The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-03-02
Lepke Must
Die Tonight
CONTINUED from Page u


who we're convicted Of killing Joseph
Rosen. an obscure Brooklyn candy
store proprietor. In adjoining cells
are Vince Sallani and Joseph Palm
er. convicted OF killing q detective.
Lepke's career OF crime stretched
back to his early boyhood when he
specialized" In petty pushcart
thefts in New York'S lower East Side.
In 1915 he went TO prison for rob.
berry and at the age OF 10 returned
to New York and joined a motor
ious burglar in fur robberies.
He served two more prison terms
and then switched his dubious tai
ents 10 liquor hijacking, extortion
and labor racketeering during pro-
hibltion days.
Lepke controlled a small army of
hoodlums, and preyed on business
men and labor leaders, forcing them
to pay for protection.
During the investigation of the
murder of the candy merchant, for
which he will die, the Federal Gov
eminent stepped in and convicted
him on narcotics charge. He was
sentenced TO II years, but after
serving one year he was returned
to New York to face murder charg.
eS.
New York state and federal gov
eminent wrangled nearly three years
before Attorney General Francis
Biddle finally agreed to turn him
over to New York authorities for exc
ecution.
New York, March 2. - (UP) 49,
In a last minute effort to escape the
electric chair, Louis (Lepke)
Buchalter, condemned New York
City Racketeer, was reported by
several sources today TO be ready
10 make a statement involving po-
litical higher ups" In his whole
sale murder ring.
Lepke goes to the chair for MUIR
der tonight at Sing Sing prison I'M
less Governor Thomas E. Dewey
grants him another stay or his at
torneys appeal federal judges
refusal TO grant writ Of habeas
corpus.
j. Bertram Wegman, attorney for
Lepke. declined 10 comment on the
reports that his client had offered
to talk or already had signed a
statement in which the New York
Daily News quoted him as charging
'one New York political faction with
seeking, through him, to hasten
high crime upon another and better
intrenched faction" The news said
LNpkes reward was ITO be his life
and his eventual freedom" The
newspaper did not identify the fac
ton or the political figures Lepke
was alleged TO have named
Governor Dewey's office was not
available for comment. Warden
William E. Snyder of Sing Sing said
that no statement had been made
TO him by Lepke but the prison
chaplain, DR.. Robert e. Brinkman
was reported to have carried TO Gov
ernor Dewey yesterday an offer by
Lepke to make statement.
The Daily News said Lepke re-
vealed In o statement q tale of po-
litical intrigue 80 astonishing that
its repercusslons threaten to tear
open the most sensational scandal
since the notorious Becker case in
1912"
In it." the News said, "he (LepRe)
named names and places"
Lepke was approached by q visitor
while he was in federal penitentiary
at Leavenworth, Kansas, In 1910. the
News said, and made the following
proposition:
If he would make a statement
to the visitor which would involve
three men, all highly placed in pub
lie life, in the murder of q New
York contractor in 1891, the visitor
would see that the Rosen indictment
(for which Lepke is to die) was
| Quashed."
The News said also that the Wis.
itor. not further identified, prom
ised Lepke to see that his sentence
on a federal narcotic convention
which the gangster was serving at
the time was considerably les
sehed."
Lepke also was quoted by the
News as saying that Frank Costello,
New York gambler, contributed $2s, 4.
900 for campaign expenses to "a
| nigh office seeker in New Yorlr 1ift, .,