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NEW YORK MURDER PLOT. I
GETTING RID OF A POLICE
ACCUSER.
FOUR MORE MEN SENTENCED
TO BE ELECTROCUTED
LONDON, November 19.
In July last a cold-blooded murder
in the "White Light" district of New
York caused a great sensation in the
city, particularly as the police department
was under grave suspicion.
The victim was Herman Rosenthal,
the keeper of a. gambling-house. He
had been summoned as a witness in
the inquiry into police "graft" scandals,
which had been opened by Mr. J
Waldo, the Police Commissioner of
New York, and it was believed that
police officers, against whom the charges
of bribery were made, inspired, if they
did not actually commit the crime.
Mr. Rosenthal was having a meal
in the hotel dining-room shortly after
2 o'clock, when one of the hotel servants
told him that some friends in a
motor-car were inquiring for him outside.
He left the table, and went out,
and as he was crossing the pavement
to the car, six men who were in it
fired revolvers simultaneously at him,
and Mr. Rosenthal fell, pierced by four
bullets. The car immediately drove
off, and the murderers escaped.
Lieutenant Becker, of the New York
police, who prompted the murder, Was
last month found guilty in the first
degree, and sentenced to be electrocuted,
and now four of the actual mur-
derers "Gyp the Blood," "Lefty"
Louis, Frank Cirofici, and "Whitey"
Lewis-have also been found guilty,
and sentenced to be electrocuted.
Billiard Ball" Jack Ross, who says
he was Becker's collector of ' graft in
the gambling houses, told his story in
connection with the Rosenthal murder at
the trial of Limit Becker on the 18th of
last month. He proved a most interesting
witness "Booker told me said
Rose that Rosenthal meant to do what
he had threatened-to 'squeal' and break
him We've got to put Rosenthal, he
said, where you or I or anybody else
will never have to worry about him
again ' ' Rose said he protested, but
Becker was obdurate At Becker's or
does he saw Zelig, the gang leader, in
the Tombs Prison, and with Zehfs and
got gunmen to kill Rosenthal fEeling,
on becoming a witness for the prosecution,
was murdered in a tramcar J
"Becker told me," he said, to tell the
gunmen that he would 'frame' them up
if they did not kill Rosenthal " Rose
mentioned the futile plan to make away
with Rosenthal in the garden of the
restaurant When he told Becker that
the design had failed because he thought
he recognised a private detective there,
Backer got hot, and exclaimed Detectives
You walk up and shoot Rosenthal
in front of a policeman Get
through with it You are 'stalling
The witness then related the events on
the fatal night when Becker telephoned
to him urging that Rosenthal should be
murdered immediately He received
this message while he was in a Turkish
bath He remained there until night,
when he dined with Schweppes, Vallon,
aid Phtt three friends of his and
Becker's, who came in a motor car With
them he went to Dago Frank's house,
where he learned that the other gunmen
had received a message to meet Bridgoy
at. Webber's gambling place With Dago
Frank augmenting the party, they
motored to 'Webber's, where they found
Bridgey. Gyp the Blood, Lefty Louis,
and Whitey Lewis on the sidewalk They
all went in and had drinks Bridge
said "Rosenthal is at the Metropole '
Then everybody went out "Who went
out" asked the Assistant District At-
torney 'pity Gyp, Whitey Lewis,
Dago Frank, and Briagey," was the re-
ply "I stayed behind waiting " added
Rose, when word came that Rosenthal
had been shot I went to the baths and
telephoned to Becker ' Did you hear
the news?' I asked him, "Yes,' said
BeckT 'I congratulate you ' " According
to the witness Becker came down
and met him on the sidewalk near
We boers place I'm glad it's done,
Becker said He explained that he was
late in coming down because he stopped
at the police station, and saw Rosen
that's body 'If it wasn't for District
Attorney Whitman being there I'd have
raced around and cut out Rosenthal's
tongue ' he said " The witness related
these details deliberately Carefully choosing
his words Becker b face was bathed
in perspiration as he listened Becker
was in an agitated and exhausted condition
when removed to the cells after
Rose's evidence but when the trial was
resumed on Monday had quite recovered
his nerve Bridget Webber, another
witness for the prosecution gave evidence
corroborating Rose's story in almost
every essential particular Webber was
the proprietor or one of the most lucrative
gambling places in New York, and,
according to his own statement, acted as
paymaster for the four alleged assassins
He stated that they each demanded £50
as the price of killing the gambler "No
cake no murder," was their attitude
but Becker declined to pay in advance
"So Becker came to me " said Webber
and represented that if Rosenthal was
allowed to make full disclosures of the
gambling arrangements with the police
to District Attorney Whitman it would
put an end to gambling in New York "
On this hint Webber guaranteed the payment
of the gunmen Webber's word
was sufferers and the murder immediately
took place
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