New Britain Herald Newspaper, July 30, 1915, Page 6

DE BRAVE PLEA TO WHITMAN at Poughkeepsie When Ex-Lieutenant’s Cried to Exec: Y., July 30.—A en to “the vell feonceal her tears, ap- 'ay of the Nelson 8. g'clock last sed the sidewalk ons, mostly men, “there silently her aund ats as a misery. derstood figure iing es | that wife had failed in ive his lite, to make her appeal ‘her spirit was not as’‘the chance taken heéatt of if, ‘husband’s lawyers, rnor with the be- & wife’s abject ap- him where all ota- d argument had s Down. as gently n can be in no—Mrs. upleld bro down. been, In the clos- tondemnned men, utive, “Give Him ance.” mobile arrived at the hotel. With the governor was his miljitary secretary, Major @, Stanley Moore. They were taken to a private room on the ground fioor and there awaited the coming of Charles Becker's wife. Ten minutes after the governor entered the hotel Mrs. Becker arrived witn Mr. John- stoni. She was very nervous, but she managed somehow to raise the ghost of a smile as she passed through the crowd. It was quite apparent then that she had not abandoned all hope. She wags ushered into a room ' con- nected with the one in which the gov- ernor sat with Major Moore, and there for a long time she remained alone in the dark, hearing the voices raised in argument on the other side of the partition. Of all her trying experience that long wait was 'probab- Iy the most painful. She could do nothing in the world but’ grip her hands tightly and hope that the gov- ernor would hear her prayer. Johnston’s Argumecnt Fails. M.r Johnston made a long argument of threc points. First, he cortended tkat the governor ought to grant a re- spite until Cockran and Manton had bad opportunity to’ review the de-, cision ‘of Justice Fora and take the qQecision to a higher court. He ar- gued that there is an inheront power vested in a justice of the supreme court to order a new trial on such new evidence as was presented to Justice Ford, and that opportunity ought to be given to sée whether or not the high court would set the ver- @ict aside on the grounds of fraud and perjury.: ‘I cannot do as you ask,” replied theé governotr, ‘‘because there is no appeal from Justice Ford’s declsion.” | ‘THen, said. Mr, Johnston, “1 ask ‘[ you to consider. your determination not nor, who | ‘and shadows ‘a’ woman, meés knelt, )‘su:nl as she " governor . 8 -eg' eom-- “semntence, any- right to e governor's to submit this case to 'two former chiet judgeés of the court of appesls, ex-Chief Judge Andrews and ex-Chief Judge Cullen, on the ground that Charles Becker is entitled by the con- stitution to have the final judgment in ‘his_case pronounced by an impartial authority.” : ; ! “In this ‘matter,” said . Governor [ Whitman, shortly, “my origlial -de- termination s final. It would be wholly improper for .me to refer to ‘ Gthers the final consideration of this “And now,” said Mr. Johnston, “I ask you to grant a reprieve in order that we may present to you ‘tie new- ly distained since thepe motions we started.” 3 3 “That also is impossible,” ¢ replied the Gavernor, “because there has been no new evidence discovered.” The argument ended at 7:15 P. M. Then Mr. Johnston asked the Goyer- nor if he would see Mrs. Becker and permit her to say to him what she had in mind. . The Governor winced at this. He understood beforehand how painful' the intérview would be and how uselessly distressing to Mrs. Becker. But he nodded consent. The door connecting the two rooms, the , shaking {'one in which Johnston had argued hid act, I would until we can of tnnocence _we _them kill him. & Manton had & half in at- e governor that | to v the ex- argu it tailed, [ipbssible hope left t' the sight of Mrs. the spectacle of a pight sway the gover- cold argument ‘unsuccessful be- £ able to advance any ose that had cov- lon of Supreme Court d. Mrs. Becker failed ‘Whitman, as he lutely convinced of it he cuurd not permit ia to unavailingly, and the one in which Mrs. Becker had sat for sn hour and & half was unlocked and slid back. The Governor walked slowly and alone into the room.: As he ap- proached Mrs. Becker she arose quickly and took two steps toward him, impulsively putting out her hands, The Governor bowed and drew up a chair and after she had seated herself he sat down close to her. At first she was calm and spoke in a firm voice. “He Is Immocent,” Wife Says. “Governor,” she said, “I am Char- lie Becker's wife. I am certain that I know whether or not he is sulity. I tell you he.is innocent. Don't you believe you believe yourself that the informers placed the blame on him to save themselves?” She went on in this way for sev- eral minutes, with the Governor lis- tening attentively, but saying not a Wword. When she paused he said: “Mrs. Becker, no man has studled the case as much as I. No man has gone into it as thoroughly as I. No- body could have weighed the truth and the les as much as I. Apda I ‘must tell you that T believe your hys- band is guilty and therefore cannot interfere with the verdict of the courts.” Begins To Cry. Mrs. Becker began to cry. She arose to her fest and stood in front of the Governor, who apparently found it distressing to keep his eyes upon her facé.and so looked steadily out of the window. .She began then to plead without pretense of reason or argument, but solely on the grounds of merey. It was then that she repeated over and over again: “I know that Charlie was no saint, but I know he ‘Was not a murderer,” “There is no new evidence in the case,” the Governor repeated, ‘“and it is my duty to decline to inteérfere: Cén you give me any new facts? Is there any new informatien you /| have brought here?” “There 18 not,” sobbed Mrs. Beck- er, “but won't you please save Char- lie’s life? Just save his life”’ It was then that the Governor with his final refusal turned away and ed the interview. © It was some tlme—ten minutes _perhaps—before the Governor would jent to see the newspaper report- . His face when he admitted 3 It been imagination on the someé of the group, ‘but it ‘e too hdd not gone ¢ With dry eyes. men as tHey i ‘was eliquent: ) s “I saw a great deal in the ttorney’s office—went through great deal-—but there'was néver ‘any- thing lke this.” It was learned that the last re- mark made by Mr. Jehnston, when Mr. Johnston was ready. to take Mrs. Becker to the train. for Ossining, was: 3 “I see nothing at -this ‘hour that we can do to prevent the death sent- ence being carried out.” And the Governor replied: “There is nothing.” Major Moore had his automoblle cranked and the govenor got away from the hotel without interruption. In the meantime Mr. Johnston was arranging to get Mrs, Becker out of the hotel without being interviewed. This he aid. ‘Whitman Denies suwmfl:'~ st The governor was asked if he ha made the statement that Becker had once offered to plead guilty to murder in the second degree. He said that he had never made any such statement and declined to comment on that part hed story. q‘fi,f“}‘;fi,mn said that it could not be too strongly stated that the report was absolutely untrue. “At no time did he offer a plea of guilty. That I can say positively.” The governor laughed at a story that ostensibly came from Charles B. Plitt to the effect that he, Plitt, was a need- ed witness to convict Bécker and after being elected Governor Mr. Whitman would then pardon Becker. When the attention of Mr. Whitman was called to this story he laughed outright and said: < “It is too absurd to even deny.” In order to meet Mrs. Becker tie governor let go by a dinner that had been prepared at Camp Whitman in his honor. Owing to the lateness of the hour the governor decided not to return to the camp and went directly to the Nelson House, at which place the appointment had been arranged. Hotel Lobby Jammed. ‘When his presence became known in the hotel the hotel lobby was jammed and hundreds of people massed themselves in front of the building.. A half dozen policemen were called to handle the crowd and 4 detective was sent/to the first floor to keep persons away from the roomi in which the governor was. g 1 Mr. Johnston was solicitous. about Mrs. Becker and several tifhes request- ed that no effort be made to interview her. ¢ “It is,no time,” said he, as he an- nounced that he proposed to go to Sing Sing prison by automobile to save annoyance. He left the hotel with Mrs. Becker in a taxicab. Governor Whitman said he did not féel that he could talk more about the case and said his only degire was to return to Albany. It was learned that at one point of the talk with Mrs.- Becker the governor asked her to'tell bim anything new she might khow, 'éven in the strictest.confidence., She 'said she had nothing to tell. Nevor Asked for Pardon, At no time aid she attempt to bar- ‘gain for the life of her husband.. She did not say that he would give mation to the prosecuting officersy had appealed to the governor for a commutation from the death sen- tence. She did not ask that he be rardoned. She repeatedly asked that his life be spared. And as often the governor repled that his duty was plain and He could not interfere with the carrying out of the mandate of the court. The last words Mr. Johnston sald to the reporters as he got into his taxi- cab were that Mrs. Becker had done all she could in the interest of her hus- band and she still maintained that he was not guilty of murder. It was apparent that the governor had made up his mind as to what he was going to do with the application of counsel and Mrs. Becker, for before leaving the reviewing stand at Fish- kill Plaing he said: “I shall refuse the reprieve. is nothing else for me to do.” GOVERNOR WHITHAN SCORED BY BEGKER Sweeping Denial of Murder Charge * Made in !flltefitatemant : Sing Sing Prison, N, Y,, July 30— Charles Becker issued last niyght. a last statement addressed to Governor ‘Whitman in which he asserts his ab- solute innocence of the murder of Fosenthal and “all other charges that may be t.ormuln.ed or insinuated.” Becker's last appeal, which he gave out from the prison snortly after 8§ o’clock, was put In its final form only after his lawyers, W. Bourke Cockran and Martin T. Manton, had convineed him in the death house, following lengthy arguments, that the statement as he had written it during the forenoon and early afternoon should not be made public. Denies Certain Charges. He denies categorically certain charges which were attributed to Governor Whitman or those close to the governor, concerning the “mys- terious death” of Becker's first wife and an illegal offer he once made to plead guilty to murder In the second trial for the Rosenthal killing, Becker scores Mr. Whitman as dis- trict attorney and as governor and he dees not spare others from the Judges down who had anything to do with sending him to the. electric chair. The statement was givén to the news- yaper men at the prison when they learned that Mrs. Becker’s final plea to Governor Whitman nad been fruit- less. Statement Repeatedly Revised. 1t was only after about two hours ot conference with Mr. Cockeran and Mr. Manton in the death house that Becker released his statement and had tvpewritten copies made for the news. papermen, Revision after revision was suggested by his counsel when they entered the death house shortly after 3 o'clock - yesterday afternoon and went over with Becker the pen- AN ets he had been writing since »rirflnlpth@ morning néws- There paper yesterday caused Becker to sét to, work on the statement, and if left to himself it is thought tnat so far as the wording was concerned it might have reached the public in & different form. The thoughts therein, however, are said to have been unchanged. The statement as issnea by Becker follows in fuli: Becker’s Last Statement. “Sir: You are credited in the public press this morning with three state- ments coficerning me, each of them “"}?"Y untrue and unwarranted. First—It is said that I offered to plead guilty to murder in the second degree. ““Standing on the brink of the gravd, I ask you solemnly to nwme the per- son through whom I offered to plead gullty to murder in the second degree Or any. crime whatever, ‘It would be too shocking to sus- pect that the governor of this state could stoop to assail with unfounded charges a heipless man 1n the very shadow of death. I assume that you have been misled. But I demand in the.name of the justice which you are gworn tg administer that you state how the misconception was caused. For the statement is wholly untrue. I never offered to plead guilty to mur- der in the second degree or any other offense. I never authorized anyone to make such an offer in ' my behalf. ‘‘Se¢ond—It i said that I offered to give testimony against several per- gons (whase names are undisclosed) of having shared with me in collecting money from lawbreakers, what |is comomnly known as grafting. It is wholly untrue that I ever offered to give such testimony against any one. Mr. Manton is the one who asked ¥ou on my behalf to take counsel with some citizens of preeminent dis- tinction concerning the Executive ac- tion justice required in my case. He assures me that he never made any such offer or said anything that could be taken as suggesting it. I ask you, sir, to disclaim publicly this imputation on me or else assign your | authority for making it. “Third—1It is said that I sent coun= sel to two men arrested for compli- ecity in the murder of Herman Rosén- thal at the moment of their arrest. “This is wholly untrue. I ask you to disclaim it. Tells Story of First Wife. “Fourth—With a cruelty that is al- most inconceivable it is stated that my first wife died under circumstances warranting suspecion that I had caus- ed her death, “Against this foul insinuation T content myself with this simple né: rative of facts, which can be veri- fied by many persons, including her own father. “I was married to Mary Mahoney of 117 Washington street, February 6, 1895, by the Rev. J..H. McGean of St. Peter’s church, corner of Bar- clay and Church streets. Mrs. Becker cayght celd: on the night of our mar- riage. It settled on her lungs and ten days later she was treated by Dr. Tiurner of 30 State street, later by Dr. Cook of 111 West Twelfth street, by Dr. Reckwell of the Roaosevelt Hospital or the Vanderbilt Clinic, also by Dr. Loomis, thé eminent tuber- culosis specialist,‘and by a doctor in Jeftersonville, Sulitvan county, whith- er she had been removed on account of her disease. “Mrs. Becker dled in her father's home on October 15, 1895, and was buried from St. Peter's church and Hes in Calvary cemetery. No breath of suspecion was ever raised against me as té my wife’s death, for every one knew that the cause was hasty consumption. Her father, Jeremiah Mahoney, now lves at Roseville, Newark, N.J. “Will you, sir, disclaim this hide- ous imptuation while I remain alive or must I go to my death with so foul an aspersion on my character with- out an opoprtunity to meet and refute it? Innocent Of Murder. “To these charges and to all others that may be formulated or insinuated, I answer by repeating solemnhly on the brink of the world to which you are sending' me before my time what was my constant answer while in the world, I am, as innocent as you of having murdered Herman Rosenthal, or 'of having counselled, procured or aided his murder or of having any knowledge whatever of that dread- ful crime. “Mark well, sir, these words of mine. When your power passes then the truth of Rosenthal’s murder will beécome known, but not while your nominees remain District Attorneys and can hold the club over these per- sons. With the aid of Judges who were misled into misconceiving the testimony offered on my trial and in- to misstating it both to the jury and on the appeal you have proved your- self able to destroy my life. ~ But believe me, I surrender it without rancor. Not all the judges in this state nor in this country, nor the Governor of this state, nor the Dis- trict Attorney all of them combined can destroy permanently the charac- ter of an innocent man. Stoicism Departs. “CHARLES BECKER"” As Becker originally prepared his statement to the Governor it was about three times as Iong as the final version made public last night. Ths stoicism which the condemned man had been showing after his brief dis- play of emotion when told Wednes~ day night that a third trial had been denied him by Justice Ford left him yesterday morning after he had read the charges which he denied last night. ‘While he was at his final bath in a small bathroom connected with the death house at 8:30 o'clock yester- day morning everything, including writing materials, had been removed from his cell. Thereupon when he- returned to his cell determined to send a broadside to Albany and so to the public Becker asked that a sten- ographer he sent to him from the prison office. Under the law this request had to be denied him. In His Own Handwriting. . As a special favor, however, he was permitted to have a pencil and writing paper, and he immediately set to work writing and rewriting. As the day and and his writings progressed Clearance Sal Radical reductions on NEW SEASONABLE MERCHANDISE. Our entire stock of Spring and Summr merchlndhe' received too late for the season’s regular busi- ness will be disposed of at once. Alterations in our store are nearly complete and in order to make room for a Larger Than Ever line of Fall and Winter Merchandise we have made prices such as to insure quick and ready response by the public of New Britain and vicinity. CLEARANCE OF SUITS, RAINCOATS AND TROUSERS $1.00 Shirts (soft cuffs) clearance prices 50c Shirts (white) - collar attached, clearance price $1.00 Union Suitsat ...... «... B9 50c Balbriggan Shirts and Drawers. Clearance price Exceptional Values in Balbriggan Shirts and Drawers. Clearance price . ... .. 50c Cheney Neckwear. Clearance price 50c Belts. Clearance price 50c Suspenders. Clearance price 25¢ Shawknit Hose. Clearance price . 25¢ Suspenders, Clearance price $2.00 Eagle: Make Sport Shirt. Clearance price $1.50 Eagle Make Sport Shirt. Clearance price . . . $1.50 Khaki Pants. Clearance price $1.25 Khaki Pants. Clearnce price $1.50 Auto or Office Duster. Clearance price ..... '$1.25 Pajamas and Night Robes. Clearance price $1.00 Caps at Clearance price ................... and lbghdfn Hats Reductions on- All Straw (Incorporated) R $1.50 Union Suits at «vuil i, 28c, 4 for $1.00 98¢ 89¢ . 8e .. 98¢ ¢ 48¢ 248 MAIN STREET Father Cashin and officlals spoke with Becker repeatedly about the wording of his address to the gover- nor. Finally Mr. Manton and Mr. Cockran were summoned from New York, They arrived on the same train which brought Becket’s two brothers. Police Lieutenant John Becker and Jackson Becker, and his widowed sister; Mrs, Catherine Geuigier. While brothers and sister waited patiently from 3 until after b o'clock in Warden Osborne’s office Becker's counscl back in the prison threshed out with him the jtems in his statement whichs were distasteful to his lawyers as he had prepared them. Counsel With Becker. Mr. Cockran and Mr, Manton re- turned to the Warden's office at 4:10 o'clock yesterday afternoon after spending an hour and five minutes with Becker. Mr. Manton spoke briefly to® Father Cashin then, whereupon Mr. Manton went back again to sce Becker and remained another hour, while Mr. Cockran remained in War- den Osbourne’s office. At 5:20 o'clock Mr. Manton joined Mr. Cockran again in the prison office. Becker’'s statement by this = time evidently had been revised in a man- ner agreeable to his lawyrs. Both the lawyers hurried away at once then in one of the village automobiles to the railroad station. ‘‘Statement?’’ repeated Mr. Cock- ran when the reporters asked him ,as he and Mr. Manton hurrying away, when Becker’'s typewritten remarks would be made public. “I know noth- to give out. Statements have nothing to do with the law.” Manton Refusecs to Talk. “I have nothing to say about any- thing,” was Mr, Manton's only swer at the same time to questions put to ‘him. The automoblle taking the to the railroad station had scarcely disappeared, however, when an of- ficial came from the prison offices, where typewriters were clicking, to ask the newspaper men how many copies of the statement they wanted run off. This was shortly before © ; last | o’clock. It was 8:30 o'clock night, or the same time that word reached the reporters here that Mrs. Beécker was on her way to the prison. that the statement was realeased for publication. an- | lawyers | BEGKER 1 16TH MAN FLECTROGUTEDINN Y Biggest Man to Moot Fate at Sing Sing — New York, July 30.—Peruseal of Sing 8ing prison’s déath house records yes- terday showed that Charles Becker was the 116th man put to death In the electric chair. Becker, in the death house two years 4nd nine months, is called the biggest man, physically and politically, ever executed. The electric chair was Introduced as a means of execution Juiy 28, 1891, exactly twenty-four years before Becker lost his last chance to escape | the death penaity through Justice Ford refusing him a new trial, While the chair has been in use 166 condemned men have occupied the death house and one condemned woman, Of this nmnoer 116 have pald the death penalty, thirty-two escaped it by new trials, seventeen had their sentences commuted to life im- prisonment and two cheated the law by attacking keepers and escaping. Those who broke out were Callister and Rohl, who escapea in 1893, A week afterward thelr bodies, each ing of any statement. I have nothing ' with a bullet hole in 1z, were found floating in the Hudson river. It is ' vresumed that one got afraid to cross the Hudson in a raging storm and a | fight followed in which they shot each | cther with the revolvers they took from the keepers, Albert T. Patrick, the lawyer, had the longest record of lmprisonment in the death house. After six years thero | his séntence was commuted. Roland Molineux and Dr, Kennedy were the iwo foremost prisoners to be nmdf Ly new trials. Mrs. Madeline Ferola, ! the only condemned woman ever com- | writted to Sing Sing, had her sentence commuted by Governor Whitman. The first man to die In the chair in New York state was Harrison Smiler, He was executed by Warden Brown July 28, 1891, with James Siocum, James Wood and Skukeck Willlam Lingley, of the Bronx, Jugiga. | oo the one hundredth muan Prineipal Keeper Connaughton, died two years ago, saw an even hu dred men go to their death, the exe- cution of Lingley being the last ne | supervised. ) ¥ PSALM OF DEATH ; READ BY BECKER . Condemned Man Before Going to Iis Doom Consoled Himself With Pas- sages From Holy Writ, New York, July 30.—Among thg“ passages of Scripture which rnth" Cashin, chaplain at Sing £ing, reoe ommended Becker to réad folléwing his confession and communion was the Fiftieth Psalm, of which the fols lowing portions seemed to have spe- cial application to the circumstancest Have mercy upon me, O God, mc- * cordingly to thy loving kindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transe gressions, Wash me iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. ¥ For ] acknowledsge my transs gressions: H And my sin is ever before * Against thee, thee only | 4 sinned, And done that which is evil in thy sight: Hide thy face from my sins And blot out all mine Inlquities. Create in me a clean heart, O Gody And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy press © ence, And takt not thy ‘oly spirit from me. 1 Restore unfo’ me the joy of salvation, And vphold me with a free Then will I teach tra thy ways, 5 And sinners shall be con unto thee. oy Dl!l'fl' me ) thoroughly from mink me. have thy' Got, thou .