The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-23

v,ev whitman was battling between sentiment and duty when he prose cuted Charles Becker for the murder Of Herman Rosenthal,'< Jack Rose, fnforrner and one time agent of the doomed former strong arm cnie1, wanted to send Becker to the electric chair. He had an interest in him as. the result of Beckerss chance sac-' eIuaintance with the father of the prosecutor.
 s.If eyer a. man hated to act against Becker it was Whitman. When the prosecutor's father, a minister, lived at Mo- 16 East Forty-fifth Street about fifteen years ago. Becker, then a young policeman, took-hts meals in house nearby9 The Governors father became friendly with Becker and liked him because of his manners and clean cut appearance. The young policeman was well versed In the Bible and the two frequently Spoke sen church matters.
 ssVhen whitman became Magls-{ trate he often gave special assign nents to Becker, as he was impressed by what his father had told nm or fIae young policeman. In later years, when he was District Attorney, he at times gave him special work It is therefore natural that from the start whitman had a strong feeling for Becker that was imparted to him by his father
 Calls Himself the Issues
 .sBecker.s long statement does not contain a new fact. It is nothing more than an attorneys closing argument to a jury in a hopeless case, where oratory and eloQuence are resoTfed 10. as a last effort He did not deal with evfdence or with his case. There was not a word said about the Harlem eonference' at which Herman Rosen- 4haPs murder was planned
 Since he has made me the issue of his case, and he put it before the public as to whether ! told the truth orAwhether he now is telling it, am prepared again to tell of all my con- nectfons with him. I have only pity for Bsckeruot the hatred that he shown toward me
 NOW that have read his story ana know that from the moment Her man Rosen6ha1 was killed that he planned to put the murder up to me [ am thankfuI that had the op- Dortrndty to become a,Witness for the state
 T was his aoconp1ire in the mur- der of Herman RosenthaL For months before was his adviser. We shared in the 8raft Acollectlons from the gambling houses until he became intoxicated with his own great power and brought upon us this misery. His greed prevailed, and instead of allow ing me to negotiaHe to buy off Her man ROsenthaI he insisted the gam bier should be crooked.
 Becker will never confess to his part in the murder He will cry franne-up until the last minute. when. as a matter of fact he was the only one who ever did any framing mp I as well as others who testified against him went through three Hials--twice in his cases and once when the gun men were convicted We Svtthshood -0,-x Charlie Becker has not even allowed himself to be directly examined
 Becker now retracts that Vallon fired the shOt-he denies knowing about that now. Perhaps he hopes that Vallon or Weber will recant their friendly with them He knows very well Irdo not intend to sway from the truth. which told from the moment I became a witness for the state
 My dealings with Charlie Becker began in October, 1911, when he raided A place I was Interested in In Second avenue. He was in the po- lice court and I went up to him. in troducdng myself as one of the part ners in the gambling house
 'ssHow do know you? Do you know anybody at Headquarters 2 Becker asked, and replied that be- Heved Ldeut Bill Funston was sta toned down there. had met Fun , where managed baseball team
 st You got to show me- Becker said and then he walked away from me. The next thing he did was to tele- phone to Funston ands smake sure thai he really did know. me Having sat 1sfied himself that [ had told the truth, he came over to me and began talking business.
 .a gave Becker two S1oo biIIsS to take care of my interests, and that was the beginning of our acquafnt- ancesffp The money was passed to him in Hirscaornss saIoony First street and Second avenue Two weeks later we had become fairly good friends, and one day Becker told me of. the possibilities of obtain ing graft from gambling houses.
 'sBy pulling fake raids, Becker got tl1e gamblers frightened all over town. They knew he was the big fellow and it would have to be fixed with him. When this panic was on, 1t was circulated among the gamblers that was the man to see. aA9 with h two weeks our collections jumped from $2,00O to &10,00O a month.
 "On the first and fifteenth days of every month T went along the line making collections.
 Warned Him Against Rosentlaa1.
 occasionally Becker would raid places to show the owners he was on the job. but they could reopen the next day if their bills were paid up. Here I want to say [ was the only man he ever trusted, because he did not have me shadowed when I made the collections, but was satisfied with fhe amounts turned in. At the start got per cent of all that was collected, but when the money began coming in fast he cut me down on 1nT parnA1en&A