Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-30
MURDER OF ROsENTHAL
DONE BY HIRED CUNNEN
1t Is Swift elimination of Sensa-
tional Charges Gambler Made
Against Becker.
GIIssa-@ARoUsED BY sa4sfsikfA
Head of Strone-Arm Squad, Suspect
ed From First, Is Indicted, Given
Two Trials, Convicted and Con-
demned to Death.

NEW YORK, July 3O.-Herman Roscn-
thai. the gambler. for whose murder
Charles Becker died in the electric
chair this morning, was shot to death
by hired gunmen In the early morning
OF July 16, 1912, in front OF the Hotel
Metropole. on Forty-third Street. a few
steps from Broadway. The murder was
the swift elimination OF sensational
charges made n few days before by
Rosenthal against Becker. in which
Rosenthal asserted that Becker. then
head OF the strone-arm squad of de-
tectires. freely sold police protection
and had accumulated thousands of dol
lars OF graft money.
Rosenthal went further than that
He swore that Becker was his silent
partner in gambling enterprise that
failed, and that Becker. angered by
losses where he had expected large
profits. raided the Rosenthal esta blish-
ment and drove Rosenthal out of busi-
ness BY stationing uniformed policemen
on his premises day and night
RoSENTIIAL SUMMONED To
CRIMINAL COUNTS BUILDING
These charges were published and
District Attorney Whitman began an
Investigation OF them. He summoned
Rosenthal to the Criminal Courts Build
ing and listened 10 his story. An ap-
Dointment was made with Rosenthal for
the next day. Before the time came
Rosenthal was murdered
When the assossns had done their
work they ran across the street, iumped
into gray automobile which was wait
ing at the curb and whirled away up-
town. by-standnr caught the license
number OF the car.
District Attorney Whitman, notified
by telephone OF the murder. reached
the police station whore Rosenthars
body lay before dawn. He aroused his
detectives from their sleep and spread
a dragnct over the city for the murder
car. II was found before night. It's
driver, Louis Shapiro, and Louis Libbey.
part owner, were arrested. and Mr..
Whitman asserted openly in an en-
phatic statement that the police had
abetted the murder.
New York City. already Interested in
the charges of police corruption, re-
spohdcd TO the news of the murder as
IL 10 call to arms. Becker who had
peeh the chief target of Roscnthals
accusations. was openly suspected. He
was relieved of his command of rho
'''ioiiS az S'Iustt ana transferred to
the Bronx. Jack Rose. his graft col
iector. walked into the Criminal Courts
Building the day after the murder and
surrendered to the district attorney. de-
claring ne had nothing to fear. Harry
Vallon and Bridcie Webber. gamblers
and friends of Rose and Becker. were
arrested as witnesses, The grand Jury
began its Investigation
Rose lay in prison twelve days with
out word from Becker, and. believing
his chief had deserted him, confessed
Vallon and Wchbcr corroborated his
story. He told OF his long associati ton
with Becker, of police corruption which
existed as Roscnthal had charged. of
thousands collected by Becker for police
protection and, finally, OF his commits
sion by Becker to arrange to have
Rosenthal killed by gunmen--a COM
mission he executed.
That night. July 30, 1912, District At
CONTINUED on Second Page)