The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-16
SPLIT OYER BECKER
DENIED BY PERKINS
District Attorney Issues state
mcnt as to Stand Of De Ford,
His Assistant.
JOHN DOE STEP ASST RED
Pitt Asserts He Has Means Of
Saving Ex-Licutcnant
From Chair.
JOHN DOE STEP ASSURED

District Attorney Perkins came bacK
from Albany yesterday. after LONG
talk with Gov. Whitman. and began H.
mediately the preparation OF state
ment covering the unusual situation
caused by the assertion OF Assistant
District Attorney William \. DE Fofd
that he is ready to give testimony In any
proceedings which may he instituted 10
save Charles Becker from tie electric
was sentenced for the murder % Her
man Rosenthal three years ago to-day.
The statement of the District Attor-
ney sets forth that the ins!nuations that
the methods employed by the District Al
torRey in preparing for the second trial
OF Becker were irregular are unfounded {;
that the gathering OF evidence was ac-
complished IN the customary way by
trusted members Of the District Attor-
ney's staff and that Mr.. DE Ford. having
had no part in these proceedings. has no
more knowledge concerning them than
is possessed by any person who has read
the record of the case.
Telephone Talk with Cochran.
Appended to the District Attorneys
statement was "A letter written 10 Mr.
Perkins by Mr.. DE Ford from New Lon-
don. Conn, where the assistant prose-
cutor is spending his vacation. In this
communication Mr.. DE Ford said that
t..r
Becker. asked him over the telephone
IL he had any knowledge OF facts which
would be helpful to the condemned man.
and that ne told Mr.. Cochran in reply
which would be competent evidence in
favor of Becker. that he would not
make any statement To "A man from Mr..
Cockran's office. but that If a subpoena
should be issued for him he would re-
turn TO the State and testify
on the face of it, the statement OF
the District Attorney. together with the
letter OF Mr.. DE Ford. appeared to crush
the last hope OF saving Becker: but
counsel for the former police lieutenant
appeared more confident than ever YES
terday that they have hit upon the thing
which VIII give their client another
chance. John + Mcintyre. who de.
Tended Becker at the first trial. got ba TX
into the case as the associate of Mr.
Cochran and Martin T Manton, and for
hours the three lawyers put their heads
together to consider t-c merits OF their
plan to get another trial 10y way OF "A
John Doe proceeding
II is "A matter OF common KNOWLEDGE
that John Doe proceeding gives TN,
inquiring Magistrate greater latitud.
than any other investigation. Testi.
mony may bc offered which no court
OF law would admit as competent evi.
dence. and Mr.. Mcintyre and his asso,
ciates are banking their hopes ON In,
belief that Mr.. DE Ford can tell som.
thing which will open the way to IN,
calling Of other witnesses whose testI.
mony would be competent in a trial
IL IL the belief Of the lawyers. II was
said, that the immunity granted under
the section of the Penal code proyidinv
Tor John Doe Investigation OF an al.
legged conspiracy may induce certain
witnesses who testified against Becke,
at the second trial to recant
Nr. Perktns's StRtemcnt.
The statement Of the District Attorney
which does not touch upon these posi-,
bilities Of the John Doe proceeding. /.
as follows:
"It has always been my practice I,
refrain from discussing or commentinc
on cases before the courts and to leay,
them to he tried in the courts, whiCl
are constituted for that purpose. an,
not In the newspapers. The impropriet,
of "A prosecuting officer promoting publ
cations for the purpose of innuencin,
the result OF trial is obvious. bu
( equally obvious Is the unfairness and in
decency of attempting to foment interes
In the cause of a defendant by un
founded suggestions that scopticism a
TO his guilt exists in the minds OF thos,
who prosecuted him.
For several days now there hav
been In circulation covert rumors ema
mating from unnamed sources to tn
effect that Irregularities, so called, oNis
in the manner in which the evidence ii
the Becker case was procured, and tha
members OF the District Attorneys stat
are cognizant of such Irregularities
These rumols have eliminated to-da,
in the publication of articles To tn
effect that "A faction in the Dis,ric
/ Attorneys office believes Becker wa
made a victim by Rose and Webbe
and that an Assistant District Attorne
! has expressed IA wish to appear in cour
and testify as 10 the way such evidenc
was procured, with the intimition tina
testimony which he could give woul
in some way east doubt on Becker's gill
Ofiice Routine Followed.
Under these circumstances II seem
necessary To state that the evdenC
in the Becker case was gathered to
gether in II" customary way, by truste
members OF lie District Att, rney's staff
that neither the District Attorney no
those of his staff who participated /
the preparation OF The Trial of III
Becker case, nor any other member q
the District Attorneys staff. has an
way such evidence was procured tina
| il there were any such irregula rit
IL would necessarily be known TO som
If them.
"The law requires every person IL
gally served with "A subpoena to obe
It, It is the obvious moral duty, esps
cially of attorneys at law, who are off
GERS of the court to attend at a
times before any court which desir,
their presence, whether they be legal
subppnaed or not
'The only statement Assistant hi.
trict Att, rney DE Ford has made rela
tive to the Becker case is that IL a
any time his attendance in court
desired he will be there, which is h
obvious duty, hut that he cannot test II
to any fact which will be competer
evidence in favor of Becker.
''To this | may also add that Mr.. |
Ford never participated in any way
the preparation for trial or In the tri;
, of the Becker case and that he has i
, knowledge OF the case. except such q
Continued on FVth Page.