Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-08-02

MRS. BECKER'S ACTION
Widow Broken in Health and Finan.
cially by Long Fight to Save Hus-
band from Chair.

New York, Aug stripped of it:
silver plate, with the inscription thai
the former policeman and instigatol
of the assassination of Herman Ros-
enthal was murdered July 30, 1915
by Gov. Whitman" the coffin con-
tanning the body of Charles Becker
rests in Woodland Cemetery.
The Church of st. Nicholas of Tol-
entine, few blocks from the Bee
ker apartments in the Bronx, was
fairly well filled this morning when d
requiem mass was celebrated. In the
congregation were several former
associates of Becker on the police
force.
Broken in health and financially by
the adversities of her long fight to
save her husband from the electric
chair. Mrs. Becker today was in dam
per of losing her position III the pub
lie schools. 1t is her sole means OF
making a living.
Mrs Becker aroused the ire of the
board of education when she placed
the silver plate on her husbands COT
fin. Board members today utrned her
action as Outrageous" and while
none would say that it meant dIsmls-
sal from the schools, they admitted
that her position was endangered.
The inscribed silver plate is today
at police headquarters, having beeh
seized late yesterday. As the result
Of a conference, Inspector Faurot and
Acting Captain Wines went to the
Becker home to see the plate. View
ing it, they notified Mrs. Becker that
it was criminally libelous, ana IN
spector Faurot himself, it was said,
unscrewcd the plate.
A priest connected with the Caatho-
,ic Church of St. Nicholas was as
keG if the church authorities woul1
hermit the coffin to be taken into TIC
church while it bore the accusatloi'
that the governor was murderer
He said at first that he considered
church authorities had nothing to 40
with it, but he got into commuIlcaa!-
ton over the telephone with some
other ecclesiastical authorities, ana
later in the day it was said at the
church that the body of Becker
could not be taken into the place
if the inscription remained on the
coffin.
New York. Aug. 2--Inspector Fau
rot, head of the detective bureau
went to the. Becker home at NO,
229l University avenue the Bronx
yesterday and removed the plate m
scribcd Charles Becker, murdered
July 30. 1915, by Gov. Whitman:
from the coffin bearing the body: OF
the former police lieutenant.
! This action was taken by the In
spector following a conference with
| Second Deputy Police Commissioner
Leon Cooley and District Attorne!
J Francis Martin of Bronx. at whlcf
il was decided that the INSCRIPTION
constituted criminal libel against tht
governor.
Detective Captain Andrew Wines
accompanied Inspector Faurot. Tho!
arrived at the Becker home about .
o'clock and were admitted by Mrs
Becker. Whether Mrs. Becker readl
lv consented to having the plate re
moved could not be learned. but sig
/ niticance is attached to the admis
J sion by the inspector that he wa
compelled himself to remove the plate
| Further complication for Mrs
Becker was found at the Church o
/ St. Nicholas Of Tollentine, where tn
Becker funeral was to be held to
:: morrow morning at ten o'clock. wit
! as it was announced. solemn re
quiem high mass by Father Michae
Murphy.
!. At the church it was said by q
:. assistant priest that Father Murph
was in Philadelphia, and unless tn
plate was removed the coffin woul
not be allowed in the church. He at
, ded that only low mass will b
solemnized.