New Britain herald., 1915-07-30

to work on the statement and If left to himself it is thought that so far as the wording was concerned 1t might have reached the public in d different form. The thoughts therein, however, are said to have been unchanged.
 Ihe statement as issued by Becker follows in full:
 Becker's I.ast Statement.
 SIT: You are credited in the public press this morning with three state- menIs concerning me, each of them Wnoliy untrue and unwarranted.
 Flrst-It is said that I offered to piead guilty to murder in the second
 otano1ng on the brink of the grave, ! ask you solemnly to name the per- son through whom offered to plead suilty 10 murder in the second degree or any. crime whatever
 would be too shocking to sus- pect that the governor of this state could stoop to assail with unfounded cNaIses helpless man in the very shadoW or death. I assume that you nave been misled. But demand in the name of the justice which you are sworn to administer that you state now the misconception was caused. For the statement is wholly untrue. l never offered to plead guilty to mur- uer Tn the second degree or any other offense. I never authorized anyone to make such an offer in my behalf.
 "Second-It is said that I offered to give testimony against several per- Sons (Whose names are undisclosed) of having shared with me in collecting money from lawbreakers, what is comomnly known as grating. 1t is wholly untrue that I ever offered to give such testimony against any one. MT. Manton is the one who asked you on my behalf to take counsel with some citizens of preeminent dis tinction concerning the Executive ac- tion justice required in my case. He assures me that he never made any such offer or said anything that could be taken as suggesting it. ask you, sir, to disclaim publicly this on me or else assign your authority for making it.
 ''Third--It is said that I sent coun- gel to two men arrested for compli- ,ity in the murder of Herman Rosen- thal at the moment of their arrest.
 This is wholly untrue. I ask you 10 disclaim it.
 Tells Story of First Wife.
 "Fourth-With cruelty that is al- most inconceivable it is stated that my irst wife died under circumstances suspecion that had caus~ d her death.
 Against this foul insinuation I content myself with this simple nar- 'ative of facts, which can be verf- jed by many persons, including her ,wn father.
 II was married to Mary Mahoney if IF Washington street. February }, 1895, by the Rev. J.tH. Mclean if St. Peters church, corner of Bar lay and Church streets. Mrs. Becker aught cold on the night of our mar iage It settled on her lungs and en days later she was treated by Dr. Turner of 30 State street, later by Dr. Cook of III West Twelfth street, " pr. Rockwell of the Roosevelt Hospital or the Vanderbilt Clinic, also " Dr. Loomis, the eminent tuber- ulosis specialist, and by doctor in effersonville, Sullivan county, whith- r she had been removed on account | f her disease.
 Mrs. Becker died in her fathers | lome on October 15, 1895, and was ! uried from St. Peters church and les in Calvary cemetery. No breath | f suspecion was ever raised against 1e as to my wife's death, for every | ne knew that the cause was nasty | Her father, Jeremiah Iahoney. now lives at Roseville, rewark, N. U.
 .Will you, sir, disclaim this hide us imptuation while remain alive r must I go to my death with so foul Ii aspersion on my character with ut an opportunity to meet and refute {?
 Innocent or Murder.
 ITO these charges and to all others lat may be formulated or insinuated,
 answer by repeating solemnly on 1e brink of the world to which you re sending me before my time what as my constant answer while in the ,orld, I am, as innocent as you of aving murdered Herman Rosenthal, r of having counselled, procured or lded his murder or of having any nowledge whatever of that dread Il crime.
 Mark we'll, sir, these words of inc. When your power passes then le truth of Rosenthars murder will scome known, but not While your ominees remain District Attorneys nd can hold the club over these per- ,ns. With the aid of Judges who ere nnisled into misconceiving the stimony offered on my trial and in- misstating 1t both to the Jury and , the appeal you have proved your If able to destroy my life. But ,lieve me, I surrender 1t without ,ncor. Not all the judges Tn this ate nor in this country, nor the overnor of this state, nor the Dis- jet Attorney all of them com bined in destroy permanently the cnarac- 1T of an innocent man.