OF
BEGAN HI
Actor's Quick Eye After Ro-
senthal Murder Started
Many Reforms.
i
WHAT'S ia a number?
That In the question New
Yorkers are asking just now.
For a number and a simple
arrangement of digits ut that, being
merely "41313 N. Y."-furnished tlie
clow that led to the unraveling of the
mystery of the murder of Herman
Rosenthal, gambler, and to the most
8cnsation.il expose of police graft
methods in the history of the nation's
metropolis.
Had not a passerby noted that fate
ful combination of a 4 and a double
13 on the gray touring car that carried
the assassins of Rosenthal In the early I
morning of July 10, 1912. it is probible
that they would never have been ap
prehended, their identity, even if sus
pected, would never have become
known and the later revelations of of
ficial corruption and criminality never
brought out. Again, it may be sold
that only the foolhnrdy carelessness of
the murderers themselves in failing to
change the number of their car is, in
tli' ultimate analysis, responsible for
their apprehension and the events that
have followed.
Both of these happenings, however,
give tlie number 41313 N. Y. a peculiar
' tOWs.
JJKKMAN ItOHKNTHAL.
significance In tho history of New York
life. In a sense it marks the begin
ning of the city's regeneration.
Itecatise of it five men are now
awaiting death in Sing Sing prison.
Seven, including four former police in
spectors, are convicts. A former po
lice captain is dead of worry anil re
morse. Other policemen, trapped and
disgraced despite the power of tho sys
tem for which they looted und lied,
are counting tho hours before the doors
of the penitentiary close behind theiu.
And others still enjoy liberty only be
cause of the procedure which permits
a district attorney to protect Inform
ers. Sixteen convictions or pleas of
guilty obtained already for murder,
bribery, extortion and conspiracy and
at least six other convictions regarded
as probable represent only the concrete
results of the contemptuous careless
ness of Rosenthal's murderers In raid
ing tlie Hotel Metiopolo with tho num
ber of their car flaunting through a
brilliantly lighted street
The larger but more Intangible ac
complishment which traces back to
41313 N. Y. Is the shattering of the
power of the arrogant and rapacious
combination of policemen and pander
era, a combination loosely called "the
system," that blackmailed unfortu
nate women and lawless men with a
greed und hypocrisy and wlckednoss
unrivaled even in New York's expe
rience.
"System" Really Routed.
Within a year from tho murder at
tho Metropolo the people and the
courts Lave put tho fear of justice into
the hearts of the masters and tlie tools
of "the system," have punished many,
bave driven others from tho city or
Into legitimate occupations and have
sccompllshed all that the Lexow, the
Maiet and other spectacular inquiries
failed In twenty years to do. Within
a year more has been done to reform
the police department than had been
accomplished In a generation.
That Is ono outcomo of tho killing
of the little, complaining east side
gambler, oue phase of the public gain
that came of the forgotfulness or tlie
bravado of the killers in publishing
their Identity through tho glare of the
Tenderloin. That is tho side of repu
tations destroyed and of lives dis
graced, of detection and punlshraeut
How much some men of courage,
ability and energy owe to 41313 N. Y.
only the future can reveal.
District Attorney Charles 8. Whit
man is a lending candidate for mayor
because he found and seized his op
portunity for extraordinary public
REGENERATION
i
T'
V V. '
t
HEW
IK
Civic Pride and Anger Aroused
and Police "System"
Smashed.
service by first dragging the number
of the gray car from reluctant lips.
Frank .Moss for bis work with Whit
man, Emory It. Iluckner for his la
bors with the Curran alilerinanlc com
mittee, which grew out of the first
revelations made, and more than one
ether young man owe enhanced repu
tation and nation wide promiuence to
the number 41313 N. Y.
The One Clew.
it is not fancy or imagination that
ascribes so much to the fortunate cir
cumstances of an automobile number
murderers did not trouble to remove or
to falsify. The crime and the flight
were so cunningly planned by experts
in assassination tnat it is doubtful if
tho gun men ever would have been
Identified or Decker, their employer,
exposed had not they been guilty of
unbelievable stupidity in a trivial mat-
ter. District Attorney Whitman has
Mil PI
I
Illill Mi
said more than once that the easegrand Jurv llldictmenta and criminal
would have been hopeless If the
number had not been obtained.
car
The whole work of a year was based
on that
If the number had been lost
Id have tieen no nrrosta hot
there would have been no arrests hot
after the murder; no confessions by
Kose and Webber and Vallon and
Schepps; no conviction of Lieutenant
Becker and of the gun men; no Currau
committee revelations, with the conse
quent convictions of Inspectors Swee
ney. HiiHsey. Martha and Thompson
and of their tools and collectors; no
probing of the relations between j
treacherous policemen and their vile i
business partners; no such awakening
of public conscience and spirit as fore- j
ed effectual betterment and instigated
a series of confessions. '
Rosenthal himself, un unpleasant j
specimen of an unpleasant class, al-
ways a trouble maker and a "squealer." i
always snarling ami clawing at the '
police and bis own kind, was hardly to j
be believed when he made nu affidavit !
on Saturday. July 13, 1912, that Lieu- j
tenant Charles Becker, tho strong arm
squad celebrity, was his gambling
partner and promised to reveal to the
grand Jury the secret relations of po
lice crooks with the protected gam
blers. Rosenthal's Revelations.
t
Whitman rather shook his head over
the credibility of this east side gam
bler transplanted to the Tenderloin.
In the line of duty, but not hoping for
much, ho directed Rosenthal to appear
on Tuesday, July 1(3, to give the names
of gamblers who could clinch the ac
cusations against Lieutenant Becker
and other policemen. On Sunday and
Monday Rosenthal's story swept over
the city. Most people, perhaps, doubt
ed its truth. A few believed It and
predicted for Rosenthal a sudden and
unhappy death. In gambling bouses
and saloons patronized by gamblers
some who had reason to know Becker
whispered that he would certainly kill
the squealer.
On the night of Monday. July 15,
lt12. Rosenthal took supper In Consl
dlno's Metropole, In Forty-third street
Just west of Broadway, and nervously
detailed bis troubles with Becker and
Ills plans for getting even to half a
dozen half bored and cynical frequent
ers of tho cafe. He was there until
shortly before 2 o'clock on Tuesday
morning, when he was told that some
body wanted to speak to til in outside.
He walked out and was shot to death
as bo stopped over the threshold. It
was exactly 1:57 a. in.
A little was revealed then nnd much
later us to how a gray car had stopped
by the south curb across from the
cafe, how four men lounged across
the street nnd waited by tho door, how
the street wns unguarded by police
men, how tho four rapidly slew Rosen
thal and then escaped In the gray car,
going east through Forty -third street
There was no policeman to block the
flight No policeman secured accurate
ly tho number of the automobile. There
wns nothing but blundering confusion
until the district attorney appeared at
tho West Forty-seventh street station,
obtained the release of a vaudeville
dancer who had been locked up as a
witness and from him secured the cor
rect number. 41313 N. T.
The First Disclosures.
Promptly, then, the driver of the car
was caught at his home and arrested.
From his admissions It became known
that "Bald Jack" Rose, a gambler, had
knowledge of the murder. "Brldgey"
Webber, a friend of Rose's, was ar
rested. Presently Rose, sick and mon
eyless, surrendered and told part of
tho truth that ho had hired the mur
derers. A day or two later Harry Val
lon, an assoclnto of Roso and Webber,
surrendered Jauntily.
Tho caso began to unroll. It was
found that Snm Schepps, a shrewd
gnmbler, had fled from the city after
playing a part in the crime. The dis
trict attorney obtained the names of
the murderers Frank Clrofiel. Harry
Horowitz, Louis Rosonzwelg and Frank
Muller, known generally as "Dago"
Frank. "Gyp the Blood" "Lefty" Louie
nnd "Wbltey" licwls. They nnd got
out of tho city.
On July 29 Rose, Webber and Vallon
made a full confession to Whitman,
tdmittlng that nt Lieutenant Becker's
I rdr they bad hired the murderers
land had planned the murder and that
Becker was corn'V-tcly informed of the
j progress of the conspiracy, that he
went to the station hou.se to gloat over
Rosenthal's body ami that he paid $1.
'000 to the gun men. That night Decker
was arrested and arraigned on a
. charge of murder.
t
j Arrest of Murderer
The arrest of the murderers followed
quickly. Clrotlci was caught lu New
I York. "Wbltey" Lewis was found in
' the Catskllls, and "Lefty" Louie and
1 "Gyp the Blood" were finally located
! in Brooklyn, where they bad been hld
i lug comfortably. Schepps was brought
from Hot Springs. Ark.
J On Oct. '24 at midnight Decker was
'convicted after a dramatic trial, in
. . . I 1 1 .1.1. IUIII I'l'VI 11M I J IUI1I UUI Kit,
ing stories. On Nov. 11) the four gun
men were convicted. Kose. Webber,
Vallon and Schepps were released as
the reward for iuforuiing. An attempt
to kill Webber was made only a short
time ago.
J Meanwhile the board of aldermen
n a u appointed a committee, beaded by
Henry H. Curran. with Emory It.
Ituckner as counsel, to investigate the
police department. The first important
testimony was given by Mary Goode,
who told how she had conducted a re
sort for years and had paid policemen
for protection. Her story was the
opening wedge of a long series of prose
cutions. These are too recent to neces
sitate describing in detail. Oue after
another persons of evil life testified
; against grafting police officials and po
licemen and laid the groundwork for
trials.
I It was brought out that Inspectors
i SweeilPV. Flnssev Xfnrtliii unit Tlinmn.
j80n had collected graft in Harlem and
' u ... . j . . . .
iuui me.v nau raiseu n iunu 10 gee wit
nesses out of the state They were
convicted of conspiracy, largely on the
KX-LIKUThNAKT CHARLES BECKEB.
testimony of former Police Captain
Walsh, un admitted grafter, who has
since died. The series of prosecutions
was marked by the determined refusal
of policemen to save themselves from
prison by Informing against their su
periors. Later Revelations.
Here is the list of convictions and
pleas of guilty that resulted from the
revelations brought out by the Curran
committee:
Former Inspectors Dennis Sweeney,
James E. Hussey. John J. Murtha and
James E. Thompson, convicted of con
spiracy, sent to prison for one year;
Captain Thomas W. Walsh, confessed
to extortion, dead; Sergeant Peter J.
Duffy, convicted of extortion; Patrol
man Eugene Fox, convicted of extor
tion; Patrolman Thomas F. Robinson,
convicted of extortion; Patrolman John
J. Hartlgan, convicted of extortion;
Edward J. Newell, lawyer, confessed
to bribery, sentence suspended; Ash
ley Shea, confessed to bribery, await
ing sentence.
The trials of four policemen and of
four others uamed as extortionists are
yet to come.
The best work of the Curran com
mltteo was in bringing out facts for
the district attorney to work on. The
committee's report on Its Inquiry was
not well received because of evidences
contained In It of hostility to Mayor
Gaynor and Police Commissioner Wal
do aud because the document had a
strong partisan tinge. ,
Reviewing the accomplishments of
a year since the murder of Rosenthal,
It Is difficult for any one not to become
Impressed with the singular part play
ed In the whole astonishing business
by the number of the gray car, 41313
N. Y.
TWO NEW U. S. JOBS OPEN.
Civil 8rvic Examinations Announced
For the Bureau of Markets.
Civil service examinations for posl
tlons In the newly created office of
markets In the department of agricul
ture, the test to be made Aug. 4, are
announced by the civil service commis
sion. Two positions are to be filled,
that of assistant in cotton marketing
and assistant In co-operative organiza
tion accounting. The first will carry
with it a salary of from $1,800 to $2,000
a year, while the second may range as
high as $2,400.
The duties of the assistant In cotton
marketing will be the investigation of
cotton marketing and hnndllng meth
ods and on occasion nsslstlng in field
demonstrations. The assistant In co
operative organization accounting will
draw up proper forms for keeping the
accounts of co-operative organizations
of producers nnd consumers.
- , i
I h" "'Ml
. i-'
.G '' O .
FORE
Ell SYSTEMS m W
IE
Germany Can Send Goods to
California More Cheaply
Than New York Can.
ONE of the many remarkable in
consistencies of the United
States parcel post system, ex
hibited most conspicuously In
Its relations and contrasts with the
systems of other countries, appears in
the experience of a large dry goods
house of New York city, which has es
tablishments both In this country and
in Germany. It appears to be a fact
that that house in New York could re
ceive an order from San Francisco and
have it filled by the branch in Ger
many, whence the goods could be sent
to San Francisco by parcel post fully
50 per cent cheaper than if it were
sent from New York to Sin Francisco.
This, of course, leaves out of account
any allowance for Import duties.
The New York house could send an
eleven pound parcel from Germany to
any of the countries named below by
parcel post for $1.32. But the German
house could send the same package for
less than a dollar, In some Instances
for 50 cents, tho rates being from Ger
many: To Colombia 3.60 marks, or 90 cents
To Costa Rica 2.20 marks, or 65 cents
To Cuba 2.00 marks, or 50 cents
To Mexico 2.20 marks, or 55 cents
To Nicaragua 8.40 marks, or S6 cents
To Panama 2.40 marks, or CO cents
To Uruguay 3.40 marks, or 85 cents
Another table will show the absurd
ity in another way:
From
Great
De?tiuatloti. Britain.
West Indies .. 72 cents
Mexico 81 cents
Chile DC cents
Venezuela ....1. OS cents
IIoiiKkont? .... 72 cents
Japan cents
Italy CO cents
Peru SW cents
From From
Cer- United
many. States.
40 to 90 cents $t.32
40 to CO cents
CO to SO cents
55 to 73 cents
60 to 70 cents
45 to Cu cents
.. to 35 cents
75 to X cents
1.3:
1.321
1.82
x.32 ;
1.32'
1.32i
La
Germany and Great Ilrltain have ex-'
K)iT. parcel rates similar to or lower
than those mentioned above to many
other countries with which we have
no parcel post relations whatever.
Far Eehind Ia Parcel Export.
The average German parcel brought
by post to this country lu 1012 weigh
ed about six pounds; our uverage re
turn parcel about two and one-half
pounds. Our parcel exirt business
for 10:2 amounted to less than 710.000
parcels, but In 1911 Great Rrltain ex
ported more than 3,400,000 parcels val
ued nt about $34,000,000. Our pnrcel
post export business Is less, in fact,
than that of some of the smallest
countries In Europe.
Reference to the "dollar diplomacy"
of the United States always amuses
the well informed foreigner. He knows
that lu practical operation there Is
hardly another country calling Itself
civilized that does not take better carei
of its commercial interests abroad than
the United States In terms of mere
provision for the convenience of those !
who have goods to export. The ex-j
porter gets little relief through govern
ment Intervention from the extortion,
of transportation companies. To the
onlooker it seems that we have taken
particular pains to make the export of j
INCREASE IN FOOD ANIMALS.1
Number Killed In United States Dur
ing Fiscal Year 57,628.491.
Reports to the department of agri
culture show that in the fiscal year
ended Juno SO last 57,628,191 anlmah
were slaughtered under federal Inspec
tion lu the 790 slaughtering establish
ments in 225 cities and towns of the
United States, an Increase of nearly
5,000,000 over tho previous fiscal year.
Of the animals Inspected by govern
ment officials In the last fiscal year
there were 7,245.585 cattlo, 2,277,054
calves, 14,979,354 sheep, 72,871 goats
and 33,052,727 hogs. Slaughtering es
tablishments and meat food factories
Increased from 919 to 940 In the fiscal
year.
Chicago, with 12,010,506 animals
slaughtered under federal Inspection,
leads In numbers. The other principal
points of federal Inspected slaughter
are In the following order: Kansas
City, 5,040,181; South Omaha, 4,009,
655; New York, 8.034,685; National
Stock yards. East St Louis, 2.960,292;
8outh St Joseph, 2,071,443; Boston,
1320,044; Indianapolis, 1,598,503; Sioux
City. 1,520,007; Buffalo, 1.381,271.
The total condemnations at the time
of slaughter for disease or other
causes numbered 232,687 whole car
casses and 494,328 parts of other car
casses, or a total of 727,015 condemna
tions. In addition, nearly 18,000,000
pounds of prepared meats and meat
products were condemned on relnspec
tlon because they had become un
wholesome subsequent to the first in
spection. Weather Tips by Radio.
Hereafter the powerful naval radio
station at Radio, Va., and Key West.
Fla., a few minutes after 10 p. ni. will
distribute broadcast a weather bulletin
which will deal particularly with wind
conditions and barometric pressure
and give special warnings of Severn
storms along the Atlantic coast All
ships and wireless stations wlthlu
mi Qja vl'J M'olv Mu JttvUotkv. nlfriul
U. S. PARCEL POST
Parcel Export Facilities Far
Behind, Though Law Af-
fords SDeedv Remedv.
the smaller merchandise as difficult as
possible.
The common export postal rate of
the United States Is 12 cents per pound.
Great Britain has more than 200 for
eign parcel post conventions; Germany
has more than 120. The United States
has forty-seven. The table above shows
clearly enough that our rates to the
few countries that we do reach are 50
per cent higher than Great Britain's
and nearly 100 per cent higher than
those of Germany.
Our law allows no indemnity on lost
or damaged foreign parcels, even if
registered, and the payment of our ex
orbitant ten cent registration fee ap
plies insurance only to first class for
eign mall up to $10 In value, first class
domestic matter up to $50 and domes
tic parcels up to $25.
Comparison of Totals.
A comparison of parcel post totals
shows how far the United States was
In the rear of the procession in respect
of total business. The figures for for
eign countries are for the year 1909, as
compared with the total of the United
States for 1911:
Ordinary par
cels not Parcels of
valued. declared value.
Number. Number. Dollars.
Germany '. 15,840,127 609,3m! 36,2G5,0
Austria 1G,321,220 4S7.220 124.818,000
France 6.46fi,7S0 8T,9,000 87,G89,000
Great Britain .. 2,706,839 21iO,320 26,000,000
Hungary S,GC8,117 318,099 8,704.000
Switzerland .... 1,712,535 292,53 18,306,000
United States... 615.200
President Conld Remedy.
Section 308 of the revised statutes of
the United States shows that it lies
within the power of President Wilson
and Postmaster General Burleson to
abolish this condition of things with
the sjtroke of a pen:
"For the purpose of making better
postal arrangements with foreign coun
tries or to counteract their adverse
measures affecting our intercourse
with theui the postmaster general, by
and with the advice of the president.
ma1 negotiate und conclude treatU-s
and conventions and may reduce or increase-
the rates on mall matter be
tween the United States and foreign
countries."
Extend Domestic Service.
It thus lies within the power of these
two officers to extend our entire do
mestic postal service or any part there
of to any country or to the whole
world either by treaty, as in the case
of our general postal convention.)
with Mexico and Canada and of our
special parcel post conventions with
Germany, New Zealand, etc., or by
executive decree, as in the extension
in 1903 of our domestic postal rates to
Shanghai.
Under the rules of the Universal
Postal union every nation keeps for it
self its postal receipts upon export
mail. The foreign rate is therefore
Immaterial to any other nation, and an
the free delivery in each country of
the incoming mail from the other im
plies a reciprocal courtesy all nations
gain, potentially at least, whenever the
system is liberalized.
COUNTIES TO TEACH FARMER
Intensive Practical Training Planned
In Southern Minnesota.
Intensive practical education for the
farmer and rural betterment are the
alms of tho Southern Minnesota Devel
opment league, which covers thirty-one
counties.
Startling census statistics published
soon after the federal count In 1910
were chiefly responsible for tho organ
ization. These showed that the popu
lation of theso counties had decreased
from 1900 to 1910, the loss being almost
entirely in the rural districts, while
the cities generally showed an In
crease. To make the rural sections
more attractive and the farms more
productive was the manifest problem.
The league, which was Incorporated
In April of this year, will begin by or
ganizing farm bureaus In each of the
thirty-one counties. These bureaus are
to be Incorporated under the state law
And will have charge of all develop
ment work within the separate coun
ties. The work of each bureau will be
divided Into departments, such as pub
licity, highways, beef cattle, dairy cat
tlo, silos, alfalfa, public affairs nnd or
ganization, sheep, poultry, domestic sci
ence, rural schools, town and country
clubs. County farm agents will work
through this bureau and in co-operation
with the state and federal agricultural
departments.
The officers of the league have been
Impressed by the fact that many coun
ties in Illinois and Iowa have increased
their resources $500,000 or $600,000 In
a slnglo ser.son through county agri
cultural agents, and they believe sim
ilar results can be obtained in Minne
sota. Big Demand For Peanuts.
81nce peanut butter has come Into
general use the demand for peanuts
has grown enormously. The value of
last year's crop is estimated as at
least $14,000,000. This year the state
of Oklahoma alone has planted 200,000
GOV. HODGES TO
AID OFjARMER
Kansas Executive Favors tiia
Community Center.
ADVICE TO MERCHANTS.
Geod Roads and Graded Schools and
an Awakening of tho Small Town
Merchant to His Neglected Oppor
tunities the Governor's Program "Get
Together" His Motto.
Governor Ilodges of Kansas is going
to devote u good deal of his time in the
remainder of his administration to
work out plans whereby the life of the
farmer may be made so attractive that
there will be no need for a "back to
the farms" movement in Kansas at
least The first step in this plan la the
organization of community centers, the
next is good roads, the next Is graded
schools in the country districts, and
then be would have the country mer
chants advertise that every Interest In
the community may be built up.
"This administration is using its best
endeavors to build up community ceu
ters, better rural schools and local mar
kets for the products of Kansas," the
governor said in u recent Interview.
"The 'back to the farm' movement Is
tho wrong end to begin work on. Ev
ery atate should have a system of good
roads, with big township schools that
teacu domestic science, agriculture and
fit students for normal training work.
The school should bo made so attrac
tive and so good that it would not be
necessary tor the agriculturist to go to
town with his family to procure an
education for them.
Brains Needed For Success.
"The freest, the truest and the best
life is the agriculturist's life, it takes
the same brain, however, to be a suc
cessful farmer that It does to be a suc
cessful bunker or professional man,
and our farmers are now awakening
to the fact that good roads, communi
ty interest centers and graded country
schools are solving the problem, and
when we have community centers,
good roads and country schools In a
high degree of efficiency there will be
no 'back to the farm movement, for
there will then be no incentive or de
sire to leave the farm.
"I believe it is of vital interest to the
agriculturist to keep the small towns
in a prosperous condition, but the rea
son for the decline of the small town
Is from the fact that the merchants do
not advertise their wares, together
with the prices, as well as an accurate
description of the stock that they han
dle, while, on the other hand, the
mall order houses have a big, high
priced catalogue in the hands of ev
ery man throughout the country. This
Is a constant advertisement of their
wares, the description and prices are
then known, and a family that wishes
to bny some article looks at the cata
logue and at once takes it up with the
mail order house.
"A mail order houso, with its expen
sive buildings, high priced ground,
enormous rent high priced officers, in
terest and a score of other necessary
expenses, makes his overhead expense
enormous, while, to the exact contrary,
tb country merchant, with a very mi
nor expense account, can be a strong
competitor of the mall order house if
he will only set himself to the task of
presenting his stock for the considera
tion of the customers by strong, clear,
lucid, honest advertisement
Merchants the Educators.
"The newspaper Is by far the best
medium, but if that Is not accessible
then a circular letter should be used.
Tho farmer would much rather deal
-with his home merchant if he knows
that he can get the same goods for the
same price, but tho solution of the
problem rests with the country mer
chant and it behooves him to get In
touch with the farmers. Take them
Into your confidence, talk to them and
point out to them certain added speci
fications that the list price man over
looks. "This campaign of honest education
should be made, and It must be made,
by the man who Is vitally Interested
the merchant The agriculturists real
ise that by the blotting out of the
cities, they, the farmers, would be
sompelled to pay Increased taxes, mer
chants and their employees must be
come stock raisers or agriculturists,
and thus become competitors of the
farmers.
"The community center means mu
tual Interest tho stock raisers, the
farmers, the merchants and men who
have the general welfare of the public
at heart There should be a 'get to
gether movement everywhere for the
common good of mankind."
Advertising With Flowers.
Now that the large advertising
boards that once disfigured tho land
scape on either side of the French
railroads have been taxed out of ex
istence by the chamber of deputies an
ingenious and less offensive way of ad
vertising specialties In the same places
has been devised. Advertisers on the
Orleans railroad have begju to plant
beds of flowers of brilliant hues In the
fields on either side of the track, with
the blossoms so arranged as to spelt
the name of the products to which it
Is deslrpd to draw the attention of the
traveler
