Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-30

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any ono. Mr.. Manton is the ono who
asked you on my behalf to take counsel
with some citizen of prc-emincnt dis
| tinctton concerning tho executive action
Justice required in my case. He as
sures mo that he never made any such
offer or said anything that could be
! taken as suggesting IT. 1 ask you. sir.
to disclaim publicly this imputation on
me or else assign your authority for
| making 1t.
Third. 1t is said ] sent counsel to
two men arrested for completely in the
murder of Herman R.,enthal at the
moment of their arrest.
This Is wholly untrue. 1 ask you
to disclaim it.
Fourth with cruelty that Is al
most inconceivable, it Is stated that my
first wife died under circumstances
warranting suspicion that l had caused
her death.
Against this foul insinuation / con-
tent myself with this simple narrative
Of facts which can be verified by many
persons. including her own father.
HAsTY CONSUMPTION
CAUSE OF wITE'S DEATH
Il was married to Mary Mahoney, of
III Washington Street. February ..
1895. by the Rev. j. II. Mclean OF st.
Peters Church. corner Barclay and
Church Streets. Mrs Becker caught
cold on the night of our marriage. 1t
settled on her lungs. and ten days later
she was treated by DR.. Turner, of 80
state Street, later by DR.. Cook. of III
West Twelfth Street; by DR.. Rockwell,
OF the Roosevelt Hospital or the Van
derbilt Clinic: also by DR.. Loomis. the
eminent tuberculosis specialist, and 10y
a doctor in Jenersonville Sullivan
County. whittier she had been removed
OH account of her disease. Mrs. Becker
died in her fathers home October Is.
1898, and was buried from ST. Peters
Church, and lies In Calvary Cemetery.
No breath of suspicion was ever raised
against me as to my wife's death, for
every one knew that the cause was
hasty consumption. Her father. Jerc- !
miah Mahoney. now lives at Roscville !
Newark, y. j.
will you, sir. disarm this hideous |
imputation while l remain alive. or |
must I go TO my death with so foul an |
aspersion on my character without an |
opportunity to meet and refute il.
TO these charges and to all others |
that may be formulated or insinuated !
| answer by repeating solemnly on the |
brink of the world which you are send
ing me TO before my time what was my
constant answer while In the world l
am innocent as YOU of having murdered
Herman Roscnthal. or of having coun-
seled. procured or aided his murder. or
having any knowledge Of that dreadful!
crime.
Mark we'll, sir, these words of mine
When your power passes. then the
truth OF Rosenthars murder will be-
come known But not while your NOM
inecs remain district attorneys and can
hold the club over these persons With
the aid of Judges who were misled into
m!sconceivinG the testimony offered on
my trial and into misstating it both
TO the jury md on appeal. you have
proved yourself able TO destroy my life
But. believe me. ! will surrender II
without rancor. Not all the judges in
this State nor in this country nor the
Governor OF this State nor the district
attorney nor all of them combined can
destroy permanently the character of
an innocent man.
tSigned) "CHARLES BECKER"
ORIGINAL STATEMENT
SEVERE IN DENUNCIATION
Becker's statement. as originally pre-
P"'eu' was scdtHiHS III us dcnuncla-
ton of Governor Whitman. 1t was re-
pietc in adjectives such as arise only
out of the btterest hate. and was so
severe that IL shocked Fathers Curry
and Cashin when they read 1t.
They suggested that the statement
be moderated.
The world has n bad enough impress
sion OF you now. Charlie: don't make II
worse. Father Cashin is reported 10
nave counseled the condemned man.
Becker was obdurate He raved
about the alleged wrong Whitman has
perpetrated against him. and declared
no statement that he tBecker) could
make at this time would express the
hatred which he feels for the Governor.
refusing to yield TO persuasion, the
priests summoned Warden Osborne