Charles Whitman

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Lore & Background

In the aftermath of the July 16, 1912, murder of Herman Rosenthal outside the Hotel Metropole, then District Attorney Charles S. Whitman publicly criticized the police department for making little effort to apprehend the gunmen. Whitman singled out George S. Dougherty as one of the few exceptions, noting that Dougherty had been personally cooperating with the District Attorney's office and was praised for his honesty. The source does not provide any further details about Whitman's life, career, or the outcome of the case.

Reader's Guide

The source does not provide a guide or further narrative about Charles S. Whitman beyond his role in the Rosenthal murder case. It mentions that the case ultimately resulted in the conviction and execution of the Lenox Avenue Gang and NYPD police detective Lieutenant Charles Becker, but does not specify Whitman's direct involvement in those convictions.

Did You Know?

• Charles S. Whitman was the District Attorney who accused the NYPD of making little effort to apprehend the gunmen in the 1912 murder of Herman Rosenthal.
• Whitman praised George S. Dougherty for personally cooperating with the District Attorney's office during the Rosenthal murder investigation.
• The Rosenthal murder case ultimately resulted in the conviction and execution of the Lenox Avenue Gang and NYPD detective Lieutenant Charles Becker.

The Pinkerton Years and the Road to the NYPD

George Samuel Dougherty entered the world on April 5, 1865, in the small Pennsylvania town of Cressona, the son of Charles A. Dougherty and Ellen June. Before ever donning a detective's badge, he earned his living as a printer. In 1888 he joined the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and over the next twenty-three years he carved out a reputation as one of the firm's most effective operatives, tracking down and apprehending a long string of notorious criminals across the country. His expertise eventually earned him command of the Pinkerton's New York City branch. In May 1911, Mayor William Jay Gaynor extended an invitation that would reshape his career: the position of Second Deputy Police Commissioner and head of the NYPD Detectives Bureau. Dougherty accepted, stepping into a role that demanded not just investigative skill but the ability to reorganize a sprawling municipal police force. Among his most lasting contributions to modern policing was the introduction of fingerprinting as a standard identification tool for the department, a technique that would become indispensable to law enforcement nationwide.

The Rosenthal Case and the Fall of the Lenox Avenue Gang

Among the most defining episodes of Dougherty's NYPD tenure was the 1912 murder of gambler Herman Rosenthal, shot dead outside the Hotel Metropole on July 16. District Attorney Charles S. Whitman publicly accused the police department of a sluggish response, yet singled out Dougherty as a rare exception, praising his willingness to cooperate directly with the prosecutor's office and commending his integrity. The investigation ultimately unraveled the Lenox Avenue Gang and led to the conviction and execution of NYPD Lieutenant Charles Becker. Dougherty's tenure at the department was far from smooth. A strict disciplinarian who kept tight control over his detectives, he repeatedly shook up the bureau's operations. He led aggressive raids on illegal gambling dens, once using axes to batter down doors, and arrested the crime boss Giosue Gallucci. In one dramatic sweep following a gunbattle that killed city court clerk Frederick Strauss, Dougherty commanded a squad that rounded up more than a hundred gang members within a single day. His two-and-a-half years at the NYPD ended in 1913, but the Rosenthal case cemented his reputation as a detective of uncommon courage and method.

Writer, Actor, and Adventurer: Life Beyond the Badge

After leaving the NYPD in 1913, Dougherty joined his brother Harry V. Dougherty in the family's private investigative firm, Dougherty's Detective Bureau and Mercantile Police, which had been established around the turn of the century. He also turned his considerable experience into print, publishing books such as A Word About Criminals in 1916 and The Criminal As A Human Being in 1924, alongside a steady stream of articles for the Saturday Evening Post and other periodicals. In 1914 he even stepped in front of a camera, appearing in the silent films Our Mutual Girl and The Line-Up at Police Headquarters. A windfall in 1921, when oil was discovered on Arizona land he owned, gave him the means to travel extensively abroad. During those years he spent time with Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and carried out a commission to sell an art collection valued at one million dollars. In 1923 he returned to policing in a teaching capacity, instructing at the detective school run by Commissioner Richard Edward Enright, with a particular focus on foreign police systems. In his final years he also voiced controversial positions, including advocating the whipping post for first-time offenders and federal legislation to ban the revolver.

Death and Enduring Legacy

George Samuel Dougherty's life ended on the evening of July 16, 1931, at his residence on 165th Street in Flushing, Queens, where he succumbed to cancer. His funeral was held at the family home two days later, and he was interred at Cypress Hills Cemetery. Throughout his career he had been regarded as one of the foremost detectives in the United States, a reputation that extended well beyond American borders. Across Europe he was recognized as a leading figure in the world of criminal investigation. His written legacy endures through three published books and a dozen or more articles spanning topics from the mechanics of shadowing suspects to the inner workings of night-club racketeers and the recovery of a million-dollar art masterpiece. His bibliography, which includes pieces in the Saturday Evening Post, Detective Magazine, and True Detective Mysteries, offers a window into the investigative thinking of an era when detective work was still being codified. From his early days as a printer in Cressona to his final years as a police instructor, Dougherty left an imprint on American law enforcement that outlasted his own lifetime.