South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-30
BECKER PLEADS
WITH WHITMAN
Not For Mercy But to Clear
Him of Allegations About
First Wife'S Death.

OSSINING. y. Y. July 3o.-Charles
Becker. who died in the electric
chair early Friday morning made a
final appeal 20 Gov Whitman Thurs
day night 70 was rot a plea for
mercy. Becker realized that ne would
die and ne was awaiting the time with
his Jaws clamped and his eyes blood
shot But IL was an appeal 10 the
governor 90 make statement that
would clear the doomed writer OF any
stigma that might fasten itself upon
him bv reason Of the word the gov
ernOr issued Wednesday night.
The statement follows:
"You are credited in public press
with three statements concerning me,
each OF them wholly untrue, and un-
warranted.
.'Ffrst. it is said that I offered to
plead guilty 20 murder in the second
degree.
/ ask YOU sOlemnly TO name the per-
son to wnom I offered TO plead guilty
of murder i'm the second degree or
any crime whatever IT would be too
shocking TO suspect that the governor
of this state could stoop to assail with
unfOunded charges "A helpless man in
the very shadow Of dSath. / prefer
y
misled. But / demand in the name
Of justice that you are s#orn 70 ad-
minister. that you state how the mis-
conception was caused. For the state
ment is wholly untrue. L never o1er-
ed TO plead guilty TO murder In the
second degree or TO any other OF
Tense never authorized anyone 10
make such an offer in my behat.
Every one of my counsel assures me
that ne never made such an offer.
Never Offered Testimony.
Second. il is stated that / offered
TO give testimony against several per-
sons WHOSE names are undisclosed)
Of having shared with me IN collect
ing money from law breakers, what
is commonly known as grating
1T is wholly untrue that i ever
offered to give such testimony against
anyone. Mr.. MantOn is the only one
who asked you on my behalf To take
counsel with some citizen OF pre-eml-
nent distinction, concerning the eXecu-
tive action Justice required in my case.
He assures me that he never made
any such offer or said anything that
could be taken as suggesting 1t. l ask
YOU, sir 10 diSclaim publicly this i'm
putation on me or else assign your
authority for making it.
Third, il is said that l sent counsel
10 two men arrested for completely in
the murder Of Herman ROsenthal at
the moment Of their arrest.
This is wholly untrue. i ask you
TO disclaim 1T.
Fourth, with a crudity that is al
most fnconceivable il is stated that my
first wife died under circumstances
WarrantinE suspicion that L had
caused her death.
Against this foul insinuation I con-
tent myself with this simple narrative
of facts which can be verified by many
persons, including her own father
81 was married TO Mary MahOney
OF III Washington St, Feb. 8, 1895.
by the Rev. J. II. Mcclellan of st.
Peters church. corner Barclay and
Church SITS. Mrs. Becker caught cold
on the night of our marriage. II set
tied on her lungs and 10 days later
she was treated By DR.. Turner of so
state St, later by Dr. Cook of Ill w.
I 9th St. by DR.. Rockwell Of the
Roosevelt hospital or the Vanderbilt
clinic. also by DR.. LOomis, the eminent
tuberculosis specialist, and by a doc
tor in JeffersOnville, Sullivan county,
whittier she had been removed on
account Of her disease. Mrs. Becker
died in her fathers home Oct Is,
1895. and was buried from st. Peters
church and lies in Calvary cemetery.
No breath of suspiciOn was ever raised
against me as to my Wtfe'S death, for
every one knew that the cause was
hasty consump tion.
Her father. Jeremiah Mahoney,
now lives at Roseville. Newark, y. ].
Asks TO BE CIeaHed
viii you. sir. disarm this hideOus
imputatiOn while I remain alive or