New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
SENTIMENT BID
FOR LENlENCY
Prosecutors Parent Often
Discussed Bible with
Condemned Man.
JNFORMER MOURNFUI
WHu'Suffer TortureS of Damned
Observation-Disclosures Says
Duty Was First Always.

NeQHtSOdY - w hi'hN" ~S
Duty Was First Always. I
Jack Rose, sitting in the Office Of
his attorney last night, suddenly
broke off his categorical denials Of .
points in Charles Becker's statement
with:
You remember that before Beck
or was indicted a certain group of
persons persisted in the cry, Whit
man wants Becker, He wants to
get him above all men"
whitman didn't want Becker. I
The one man he didn't want was
Becker
"On the day was questioned at
Police Headquarters, when l told
Dougherty that Becker was not
identified with TIE Rosenthal muir
der. I also appeared at the District
Attorneys Office. I was brought be-
fore Mr.. Whitman. The first thing
he did was to tell me of my consti-
tutional rights; he said l didn't have
10 make a statement.
81 knew that, but wanted to re-
move from his mind suspicion Of
Becker. With my first words l
said: Mr.. Whitman, you have
heard a lot Of talk about Becker in
this case. Take it from me that
all this talk is ridiculous. There
is nothing to it. Becker was not
in it,
Mr.. Whitman looked straight at
me and said; Rose, I'm very glad
10 hear that
81 couldn't understand then why he
had made that remark, but what came
TO ne later showed that in his prosecu- /
ton OF Becker he went about his duty /
with sentiment constantly urging him /
TO save Becker's life.
Becker as Whitman's Friend.
"Mr. Whitman's father, John Sey-
mour Whitman. was a Presbyterian /
minister. In the COS he lived uptown |
next door TO a boarding house where
Becker, then a patrolman, ate most Of .
his meals. The Governors father
sometimes dined at the same place, and !
il was at table that Becker and the /
Rev. Mr.. Whitman met.
Becker was we'll versed in the Bible,
and his interest in ecclesiastical mat /
ters made him an unusually appealing /
table companion for Mr.. Whitman. |
Their talks always delighted the minis
ter, and after meals they often sat on /
the stoop in pleasant weather and dis
cussed the subjects in which Mr.. Whit |
man-and Becker, too, | guess-was
most interested. Mr. Whitman regard !
ed Becker as fine young man, whose /
mental and moral tendencies would sue
cessfully combat the temptations then /
more than now confronting a mem |
Der Of the Police Department.
This was before Charles S. Whit !
man had become prominent; it was be-
fore he had become an Assistant Cor /
poration Counsel. | believe that |
Charles s. Whitman and Becker did
not meet i'm this period, for, learn, II
vas some time after the close assocla-
ton between the policeman and clergy |
man had ended that the Rev. Mr.. Whit |
man spoke to the present Governor
about Becker.
$50 highly was Becker praised by
the elder Mr. Whitman to ms son that
when Charles became District Attorney /
he sent for Becker. II you have talked /
with Becker on many occasions you
will realize how unnecessary IT is Tor
me 10 tell you Of his wonderful per-
sCnality, his ability to win friends ana
20 acquire power. Becker had won the
friendship and admiration OF the elder
Whitman. and the District Attorney, IN !
his first TAX with Becker, was induced
70 Ike the man.
Trusted by Prosecutor.
"Mr Whitman intrusted TO Becker
many important assignments. War,
rants the serving Of which promised
difficulty tnd threatened danger were
given TO Becker. And not once, ] must
say in justice to Becker, was that trust
betrayed Though Becker may have
enjoyed the friendship of some OF the
men he was called on to arrest, that
friendship did not stand in the way OF
executing those warrants. l
Il DO not know for what length OF
time Becker did special work for the
District Attorney. Becker was not a;
any time assigned TO Mr. Whitman's
Office, and it is probable that the CO. Sc
Of events made it impossible for Beck
er to leave his regular work in the de-
partment 10 aid the District Attorney.
81 know, however, that Mr.; Whitman
was highly pleased with Becker's work
for him. So, when circumstances de
manded that these two persons shouId
confront each other on opposite sldes
Of the scales of justice Mr.. Whitman
tried hard TO convince himself that
Becker was innocent. Because TINS
man had been liked and admired by ms
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