Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-01
KILL NY. GAMBLER;
WAS PRObER WITNESS
Case Similar to Murder of Roscn-
thai by Lieutenant Of Police
Charles Becker.
DEAD MAN "SQUEALER"

BY Associated Press to Every Evening
New York, April 1.-Seven hours be
tore the district attorneys office was to
have been informed by Harry Cohen
also known as Harry the Yot" of the
name OF the 'man higher up" in the
prosecutor anti-gambling crusade, Cohen
was shot and killed at $50 O'Clock this
morning. District Attorney Swami inn
mediately ordered the apprehension OF
Sam Schepps, who was one Of the prose-
cutlons star witnesses against Charles
Becker, the police lieutenant who was
executed for the murder of Herman
Rosenthal, gambler, in 1912.
Mr.. Smith said he assumed the gam
blers had planned to fleece a prospective
victim through their crooked methods
this afternoon and that, Cohen, having
learned of it, purposed to give the dis
trlct attorney information which would
lead to raid at the proper time. The
gamblers learned of Cohen's intention,
Mr. Smith sIrmiscd, and forestalled
it by killing him.
Ono phase of interest To the police
is statement made by the Negro hall
boy that he saw money passed between
Cohen and the man who shot him, as
they stood in the lobby The boy was
not certain which man received the money.
The authorities believed fYot' was 3
contraction for 'Yotsky, an East Side
term applied TO Harry Cohen To distin-
guish him from other Harry Cohens
living in the district.
MIR Smith said that while he was
aware that Cohen had a police record,
he had not inquired into these anteced-
ents for the reason he did not consider
it necessary or desirable as long as Cohen
made good in his revelations. Cohen
did make good" Mr. Smith said, his
information being at all times rcll-
able and invaluable
Pending the police search for Schepps
the district attorney withheld the reason
for desiring his appearance. IL was not
asserted that Schepps was near when
Cohen was shot but the police declare he rs
identified in the inquiry rs a friend Of q
woman, who with two men was arrested
last week upon information furnished by
Harry The Yot.
~ the district attorneys office Schepps
and The other men were questioned re-
gardIng Cohen. beforehand Schepps told
ucwSpaperfnen that while he had heard Of
Cohen he had no connection with him as
hc Nchepps had been out Of touch with
gambling and the underworld for three
wears
Schcpps was one Of the picturesque
figures Of the Rosenthal case. He was
m associate Of the four gunmen who paid
the penalty in the electric char for the
Rosenthal murder
Cohen. according to Assistant District
Attorney James +. Smith, had for several
weeks been 3 secret informer, known to
the underworld as a stool pigeon.
Cohen telephoned to the prosecutor some
time ago and said he had been trimmed
at a crooked wheel IN hotel and vOlun-
tcered his services in helping IN the
gambling crusade.
Against the advice of the assistant
prosecutor, Cohen several times visited
MIR Smith ) house openly with Informa-
ton considered valuable At dawn today
Cohen telephoned to Mr. Smith asking
him to meet him at Fifth avenue and
36th street al 30 O. clock this afternoon.
Be ready to hit the mob, said Harry
the Yot, alluding to the gamblers.
: We got the goods on the principal man.
The next Mr.. Smith heard, Cohen was
dead with three bullets IN his body
IIurrying to the scene Of the shooting, a
hall lobby in the Vest 92d street apart
ment where Cohen lived with his wife
Mr. Smith was informed that Cohen was
Killed BY man as yet unidentified. 4
Negro hallboy furnished the police with a
description Of the slayer, whom he had
pursued as far aS Central Park West,
where the man escaped BY boarding n
car Cohen was 30 wears old.
Sam >cheptS and two other men. who
were with III ii when the police visited
Schepps jewelry shop in sixth avenue
were taken into custody few hours after
the shooting They were hurried 10 the
district attorneys office. The police
said Schepps place, established after the
Rosenthal shooting and the convictions
which resulted. has recently been under
their observation.
"On Saturday night, said District
Attorney swami, "a man whose identity
| cannot reveal now, came TO me and said
Boss. YOU We got US licked This man mas
been gambler for p years. He gave me
valuable information IN the form of i con-
fession. he SAID further. that the gamblers
had gunmen ready 10 get anybody who
squealed. This man added: Ii It became
known that | am here, my life would not
be worth pin
Mr. Swami said this gambler. who was
not Cohen, told HIM the gamblers could
summon gunmen within 50 minutes
notice
The district attorney took charge of the
Cohen inquiry by sumnoning TO h,s office
Mrs Cohen, Joseph Edncy, the elevator
boy, and a number OF other persons who
were in the vicinity OF the shooting MIR
Swami comphmented Edney on his pur-
suit of the murderer, who WAS armed when
he fed.