New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-06
Paymasters in Gambling
Murder Case Face
Arrest To-day
Abb Is Smashed,
Says Swann's Aid
Another Man May Be Ac.
cused With Big Morris"
in Killing

"Big Morris" Rothenberg, gambler
and singing waiter, was indicted yes
terday for the murder of Harry Cohen,
who, District Attorney Swami says, was
about to give evidence against five
gamblers. After Rothenberg had been
taken to the Tombs, Assistant District
Attorney Smith told newspapermen
that he has evidence that Rothenberg
had told at least one person about four
hours before the murder that he was
going to leave New York that day and
that he expected to get "bunch of
money"
Mr.. Smith says he also has informa-
ton that Rothenberg and Joseph Galu-
Pc, another gambler, who came forward
voluntarily as corroboratng witness
of Rothenberg's alibi, were seen hur-
rying from one cafe to another in the
vicinity of Seventh Avenue and Forty
eighth Street about an hour after the
murder looking for three men. The
prosecutor says he is looking for three
gamblers who are believed to have
acted as the "paymasters" for the al
legged "com bination" of gamblers who
wanted Cohen killed.
Says Alibi Was sFramed"
Mr.. Smith also said that he has been
Informed that Rothenberg, after the
murder, confded his plan to Jump
town" to one of his friends, who ad-
vised him to remain in New York fer
while to allay any suspicion. lr.
Smith said he has legal evidence that
Rothenberg's alibi was framed" but
Rothenberg was so confident it would
stand that he decided to stay in New
York, and visited the New Colonial
restaurant nearly two hours after the
crime, and not a few minutes before
it occurred, as Galupo and Anthony
Petals, the Greek waiter, testified en-
Thursday.
How big the price of putting Cohen
out of the way was Mr.. Smith would
not venture to say. He said he had
that by Sunday morning he expected
to arrest the paymasters
1t was learned yesterday, and Mr..
Smith did not deny it, that the young
woman known as "Yvonne Pachetau"
and "Yvonne Durand," who drank with
Rothenberg in Clancy's cafe, in Forty
eighth Street, near Seventh Avenue,
about 1880 Monday morning, had fur,
nished material evidence against the
indicted man.. She was a witness be-
fore the grand jury yesterday. 1t was
said that she testified that Rothenberg
had announced his intention of going
out of town that day and that he ex-
pected to get hold of a bunch of money.
1t was also reported that Petals, the
waiter, had been induced by his wife
to make truthful statement to the
District Attorney and that he had not
only admitted that Rothenberg was not
in the restaurant about 6:55, when the
murder occurred, but that he had also
given material assistance to the prose
cution regarding the movements of
Rothenberg and Galupo in the vicinity
OF the restaurant about 8 o'clock.
Galupo Stays in Cell
The attempt on the part of gam
bier to put up $4,000 cash to get Ga
lupo out Of the House of Detention, as
described Thursday night by District
Attorney Swami and Mr.. Smith, did not
materialize. Galupo remained in his
cell. Mr.. Smith intimated last night
that an Indictment for murder might be
nccted with the case.
George J. Williams, salesman, of
200 West Seventeen Street, who was
detained 1t the Fourth Branch Detec-
tive Bureau early yesterday morning,
made an affidavit yesterday in which he
&, said that he was sitting in the crap
game in Badly" Sauer's place, in lower
Sixth Avenue, about daybreak on the
morning Of the murder, and that he saw
Cohen leave the place with Galupo and
Rothenberg. Williams said he did not
see the mysterious unknown man."
variously described by Rothenberg and
Galupo as the man who left the place
with them and boarded an uptown car
with Cohen at Fifth Street.
A man described by Mr.. Smith as
monty" said to be doorkeeper in
Sauer's place, also made an affidavit
which, according to Mr.. Smith, cor
roborated Wlliams's version of Cohen's
exit from the place, ard was equally
positive that TIE unknown" man de-