This article has an unclear citation style. (December 2020) |
Charles Becker | |
---|---|
Born | July 26, 1870 |
Died | July 30, 1915 | (aged 45)
Relatives | Helen Becker Howard P. Becker and Charlotte Becker |
Police career | |
Department | New York City Police Department |
Service years | 1893–1912 |
Rank | Lieutenant |
Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
Charles Becker (July 26, 1870 – July 30, 1915) was a lieutenant in the New York City Police Department between the 1890s and the 1910s. He is known for the scandal of being convicted of first-degree murder and subsequently executed for the killing of Herman Rosenthal, a bookmaker and gambler, in 1912 near Times Square.
Becker may have been "the only police officer executed for crimes connected to his official performance."[1] He appealed and was retried but was convicted again. The corruption scandal related to the case was one of the most important in New York City’s early 20th century Progressive Era.