The New York herald., 1921-02-12
WHISKEY MURDER
LIKE EROSENTHAL'S
IN BECKER CASE
Frank Walsh, New King OF
BOOtleggers, Slain Oh Eve
of Revelations.
WHITMAN AS NEMESIS
iiap. Killed on Lincoln
Highway Was to Have In
formed on Police.
NO TRACE OF BANDITS
Three Wounded Men in Hos
pital and Two Dead as Re-
suit of Booze Holdup.
NO TRACE OF BANDITS

dual anu IWO Dcdu as hC
suit Of Booze Holdup.
The sensational holdup of truck
load OF wniskey on the Lincoln High
way between Trenton and New Bruins
wick Thursday night and the murder
of Frank Walsh. said to be the sue
cessor of Frederick Eckert, king OF
the bootleggers." was characterized
yesterday in the District Attorneys
office as a second Becker case"
Points of similarity were obvious
when Assistant District Attorney
James Z. Smith said he secretly had
obtained information from Walsh con-
cerning automobile thefts, police con-
nivance, bootlegging and the stu un-
solved Eckert murder. Walsh was 10
come through before the Whitman
Grand Jury. which is investigating the
Police Department, week from next
Tuesday. Mr.. Smith said.
Herman Rosenthal, for whose muir
der. in July, 1912, Police Lieutenant
Charles Becker and four notorious
gunner paid the penalty i'll the eiec-
tric chair. was also on the thresnolo
of testifying before a Whitman Grand
Jprv when he was shot down as
"souealer, in front OF the Metropoie
Hotel. in West Forty third street.
Mr.. Smith said he heard several weeks
ago that Walsh knew about stolen auto
mobiles that the Whitman jury has oeen
Investigating and that he caused word
20 be circulated throughout the Tender
,o,n that he wanted to see Walsh ana
meant TO indict him. Walsh sent Word
10 Smith that he would meet him outside
the Criminal Courts Building and they
met somewhere, Some time last week
Mr.. Smith said
.Bumped or Like Rosenthai.
walsh gave information that involved
certain policemen-particularl certain
officer we'll connected at Headquarters--
with the automobile theft gang and SAID
alsc he could shed light on the murder
of Frederick Eckert, who was shot IN
an automobile or lonely Staten Island
road August 21 last under circumstances
resembling Walsh's murder Thursday.
Mr.. Smith told Walsh. he said, that
he had evidence to indict him, but would
hold off If Walsh would come through
and Walsh agreed to- tell everything.
He promised to appear before the Grand
Jury IN February 21. Next Mr.. Smith
heard OF Walsh was an anonymous and
brief phone call he received yesterday
morning that Frank (walsh) had been
bumped off.
Although Walsh had not told one
quarter Of the facts the Whitman inves-
tigotcrs hoped TO learn from him he
did give them some valuable informa-
ton. Mr.. Smith said. For one thing he
named a garage in Newark where cars
stolen in Philadelphia we're hidden sixty
days. The reason for this is that the
owner Of a car cannot collect his in
surance until sixty days after its theft.
The game, Walsh told Mr.. Smith, was
20 hold the stolen cars until the insurance
money was paid, and then the dishonest
cops. in cahoots with the thieves, would
60 to the insurance adjuster and teu
him they thought they could find the
car II a suitable reward was paid.
Whereupon the car would be found the
owner would pay back the money TO the
insurance company and the company.
delighted at escaping loss, would pay
the COP one-uuartcr or so Of the amount.
Walsh told Mr.. Smith. he said. that
a certain police official OF high standing
had come into possession OF stolen
car which the official used at his coun-
try home last summer. Mr.. Whitman
has asked the New Brunswick, y. j.,
police and Prosecuting Attorney to keep
him informed IL any further evidence
points to Walsh being murdered to pre-
vent his "squealing"
Slaughter over wbiskey.
Late last night the Middlesex county
authorities had no clue 70 the wheye-
abouts of the men involved In the hold
up and murder of Walsh and Leon
Salamandra, owner OF the twenty-five
barrels OF whskoy. which were being
transported under permit from Trenton
to Newark.
Tho gun fight following the holdup.
az described by witnesses. outthrilled
the bioodicst seven reel shocker ever de-
picted In the movies. a fusillade OF
shots was fired into the truck and its
convoy. a sedan automobile. In which
rode Salamaudra. his brother Pedro.
Charles Barnabea and Dominick Orsi.
Edward Ring. who drove tho truck. Is
held in New Brunswick as material
witness. Three other members of the
party arc in the hospital suffering from
wounds. Another. Samuel Perkins. ne
gro chauffeur. was arrested at his home
In Newark during the day.
Besides the truck i've automobiles
figure In the case. Fourteen miles this
side Of Trenton the truck and It's con-
voy was halted by a Cadillac car con-
tanning six men, which came UP from
behind. swung into the middle Of the
road and stopped. Three men Jumped
out with drawn revolvers.
They ordered the six unarmed occu-
pants Of the truck and the sedan TO
get out on tho road In tho darkness
and confusion Ring and Perkins slipped
away. The bandits. OF whom Walsh Is
said to have been the leader. ordered the
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Continued on Second Po1c