THE ROSENTHAL MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 165, 29 November 1912, Page 8

THE ROSENTHAL MURDER.

BECKER'S CONVICTION.

JUDGE AND JURORS THREATENED,

ATTORNEY WITH ARMED GUARD,

San Francisco, October 28.

The conviction of Charles Becker, lieu-j tenant of police, in the first degree, which j involves death by electrocution, struck terror to the hearts of the gang of criminals who have been waxing rich from the proceeds of "protected" vice in' New York. As the case against Becker consisted mainly of the evidence of lawbreakers, some of whom admitted complicity in the plot that led to the sensational shooting of Herman Rosenthal, the professional gambling-house keeper, and the chief of whom, ''Bald Jack" rose, admitted, further, that he was testifying to save his own life, Becker and his friends had the strongest hopes of a verdict of not guilty. But the circumstances corroborative of the stories of the criminal witnesses were very strong. Tlie law of New York does hot permit conviction upon the uncorroborated evidence of an accomplice. As to whether or not one of them, Sam, Schopps, was an accomplice, the Judge' said ,lie was. in doubt, and left the point to the juryl for determination. They found that Schopps was :>ot, and accordingly returned a verdict of not guilty. .

The defence raised on behalf of Becker was that four of the witnesses against the police, lieutenant conspired to kill Rosenthal independent of Becker, and that they afterwards conspired to throw the onus on Becker to save their own lives. Becker has hopes of reversing the verdict by appeal. Since the conviction of the police lieutenant, it is reported from New York that everybody who was connected with the trial has been threatened with violent death. These threats, contained in anonymous letters, are supposed to have emanated from friends of the four professional assassins who were employed to do Becker's work, and who are in gaol awaiting trial. The informers are also still in custody, and eveii while behind the bars their lives are in jeopardy. In'referring to-a-report that these men would now try and gain their liberty on bail, Mr. Whitman, district attorney, significantly remarked: "What :these informers now need is not bail, but extra iron doors on their cells, so they will feel, safe." : Amongst .those who have been threatened with death are Judge GofT, who presided at the trial, the district attorney, the 12 jurors, and witnesses. Mr. Whitman, district attorney, does not stir out of his office oil home without an armed guard at. his side. The four informers, Rose, Webber, Vallon and Schopps, have received word in prison that if they have any property to dispose of they might as well niake their wills, and even though in close confinement they are described as "chilled with fear." On the, sth of this month, two days before the commencement of the trial, Zelig, who was to be an important witness in> the trial, was shot and killed while boarding. a> street car. Phillip Davidson, who is accused of shooting Zelig after he was lodged in gaol, narrowly escaped death by the dropping from the cell gallery above his own of a heavy iron bucket. D-ividson maintains that he killed Zelig because the latter robbed him of money, but it is believed he was inspired to commit the ' murder by the gang interested in the defence of Becker. Zelig was the man who, according to confessions made in the presence of the grand jury, assisted "Bald Jack" Rose in procuring the four | assassins who'killed Rosenthal. He did this, says the district attorney, at the behest of Police Captain Becker, who was anxious to get rid of Rosenthal, because i the latter had "squealed" of the corrupt relations between the police and the gamblers. In his evidence, "Bald Jack" Rose told a startling story. Police Captain Becker, he testified, told him that he wanted Rosenthal "murdered, shot, croaked or dynamited," to get him out of the way, and repeatedly urged the murder of the gambler. After seeing Zelig, Rose got the four men who killed Rosenthal, and later, paid them £2OO, on behalf of Becker, telling them, he said, not to worry, but to lie low. Tiie witness admitted that he was testifying to save his own life. "If I had not come here and testified, I would have lost my own life," he stated. "I am merely testifying against Becker because he was preparing to throw us to the wolves,"

Rose also testified that he had collected money for Becker, from gambling and other legal resorts, giving particulars and amounts. When Rosenthal started giving, newspaper interviews about his corrupt association with Police Captain Becker, the latter said to ''Bald Jack": "I guess Rosenthal means to do what he said lie would do —to squeal and break me."

The witness told about seeing Zelig and getting liim out of gaol, on bail, and arranging with Zelig for the latter's gang of assassins to "croak" Rosenthal, in accordance with Becker's repeated demands. There was some delay in accomplishing Becker's desires, and he got hot and insisted several times that they "hurry it along."