New-York tribune., 1921-02-12
alsh, Rum and Auto
Thief, Found Dead Af-
ter N. ]. Hold-Up; Shot
by Pals, Whitman Saws
Sees Similarity
To Rosenthal Case
Robbers Story of Motor
Graft Involved Many;
Was. Eckert's Partner

frank Walsh, automobile thief
whisky runner and, more recently. a
squealer" against his pals and
crooked policemen in the bootlegging
and graft Investigations, paid the pen
atty for the last-named offense with
his life on a lonely country road in
New Jersey Wednesday night, if the
theory former Governor Whitman, spe-
cial Assistant District Attorney. is
testing proves correct.
Walsh, it is believed, was summarilv
executed for his treachery, which he
supposed was unknown to his fellow
bootleggers, after he had aided them
IN the holding up on Lincoln Highway
near New Brunswick, truckload of
whisky and the murder Of it's owner,
Lee Salamandra, rich liquor dealer
of Trenton.
1t is thought that his five confed-
crates in the robbery took him with
them for the express purpose of seal
ing his lips with q bullet, and that the
wanton and seemingly unnecessary
Staying of Salamandra was staged to
make it appear that Walsh had been
killed in a gun fight between the ban
dts and the party escorting the whisky
truck.
Rum Bandits Still at Large
Up to midnight none of the bandit
bt,ootle,ggers had been arrested, al
though Federal and local officers were
securing northern New Jersey and New
York for them. Neither had the stolen
whisky been recovered.
Mr.. Whitman and James E. Smith,
his assistant, freely admitted yester-
day that Walsh had been of valuable
assistance to them in furnishing leads
to evidence they have already uncov-
cred disclosing police graft in stolen
automobiles and police collision with
illicit dealers in rum.
The most important information
given them by Walsh resulted in the
building up of case against a detec-
tive sergeant of the automobile squad,
closely connected at Police Headquar-
ters, whose Indictment Mr. Whitman
will ask next week.
When it became known yesterday
that Walsh had been partner in the
bootlegging business of Frederick P.
Eckert, who was found shot to death on
Old Town Road, just outside of Wads-
worth, S. l., the similarity between the
method of their killing and the reputed
motive of each murder were remarked
The authorities some time ago came to
the conclusion that Eckert was slain
at the behest of bootleggers who sus-
pected him Of "squealing."
The fact that Walsh had been giving
aid to Mr.. Whitman in his hunt for
police graft raised the question of still
another parallel. Was Walsh put out
of the way because he knew too much
about the connivance of dishonest po-
licemen with bootleggers, just as Her
man Rosenthal was killed by order of
Police Lieutenant Charles Becker when
his living another day threatened the
safety Of policemen who thrived on
gambling graft?
Walsh Had Guilty Trembling
Does the murder of Walsh resemble
in any aspect that of Herman Rosen-
thai 2" Mr.. Whitman was asked
"Walsh's information had some peo-
PIE trembling in their boots" the
prosecutor replied. "It took US long
time to break the Becker case. If there
is a likeness we'll break this.
"All I will say until I have received
and digested report on Walsh's death
is that l know there has been a tre-
mendous amount of intimidation
brought to bear on witnesses whose
testimony might be valuable to this in
vestigation.
"Whether or not that influence was
brought to bear by members of the
Police Department is matter l do not
feel | should discuss at this time.
81 can say, however that when
Walsh was killed we lost one of the
most important links in the automo-
bile graft scandal and one of our most
important witnesses in the investiga-
tion into the alleged collusion between
police and bootleggers.
81 have put into motion machinery
for thorough investigation of Walsh's
death. l have been promised the CO.
operation of both the Federal and the
New Jersey authorities"
Not Voluntary Stool Pigeon
Walsh was not a voluntary stool
pigeon for the Whitman probe. He
consented to "hand up" his associates
only when he was made to believe that
otherwise he himself would be indicted
When Assistant District Attorneys
Smith and William Chilvers first came
upon Walsh's connection with the auto
graft and booze scandals they asked
him to come to the Criminal Courts
Building. He baked at this, but met
Mr.. Smith at Fifth Avenue club.
Mr.. Smith told him he had the
goods" on him and that the grand jury
would be asked to indict him if he did
not tell what he knew. Walsh "came
through" telling the Assistant Dis
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