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Show Police Lieutenant Was Boldest on Force Millions Mil-lions in Graft. Now York, July 31. ISvory trail and lead is to be followed porsistontly, no matter where it ends, by District Attorney At-torney Whitnion, to learn by whom $2,400,000 graft money said to have been distributed, was finally received. "Bald Jack" Roso, whose confession confes-sion iut Police Lieutenant Becker bo-hind bo-hind tho bars for the murder of tho gambler, Herman Rosenthal, has told tho public prosecutor that this huge sum of money was obtained by police blackmail from gamblers and disorderly disor-derly houses, and that Lieutenant Becker told him the money went to four police officials. The public prosecutor has arranged to keep the grand jury in session all summer to investigate the relations rela-tions between the gamblers and the police, which is, In the opinion of the district attorney, a matter of more public Importance than the Rosen thal case. District Attorney Whitman purposos to break up the relations said to exist between the gamblers and the police If he has to protect every man involved In the murder of Rosenthal except those who fired the shots. "Whether Lieutenant Becker will care to avail himself of an opportunity oppor-tunity to make his own position easier by telling the prosecutor tho recipients recipi-ents of the graft money which "Bald Jack" Rose says he turned over to Becker is doubtful. More than fifty witnesses will be subpoenaed to appear before the grand Jury to tell what they know of alleged al-leged police blackmail. The Information obtained from Rose, who says he was BecKer's collector col-lector from gambling housos, will be susceptible of proof by the district attorney. All records of gambling arrests will be closely scrutinized to obtain evidence evi-dence in the case, and District Attorney At-torney Whitman iy in possession of a list of names of big and little gamblers gam-blers given him by Rose, who, in his accusation against Becker, said that when the police lieutenant took charge of the strong arm squad, he asked for the names of gamblers who could be made to give up for police protection. Rose says that Becker took the list and determined how much 'money each gambler was to be assessed for the privilege of doing business unmolested. unmo-lested. Some gamblers. Rose said, paid a high as 5500 a month, while the little fellows got off with anywhere any-where from $50 to $100 a month. Meanwhile Police Lieutenant Becker, Beck-er, a prisoner In tho Tombs, is saying say-ing nothing and there is no confirmation confirma-tion of the report that his defense will be that three gamblers, Rose, Vallon and Webber, finding the case going against them, got together and framed the story that would Involve Becker. "Big Jack" Seellg, to whom Rose says he went to get the men to slay Rosenthal, will appear when wanted. Ills counsel has told the public prosecutor pros-ecutor that Seellg would tell everything every-thing he knew of bhe case, Seellg Is now out on ?10,000 ball for carrying carry-ing concealed weapons. The alleged assassins of Rosenthal. Harry Horowitz, or "Bib, tho blood," Lefty Lou and "Whity" Lewis are still at largo. "Dago Frank" Cirofici is in custody. cus-tody. New York. July 30. Jack Roso, who confessed that he was ordered by Police Lieutenant Charles A. Becker to hae Gambler Herman Rosenthal killed, swore In an amplified am-plified statement made today to District Dis-trict Attorney Whitman that as collector col-lector for Becker he knew the annual protection fund divided among mom-bers mom-bers of tihe police department to be not less than $2,400,000. Not onlv gamblers, but also keepers keep-ers of dives and disorderly places of all kinds contributed to this fund. Roso mentioned by name three police po-lice inspectors and one civilian employee em-ployee who stands next to Commissioner Commis-sioner Waldo as the men who acted as a clearing committee for men still higher In tho city administration. Becker's Big Share, Beckor, however, is alleged to havo declared to Rose on several occasions occa-sions that he expected to retain for himself at least half a million dollars this year from the total fund. In substantiation of this statement partial evidence has beon presented to Mr. Whitman indicating that the personal per-sonal fortune of Becker, who Is now In tho Tombs charged with murder in the first degree, amounts to moro than $1,000,000. There is still additional evldenco showing that Becker had grown so bold as to uccept checks made payable to his order for protection. Graft From Kelly. Several of the checks aro said to have been signed by "Honest" John Kelly, who has conductod gambling houses In Forty-first stroet and other places in the tenderloin for more than ten years. Ono of tho checks drawn by Kelly to the order of Becker was for -T2G00 and It is alleged that the cancellation shows that It was finally cashod by an official In the police department much higher in rank than Becker. Rose's statement Tegaiding the police po-lice graft is also corroborated In tho main by "Bridgy" Webbo.- and Vallon. Val-lon. Says Becker Was Bold. "I never had any fault to find with Becker excepting his boldness," said Rose, in telling of the graft collections collec-tions "I felt that some day we all would certainly be caught and had sense enough to know that wo men who had been used as tools would be the 'goats.' The only reason I clung to Becker was because of his generosity. Ho gavo mo a lot of money, half of which, if saved, would hae made me Independent. But 1 am a gambler and never knew how to keep money. As fast as I would got It from Becker I would lose it gambling. ' "Becker referred on many occasions occa-sions to the other men In the police department 'who were getting theirs," as he expressed It, He always said he was not afraid of getting into trouble because there were men higher high-er up In the department who were collecting money from gamblers, too. Becker In Full Control. "He repeated so often that he could do as ho pleased and on many occasions occa-sions exhibited his ability to control the gambling situation that we learned to have absolute faith in him "Can you blame us for carrying out his orders whon he said he would send us to prison If wo did not do away with Rosenthal?" The fact that Roso bad made a statement which involved several men in the department traveled like wildfire wild-fire through police circles. At headquarters head-quarters almost a state of panic profiled pro-filed throughout the day. Not one of tho men who from now on will bo known as the clearing committee, except the civilian omploye, put In an appearance at headquarters Fear Unnamed Men. Roso, Webber and Vallon all admitted admit-ted that It was the men whose names have not yet been 'given publicity whom they feared when they requested request-ed imprisonment elsewhere than In the TombB. Mr. Whitman declared he would not havo granted this most unusual request, at least from men charged with complicity in the murder, mur-der, if he did not have reason to believe be-lieve their fears wore well founded. District Attorney Whitman made tho positive assertion tonight that in his opinion the confessions of Roso. Webber and Vallon, which placed tho responsibility of the assassination of Rosenthal directly on Lloutonaut Becker, were sufficient to Bend tho former head of the "strong arm squad" to the electric chair. "In tho face of the evidence that has been heard before the grand jury," said District Attorney Whitman, "I cee no way by which Lieutenant Becker can uvold the death ponalty for this crime, unloss he consenta lo make a confession that will onablo me to reach every man responsible for the system of vice and corruption which undermines tho city administration. adminis-tration. An Atroclouc Plot. Mayor Gaynor after reasserting tho statement that the gamblers did not pay for protection today agreed to tho petition of fifteen aldermen and called a speolal meeting of tho board looking into the police and gambling situation. Meantime tho arrest of tho actual (Continued on Page Flvo ) BECKEfls" : (ME KING (Continued From Page One.) assassins is expected hourly. All aro without money except what Is furnished fur-nished them by their "pals." They wore not paid any large amount of money for their crime. They wero inspired to murder entirely, it is said, oy the feais of what Becker could io to them if they failed to obey orders or-ders William J. Burns and his detectives are understood to bo ready to turn oer startling evidence to District Attorney At-torney Whitman as the fruit of more than a week's investigation of the police department. "Big Jack" Seelig, gang leader, who. according to Jack Rose, assembled assem-bled Rosenthal's assassins, is ready to give himself up, according to I1I3 counsel, Charles Wahle, who. declared de-clared today he would produce the gangster as scon as the district attorney at-torney gave the word. Jack Sullivan, who spent the night previously riding around town with 3eckcr, and is now held on a chargo of complicity, premised today to make some revelations that would overshadow over-shadow any statements made by Rosa, Webber or Vallon. Hiscounsel, Hartford Hart-ford T. Marshall, said: "Sullivan has promised me to tell the entire truth. His revelations will involvo many persons What Rose and Webber and Vallon have said is mild compared to what Sullivan will tell." |