, 1912, after the jury had de-
liberated seven hours and fifty seven
minutes. Becker was Sentenced six
days later to die in the electric chair
during the week of December Q, 1912.
Within less than month the four
gunner were placed on trial as the
actual slayers, found guilty and sent
TO the death house.
Gunner Are Hanged
More than year later on Febru-
arv "a, 1914, the court of appeals de
cided that Becker should have a new
trial. The gunner s conviction was up
held and they paid the penalty with
their lives on April IA, 1914. One of
the number, "Dago Frank" confessed
the guilt of his time associates but
maintained his own innocence. His
con- assion. made on the eve of the ex.
erution, became known the day they
were put to death.
Becker was brought hack TO the
Tombs. His second trial was begun