The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-30

men.
Herman Rosenthal, the gambler for
whose murder Charles Becker was SEN
fenced to die in the electric chair, was
shot to death by hired gunner in the early
morning of July 1G, 1912, in front of the
Hotel Metropole on Forty-third street, a
few steps from Broadway. The murder
was the swift elimination ~ sensational
charges made a few days before by Rosen-
thai against Becker IN which Rosenthal
asserted that Becker, then head of the
strong arm squad OF detectives, freely sold
police protection and had accumulated
thousands of dollars OF graft money.
Rosentha went further than that He
swore that Becker was his silent partner
in gambling enterprise that failed and
that Becker, angered by losses whore he
had expected large profits, raided the
Rosenthal establishment and drove Rosen-
thai out of business by stationing uni
formed policemen on his premises day and
night.
These charges were published and Dis
trict Attorney Whitman began an investi-
cation of them. He summoned Rosenthal
to the criminal courts building and listened
to his story An appointment was made
with Rosenthal for the next day. Before
| the time came, Rosenthal was murdered
/ When the assassins had done their
work, they ran across the street, jumped
INTO Il grey automobile which was waiting
at the curb and whrled away uptown. \
| bystander caught the license number OF
the car.
| District Attorney Whitman, notified by
telephone Of the murder, reached the po
/ lice station where Rosenthals body lay
before dawn. He aroused his detectives
from their sleep and spread a dragnet
over the city for the murder ear. 1t was
found before night. It's driver, Louis
Shapiro, and Louis Libbey, part owner
were arrested and Mr.. Whitman asserted
Eopenly in an emphatic statement that the
lpolice had allotted the murder.
/ New York city, already interested il
the charges of police corruption, respond
ed to the news of the murder as If to
cali to arms. Becker, who had been the
/ chief target of Essentials accusations
was openly suspected, He was relieved
of his command of the strong arm squat
and transferred to the Bronx. Jack Rose
his graft collector, walked INFO the crimi
nal courts building the day after the muir
der and surrendered to the district attor
i ney, declaring he had nothing TO fear
i
i blers and friends of Rose and Becker
ware arrested as witnesses. The CRANE
jury began its investigation.
Rose lay in prison l. days without wor'
from Becker, and, believing his chief ha
deserted him, confessed. WALTON and Wei
Der corroborated his story. He told of hi
long association with Becker, of pole
corruption which existed as Essential ha
charged, of thousands collected by Becke
for police protection and, finally, of hi
, commission by Becker to arrange to hav
Rosenthal killed by gunmcn-a commissio
he executed.
That night, July %, 1912, District Al
torney Whitman summoned the gran
jury by telephone and telegraph, laid hi
evidence before it and within two houl
obtained the Indictment Of Becker on
{ eharge of murder
: Four East side gangsters were indicte
: as the actual murderers. Rose had test
T fed that these men were assigned by "Bi
: jack Zelig, gang leader who had bee
: arrested by Becker's men on a trumpe,
f up charge, to do the murder They wei
to receive 81, 600 and Zelig was to be T
leased Zehg's orders had been issue
. from the Tombs to the gunner.
. These gunmen-known in the streets
{ the East side as "Gyp the Blood" Hor
wits, Lefty Louie Rosenberg, "Das
Frank" Cirofci and Whitley" Lewis
were rounded up one by one The la
two were arrested, "Gyp the Blood" al
i''Lefty Louie were not found until Sc
: TENDER, hiding in a Brooklyn fiat Wi
$ them were their young wives who, to
+ vert suspicion, had dyed their light ha
black
To give standing to the testimony
n Becker's three accompices who had turn,