The New York herald., 1922-12-11
SANITY TEST MADE
FOR BECKER'S TRIAL
Alienists for Both Sides
Subject Accused Man
to Ordeal.
PIP VICTIM is BURIED
Tolice Use Riot Tactics to
Keep Mob of Thousands 81
in Check.
WANTED COFFIN OPENED
Bronx Prosecutor Ready and
Selection of Jury Begins
This Morning.
WANTED COFFIN OPENED

For three and one-half hours Abra-
ham Becker. who will be tried to-day
in Bronx County Court charged with
burying his wife. alive in an aban-
doned boiler pit in The Bronx. was
examined by alienists in the Bronx
county Jail yesterday in an effort to
determine what justification there
might be for an insanity plea.
No direct verdict would be given
out by any of the parties concerned
following the long and thorough ex-
animation to which the prisoner was
subjected. DIR. Menas S. Gregory.
alienist in charge of the psychopathic
ward in Bellevue Hospital. repre-
sented the State and DR.. Max G.
Schlapp of the Postgraduate Hospital
examined for the defense. Both au-
thorities reserved their decisions until
the trial is begun to-day.
'.The prosecution Is ready to go ahead
tomorrow" emphatically declared Al
bert Cohn, Assistant District Attorney
in charge of prosecution, Immediately
after DIR. Gregory had made his report
conclusions from that
Only few hours before Becker's
ordeal was begun thousands OF people
swarmed the streets of The Bronx, halt
ing traffic for blocks in an attempt to
catch a glimpse of the funeral process
sion of Mrs. Jennie Becker, victim OF
the murder. Forty patrolmen were
called out to hold back the crowd and
at times the cortege could move only
when preceded by platoon of police
men in riot formation.
Funeral HaIts at Murder Pit.
The crowd swarmed around the Israel
Orphan Asylum, $50 Second street.
early in the morning to witness
formation of the funeral procession.
Fully 10. 900 formed at this point. From
the asylum, past the murder pit at
Southern Boulevard and East 14Oth
street, on to Mrs. Beckers former home.
at S19 East 150th street. and finally
across the Willis avenue bridge to the
ferry.
The cortege halted in front OF the
murder pit and the silence was broken
by sobs and shrieks of women. while
the pressure of the crowd became so
great the reserves of the Morrisania sta
tion were called out to assist. The
police were forced to form a Gordon
around the forty limousines and jam
their way. forward inch by inch in order
to start the procession forward again.
Leaving the former home OF the slain
woman the funeral procession went 10
the CONGREGATION DilSin Cholin. 625 Pros
pect avenue, where open air services
were held in front of the synagogue
Roofs. fire escapes and windows were
packed with hundreds of people at this
80 oh fncy
heads and not few weeping. The Rev
]. Bruh. pastor: Senator-elect Benjamin
Antin and Justice Gustave Hartman
spoke. All pledged. themselves to care
for the four motherless Becker children.
wanted to See Dead Woman.
AS the services ended the crowd broke
through the line of police and surround
ed the hearse. many asking that the
coffin be opened. Once more the police
resorted to riot formation and the pro-
cession slowly resumed its march.
Mrs. Becker's three-year-old twin
daughters. Celia and Sarah. attended
the funeral and offered a prayer for
the mother whose disappearance and loss
they still cannot fully comprehend.
Harry years old. and Aleck. years
old, were also present. Burial was in
Riverside Cemetery. Hackensack, ". j.,
and arrangements were in charge OF the
Anglo-American Benevolent Association,
to which Mrs. Becker once belonged.
The trial of Becker will open this
morning in Bronx County Court before
Judge Louis p. Gibbs. A panel of 100
jurors has been called. Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Cohn says the State will
have between twenty and thirty Wit
nesscs. Reuben Norkin. also charged
With first degree murder In connection
with the Staying OF Mrs. Becker, will be