Imperial Valley press., 1915-07-30

Ossining. N. Y, July 30.-Becker
was executed this morning protesting
his innocence to the last minute. He
entered the death chamber unassisted,
priests accompanying him and inton-
ing chants as Becker took his seat.
He held a crucifix and murmured:
"Jesus have mercy upon us lie
calmly noted the witnesses. His righ,
trousers leg was slit and his bare leg
exposed
Becker took the communion just be
fore dying A priest asked him: Are
you guilty by word, deed or in any
manner whatsoever ~
Becker answered: Father, as |
stand on the brink of the grave, | am
not"
He issued a brief statement denying
his guilt.
His wife bade Becker farewell at
midnight and went to their Bronx
home and collapsed.
The corpse will he taken to New
York. Funeral services are scheduled
for the Church Of st. Peter and St
Paul, Bronx.
History of the Becker Case.
Ossining, n. Y. July 30.-Charles
Becker's three-year fight for life,
which ended today when the big steel
lever in Sing Sings execution cham
Der crashed on the current that drove
the life from his body, was the most
bitterly fought in New York cours
annals.
Twice had the convicted police lieu
/ tenant had his hopes raised, only to
see them tumble about his ears. Since
June Is, this year, however, when the
Court of Appeals that once had saved
him from the chair, refused to grant
motion to reargue the appeal, he
! had been rather resigned to his fate,
although he professed hope to the
end.
1t was exactly three years ago last
! Sunday that Gambler Herman Rosen-
thai made the utterances that sealed
his fate-when he first publicly ac
cused Becker of being a CRATER Ro-
senthal in published statement,
swore that Becker was his partner in
the Forty-fifth Street gambling house.
/ The police lieutenant, he said had in
vested 81 500 with him. Amplification
of these charges followed daily from
then until June IA, when Rosenthal
made an affidavit of his charges,
which were published in the New York
newspapers. The next day he agreed
to go before the grand jury the fol
lowing day and tell what he knew o.
New York's police graft
Shortly after midnight of the 10th,
Rosenthal was eating late suppef
in the grill room of the Hotel Metro
pole in Forty-third street, just off
! Broadway. A young man, whose iden-
! tity never was clearly established, ap-
peared at the door and beckoned him.
Rosenthal was afraid his enemies
would get him." for he had confided
rs much to District Attorney Whitman
when he made his affidavit, but he
rose from the table and went out the
door.
As he stepped from the door into
the street, his frame slhouetted
against the brilliantly-lehted hotel in
terror, four men, standing on the curb,
fired simultaneously and the gambler
dropped to the sidewalk. His death
was instantaneous.
The murderers ran across the street,
jumped into a long gray car, the en-
CINE of which was running, and We're
whirled away while the crowd was
gasping. Everything was confusion.
but a citizen glimpsed the number ON
the car in the melee, and it was ON
this thread that District Attorney
Whitman built the case that sent five
men to their death.
The next day, vigorously prodded
by the New York papers, the police
arrested Willie Shapiro and man
named Libby, owners of the car From
them they drew that gambler named
Jack Rose had hired the machine.
"Bridgie" Weber was arrested the
same day, on suspicion, and the next
day Jack Rose, who had been "laying
low" was taken.
Rose admitted he had hired the car
and collected the four gunmen-"Gyp
the Blood" Lefty Louie" "Dago
Frank" and "Whitey Lewis" members