The evening world. Newspaper, October 1, 1903, Page 2

“THREE VAN WORMER BOYS ARE PUT TO DEATH. (Continued from First Page.) , ‘baa fastened him in it now gathered around at the nod of surgeons. They SP foosened the straps and removed something that the audience looked away ‘Sefrom as it was borne into an adjoining room. The priest went out to lead yet another man in. He came back with Frea Van Wormer. The second victim of the law walked as nonchalantly as if"he were going to a county fair. Quick hands were again at the straps. Something with a black mark on its face and with hands and feet that could not move was again The electrician was in his seat before the cabinet In Details began to come out as they had not 7 “before the audience. |.the corner, where brass shone. @one before. Dr, Ransom, the prison surgeon, was standing behind the © electric chair, a little to the left. Warden Deyo was against the wall on * the right. THE OTHERS CLAIMED BY DEATH. The man at the cabinet had his eyes on the doctor, a hand on a switch sity @ back grip. The surgeon nodded, the man at the cabinet leaned for- ward slightly. Again that dread “‘Siss-ss spit.” A blue light glowed !n the -“eabinet. The current was on. “Click!” Fred Van Wormor's life went out with that and In the place of the blue light a little yellow one glowed. The * “plue shone again, then the yellow and the chair was emptied of its grue- some burden to make way for the next to die. . Burton Van Wormer did not need any one to help him to walk. With =: feet that put themselves down firmly and surely he came after the priests. © His head was up, his jaws together, so that the muscles at the hinges raised .¢ the skin in little knots. In his eyes there was defiance. They took in every © detail in the room, the audience, the man at the cabinet whose back was . toward him, the chair only a step away. Not a grain of his sand had got- “o' fon away from him. He took his seat. nt “Good-by, Mead; good-by, Robarge,” he said to the two guards who $ fastened the straps to his wrists and legs. The surgeon saw thet the elec- «>» trodes were fixed properly to head and les. Then he nodded. The man at D°the cabinet obeyed the signal and a few minutes later Burton Van Wormer's ©” gead body was in the autopsy room beside those of his brothers. THE VICTIMS BID EACH “ OTHER LAST GOOD-BY. ate ‘ DANNEMORA, Oct, 1—The scene in the condemned cells was a trying one for Father Charbonneau; as Willis was led out of his cell Fred and “Burton bade good-by to him. » .. “Good-by, Willis,” said the younger. “Good-by, Will,” said Burton. When Father Belanger came back Fred was standing at his cell door s<and he held out his hands for the crucifix which the boy who had been *" killed a moment before had carried to the chair. 4 “Good-by, Fred,” called Burton, and “the kid” went out between his = keepers, saying “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” until he reached the door of the room “avhere hhis life was to end. ‘When he was gone Burton turned to Father Charbonneau, “I am glad to die, Father,” sald he. “I have no fear. In a few minutes it will be all over. I shall be dead and I know I will be happ: r He had not stopped speaking when Father Belanger returned from the | death cell. “I am ready,” were his next words, and as his cell door was) swung back he stepped forth between Keepers Robarge and Lewis. “. “Be brave, Burton,” said Father Charbonneau. = oh no fear,” the boy answered, and he moved off in the procession ne turned to® hard, ieaaly, face in a wicket as he passed. | Good-by, Mooney,” he said. H The face drew back and a faint “good-by” answered him. nt Mooney will bo alone in the condemned cells to-night. { “All of the boys were calm inwardly,” said the priests after the execu- | tlon. “They were peaceful and had not one fear, One must not judge al- \ ways of a man by his outward appearance. "* because they were glad to go.” An hour after the bodies had been taken to the autopsy room the brains jot the three had been removed and weighed. The report of the surgeon H gaii that nothing abnormal had been found in any of them, i f “HOW THE CONDEMNED MEN FIXED ORDER OF DEATH. (Special to The Evening Worl.) DANNEMORA, Oct. 1.—The order in which the young men were as- ed to die was in large measure of their own choosing. In their cella t night and this morning they discussed the matter and showed a dis- b= position each to accord to the other any possible advantage. It was the decision of Frederick and Burton that Willis should go first, which precedence all three regarded as desirable. They agreed upon first place for Willis on the ground that he was somewhat Impressionable and , had lately been suffering from a slight bronchial affection, which might weaken his self-control. To this decision Willis made no especial objection and the other brothers willingly left to the Warden the selection of the | order in which they themselves should die, . The prison officers in attendance were George Deyo, Warden; James B. ] Fulton, Principal Keeper, and Keepers Joseph Robarge, William Mead, Ed- k ward Lewis and William Parsons. Y Dr. Raneom, the prison physician, visited the condemned men tn their ells this morning and closely noted their physical condition. He reported to the warden that the men were in the best possible condition, both in mind and body, and well nerved for their ordeal, \ BURTON SHOWED NO FEAR, \e=) “I have no more fear of the electric chair than of this meal which we ‘€re about to eat. I would just as leave be the last one to go in, for 1 know \ tat I can stand the farewell. I am not afraid.” Thus spoke Burton Van Wormer as he sat at a plentiful breakfast to- day. He appeared to be absolutely unconcerned over the fact that he and his two brothers were about to enter the valley of death in a few brief mo- ments—the dread punishment for their cold-blooded murder of their uncle, Peter Hallenbeck. Neither of the other brothers showed any decided indications of way- »ering. Keeper Murphy, who was in the cell room from midnight, said when he came off duty to-day that he never had seen men better prepared for death or more fully in possession of their nerve. “I tell you,” said he to the reporters, “they are a lot more self-controlled | _ than f. Leaving out any question of their gutlt, or whether or not they ought _ to die, I have come to like those three fellows, and it made me feel bad to say good-by to them.” WISHED THERE WERE THREE CHAIRS. ‘Willis Van Wormer said to Keeper Murphy: “I only wish there were three chairs instead of one, so we could all go together. The hardest part A a}l {s the suspense, but we are ready. We are grateful for the kindness y everybody about the prison has shown to us." midnight a good supper was served to the brothers, and each ate ily, although slowly and in silence. : came the clanging of iron as the doors to the death house were Dack to admit the relief guard. The guard going off duty stepped to} of each cell and bade the inmate farewell. Each of the three hfs hand through the bars of the door and thanked him for his in to them, % second shooting of bolts and clanging of iron doors as he Allen ‘They sent no farewell messages, nae ; 4 Fred retired to their cots and only Burton FAO thai the dim light could fall upon the pages DIAGRAM EXPLAINS CLOS " Epmctarors onimeRRoors of *HETROUSES EIGHT] SEGONDS| FROM HE CELL DOOR %mMelCHAR i \ HOW VAN WORMER BOYS WERE PUT TO DEATH IN DANNEMORA— a SING MOMENTS OF TRIPLE EXECUTION. wGOELET WEDDING WON'TBE POSTPONED Death of Ambassador Herbert, Brother-in-Law of Mrs. Goe- let, Will Not Interrupt the Marriage to Roxburghe. (Spectal to The Ev NEWPORT, Oct. 1.—Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt returned here to- day on the steam yacht North Star in order to be with Mr, and Mrs. Richard T. Wilson, Mrs. Ogden Goelet, Miss Goelet and other members of the family In their bereavement. R TT. Wilson, second grandson of Mrs, Wilson and of Mrs. William Astor, went to New York to arrange for the opening of the Goelet and Wilson houses at once. It is stated on authority that the mar- rlage of Miss Goelet to the Duke of Roxburghe, despite the death of Am- ing World.) baesador Herbert, brother-in-law of. Mrs, Vanderbilt and of Mrs. Goelet, will not be postponed, ak all arrange- ments have been completed, but of} course It will be a quiet and informal affair and will be robbed of its expected brilllaney. Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt at once drove to the residence of Mr. and Mrs, Wilson, who, owing to their advanced age, are \\) & THe® State witnesses, “T euppose they'll take me last,” he sald. “Can't tell,” replied the guard. “Well, I know they are afrald of my brothers. that.” At last the electric Ights grew dim and the cold Heht of the rising dawn began to creep in. Sounds drifted in from other parts of the prison, and the Van Wormers knew their last day had come, RECEIVE LAST COMMUNION. The guards soon appeared with the clothing in which the three were to goto the chair. They donned the gray flannel shirts and black trousers, the right leg slit to the knee to receive the lower electrode. . At 7.30 o'clock breakfast was brought to their cells, and at 8 o'clock Father Belanger and Father Charbonneau appeared in full canonicals to ad- minister their last communion to the brothers. Tho priests visited the cell of Willis frst, and then in turn the cells of Burton and Frederick. The balance of the morning was spent In prayers and conversation with,the priests. up. That's all there is to Warden Deyo announced that no stimulants would be given the brothers fo sustain them. State Electrician Davis said that each condemned man would be subjected to three shocks, the first to be of from three to five am- peres and 1,800 volts, the second one ampere and 200 volts and the third of from seven to eight amperes and the same number of volts aa in the first. et THREE WHO TREMBLED AS VAN WORMERS DIED. DANNEMORA, Oct. 1.- shocked to death to-day ther While the three young Van Wormers were being were three other persons in the dismal old prison whose feelings must have been of the moet awful description, They were Allen Moony, the only other prisoner in the condemned-cell room, who lstened like a cat to each movement connected with the ceremony that ho could catch. Unless the Court of Appeals should reverse the judgment of conviction under which he rests or the Governor Intervene to save him, he must eventually suffer the same fate, He stands convicted of the murder of two women at Saranac Lake. In another part of the prison, in a place especially prepared for her, also sat in the shadow of the death chair Mrs. Kate J, Taylor, who ts condemned to die for a crime which has few, if any, parallels in this State, It was she who shot her husband, Lafayette Taylor, in their home at Centreville, near Monticello, Sullivan County, chopped up his body and burned the pieces in thelr kitchen stove or fed them to the chickens, Within the same walls was Harvey Bruce, the Van Wormers's cousin and their comrade in the murder of Hallenbeck. He had saved) his life and insured their conviction by turning State's evidnce and securely fastened the crime upon the hree brothers. He is serving a sentence of elghteen years, which will be cut by good conduct to eleven years and two months, HOW THE VAN WORMERS MURDERED THEIR UNCLE, Inhuman as {t may appear, there are few conversant with the detalls of the crime for which the Van Wormer boys suffered the death penalty who feel any regret. It was a murder of wanton brutality, deliberately planned and executed with cold-blooded precision. Whatever may have been the motives actuating the boys, there is nothing to excuse their method of revenge. With the death of these boys a family once respected in Columbia County will be exterminated, for none are left of that branch who bear the name. The three who have disgraced It thought little of it before they committed the crime that sent them to the electric chair. The mother of the Van Wormer boys died seventeen years ago. Their father married his deceased wife's sister. She was good to the boys—too good, indulgent aunt-mother allowed them to have their own way. LEADERS IN ALL MISCHIEF, Early in life they realized the value of sticking together. Although there is a difference of six years between the oldest and the youngest of the tree, they were inseparable, of theln teacher, hecause they considered. the fancied Iniuryto.one the eo: f Be ESE See ene eae | it appears, The father was away from home a great deal, and the| In aohool they were beyond the control! cleven of the jurore who tried the bays cern of all three. They were bold and full of original qualities that made them leaders in all the mischief of their neighborhood. Other boys fn the little community grew up Into young manhood, and either moved away to take up the work of their lives or settled on the farms of their parents to careers of humdrum activity Not so the Van Wormers. They had tasted the false delights of free- dom from restraint and cast their lines with their inclinations, In their minds there grew a convicton that the property of their nelghbors was thelr own, and they worked more diligently to oStain it than they would have had to work honestly to attain a like measure of reward, CHICKEN STEALING A SPECIALTY, Nothing was too insignificant for the Van Wormers to steal, Wut they made a specialty of chickens. In poultry stealing they conducted their operations on a wholesale scale. They robbed henroosts for miles around, picked and cleaned the chickens in an old barn on their father’s place and shipped the prepared poultry to commission houses in this city, The money realized from these operations they spent in dissipation, Little of it saw its way to thelr father or stepmother. father died he left nothing but a farm upon which rested a heavy mortgage. This mortgage was held by Peter Hallenbeck, an aged resident of the town of Greenport and the brother of the mother of the boys. Hallenbeck had saved the youths from prison time and again. It is said of him that he spent thousands in repaying persons whom his nephews had robbed. HE HOPED TO DRIVE THEM OUT, In the hope that he would drive them out of the neighborhood, he fore- closed the mortgage in the summer of 1901. The Van Wormer boys and thelr mother moved to Kinderhook, sixteen miles away. The boys con- tinued their thieving operations there, but were successful in avoiding de- tection, The chief topic of conversation among the boys was what appeared to them the unfairness of their uncle in foreclosing the mortgage. They talked of it so much that the action of Peter Hallenbeck appeared to them a8 a monstrous wrong. Which of them first broached the plan of assassination for revenge is not known. The others fell into the idea. They arranged to go to Greenport and kill their uncle, but in their arrangements they made a fatal mistake—a mistake that has earned for them the sentence of death. They engaged the assistance of their cousin, Harvey Bruce, The Bruce boy was intellectually deficient, and was casily led by the daring brothers, He agreed to go with them on their expedition of murder. STARTED ON MISSION OF MURDER. They hired a fast horse at Kinderhook on Christmas Eve, 1901, and drove to Greenport, It was a cold. clear night, and the snow was smooth in the country roads, When they got to the home of thoir uncle there was a celebration in the little church in the settlement. Mr, Hallenbeck was in his house with his wife and his aged mother. The boys placed their horse and wagon in a shed séme distance from the house, turned thelr coats inside out, covered thelr faces with black masks and walled up to the farmhouse. Mr. and Mrs, Hallenbeck and the aged grandmother were in the kitchen talking. ‘The boys hailed from a safe distance. Mr, Hallenbeck went to the door, his tall form outlined in the light from the lamp. The boys ratsed their yeyolvers and’ fired at him. Nearly a dozen bullets entered his body. AGED MAN DIED QUICKLY. Grievously wounded as he was he crawled back into the houee for his shotgun, but he died on the way. The widow and. the mother ran to a room in the upper part of the house, locked themselves in and remained’ there until the others of the family returned from the church. The boys drove back to Kinderhook, reaching there long before midnight, It was supposed at first that the crime had been committed by robbers passing through the town, but suspicion finally directed dtself to the Van Wormers and Harvey Bruce and they were arrested, Harvey Bruce con- fexsed and got off with a sentence of eighteen years in prison, The three brothers were sentenced to death. They took an appeal. Admitting the shooting, they set up the defense that they had no intention of Killing their uncle, but that they had gone down to Greenport sto give him a Christmns Eve scare, Their lawyer, Judge Cady, contended that so long as there was no intent to murder the erbne did not constitute murder in the first degree. The Court of Appeals unanimously overruled this contention and sustained the sentence of the lower court. Gov. Odell respited the boys from time to time, He hated to confirm tele sentence because of the ghastly horror of Wear dath of three brothers | Barbaroenn. yn the same day in the electric chair. no other way; oat 9 allow ow. the ine iy ba ee ie eT eer And when their] @, completely prostrated. ——_ LOCALS TO CALL STRIKES. tronworkera Li felals General Strikes. KANSAS CITY, Mo. Oot. 1—An important plece of work accomplished to-day at the Ironworkers Convention was the adoption of an amendment to the constitution limiting the power of the president and executive committee Power of Of- in calling kes. The amendment, as adopted, provides that In the case of general strikes, or In the ratification of hational agreements, a member. trom each local shall be called into the ex- ecutive session and given a voice, de- termining the action to be taken. ‘This in effect puts the power of ordering a general strike in the hands of the locals themselves. ‘A. personal victory for President Buchanan was won when the conven- tlon appropriated $19 to pay the ex- penses to Kansas Gity, of Robert Neidig. the deposed President of Union No. 2, of New York. Mr, Neldig came {a the “convention tipon the invitation of President Buchanan. He was fought by the Parks crowd, principally, it was sald, because he had supported Presi- dent Buchanan in Mipbol das the latter's action in suspending Parks and Local No. &. ALLEGED REPEATER HELD. Charles O’Brien Accused of Frau- dulent Voting at Primaries, Charles O'Brien, arrested on the day of the primary elections for alleged repeating In the Twenty-fifth Assembly District, where the fight was between Burrell and Parsons, was held to-day in 32,000 ball by Justice Wyatt, in Bpec- jal. Sessions, to await the aotipn of the ani Bu e, of No. 306 Madison ave- » Burl nue, Deputy ‘Commissioner of Elections, took the ‘stand and gave testim which involved the name of the Repub- llean County Committeeman, George R. Manchester. FORGERS GET MAIL POUCH. Ralsed Rank Checks and Get Thou- - xands of Dollars, PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 1.—Chief Pos- tal Inspector W. W. Dickson, of this istrict, and a number of assistants are endeavoring to locate two daring forg- who are sald to have realized ousands of dollars by altering checks, checks were originally part of ntents of a mail pouch Which dis- ancared about Sept. 5 from a west- boind e| train on the Pennsylvania Rallroad, between this city and Pitts- burg, ‘A numbey of banks in this city hold some of the worthless paper. ——<———— MAY SUCCEED MELLEN. George B. Harris Named an North- ern Pacific President. CHICAGO, Oct. 1—It was reported ‘tere to-day that George B. Harris, Pres- {dent of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, may ve selected to succeed C. $, Mellen as President of the Northern Pacific Railroad In that event It 1s sald that Darlus Miller, now First Vice-President of the Burlington, will be promeled to the Presidency of the Burlington system. It | was Impossible to confirm the report or | obtain an authoritative denial from the Burlington officials, ——<—<—<———_— @OOD BANK EMENT. ‘That the bank statement Saturday will be a good one is believed in Wall street. The banks have gained from the Sub-Treasury since Saturday $%,044,- 000, and the debit balance of the Sub- Treasury at the Clearing-Houee tis morning was $1,001,797. Unless the ‘banks lose on to-day’s operations the GOT CHECK FROM ALLEGED LMT Washington Lawyer May Be Called On to Explain Action in Connection with Case of ¢ Capt. Tackberry. Capt. William G. H. Tackberry, who has been adjudged a lunatic and con- fined in the Manhattan State Asylum for the Insane, was before Justice Mac-~ Lean, in Part IL, of the Supreme Court, to-day on a writ of habeas cor- pus, sworn out by his attorney, E. H. Loucks, of Washington, who ts endeay- oring te secure Capt. Tackberry's re- lease. Just before the writ was argued Lawyer Loucks asked George C, Austen, counsel for the asylum, if he micht speak with his client, Mr. Austen gave {his consent and the two retired to the corridor, A relative of the Captain told Mr. Austen that while in the cor- ridor the alleged insane man had signed some papor at the request of the attor- ney Lawyer Austen demanded to know what the paper was that the Captain d. ‘The Washington attorney refused to disclose the nature of the paper and Mr. Austen appealed to the tourt, Ju Lean, ordered the lawyer to produce the paper, and it v > a cheek for $150, drawn to upon the National Safe expkunat sald: t Why not re- serve for a time and place wt be called upon to 4 make !t? . The 't dismissed the writ ana ordered the check be placed in the cus f the Clerk of the Court. and told sel for the aaylum to make an investigation and take what- ever action he saw fit. In 1862, when Capt. Tackberry was stationed at Castle William, he wae struck on the head with a block of wood, Since that tlme he has had re-~ gious man believing that he has propretic pow and is able to heal the sick by blessing them. | Kor some time he was confined in the National Hos- pital for the Insane, and Loucks ob- ained his {t is alleged, -un- known to his family, who were’ sur- prised when the in returned to his home. Two days after his arrival in this city, Aug. 3, of this year, his sister had film Sent to the Manhattan Asylum, er ecently Attorney Loucks has obtaing a back pension for the Captale iG of io and is now trying to 9d! hii release from the asylum on the gtoun that he is not Insane. MRS. POILLON’S CHARGES. Accuses Policeman Cathane of Fax tortion, but He Denies It, Mrs, Catherine Poillon, brought be! the general public in the suit again Milltonaire Brokaw, was on the sti to-day in the trial of Policeman Culs) hane, whom she accused of extortingy/ money from her, Mrs. Poillon said she Drought the mate ter to the attention of the police be~ causo he wanted $200 subsequently then she realized that he was extortin| sonar acon her. took the stand later and $9 nied all Mts, Pollion's. all ations, He gald he had no knowledge oi of t transactions in which she claimed was involved. BEAVERS AND GREEN AGAIN. Federal Grand Jury Presents Another Joint Indictment, io, WASHINGTON, Oct. 1—The Federal Grand Jury, which has been investigate ing the Post-Office cases, "to-day brought fo an indictment against George W. Beavers, formerly Chief of the Divistom Salaries and Allowances of the Post- omes Department, and State Senatom George A. Green, of New York, on the charge of conaplracy, and two indiot- 8 againet Scott Towers, who is in eof A sub-posts-office’ station in uhis city, on the charge of taking a coms mission ‘on the sasie of typtwriters td the Government. $1.00 pes week ovens un wecount lack Beyere Abe xfOr’ Women's Suits, in Broadel Eebble Cheviots’ and sna coat. tatfeta nod. lens! $15.79 jie ete EVENINGS, sm BOtK and Stet ate tanks will have ined by to-morrow more \than $3, . ————— MR. CUMMINGS IN TRUST CO. George M, Cummings, who retired from the Vice-Presidency of the Erie Railway Company at the time of the recent change in the official staff of that company, wis to-day elected Vice-Pres- ident. of’ the United States Mortgage and Trust Company. _——__ SHIPPING NEWS. ALMANAC FOR' TO-DAY. Sun rises. 5.55/8un sets. 5.45|Moon sets, 1.08 by High Water. Low Water: Bandy Hi By io “iad Tota Bence taiand: Aer 10.14 10, Hell Gate Ferry.: 5.60 0. 146 12:91 PORT OF NEW YORK. ARRIVED. Nene ; Patricia rater rf tah Btu INCOMING STBAMBHIPS, DUE TO-DAY. Vincengo Bonanno, — i Siglo, New Cie ‘Apache, alee OUTGOING STBAMSBHIPS, BAILED SODAS. Breall. wetteathe, Havre, Sea ate VINCENT says F course there is ¥ ference between my. $15 Tweeds and those’ higher prices. Difference of material; dif. ference of trimming, but each is equally as well wortk its price as each other, ' Tweeds, $15, $25. ' Broadway—@td Street. Bixth Avenue—iath Street, Eauyodty Wants—Female. 1¥ 10 wol pm S ae newerD ct ti Genoa HERS: expe { ti Grvatal Steam sundry.