The evening world. Newspaper, July 30, 1915, Page 2

the Warden's porch, through the heavily tarred door and into the alley: a leading to the place where mon who kill are themselves killed under |) Warrant of law. Somebody took off his hat. At onoe all hate were dotted the Tine moved barcheaded on its way. Some of the men ectually @m their tiptoes passing the temporary wooden barricade which een erected to shut off from the condemned in the death house their View of the outside world. The old demth chair was the iret ob that met the eyes of the witnesses as they entered the room. In « Of aloove in the corner, back of the chair, stood a man With a strong, ‘@mooth-shaven face, jet black hair and a white bald spot on the crown of “Ms head that reminded of a tonsure. He is the new electrician, and he ‘was most businesslike in his preparations. SCENE IN THE DEATH ROOM. On the north side of the room and about four and a half paces from » © the chair was\a door painted a dingy red, a sinister eplash of oslor in a ‘i dingy gray room. Grouped about the chair were four prison guards and Dr. Farr, the physician. Such of the witnesses as entered first Giled the seats ‘and others stood grouped against the wall. _. There was an unusual feature about thie gathering. A majority of the fen in the room knew Becker when he was the power of all powers in the | Belice Department. Others had mot him after his arrest. Very few in the )) Fem carried o positive belief in Becker's guilt. There is @ difference be- Pween Sosing « stranger electrocuted and looking at a man who bad been @ Srtend want to oblivion. ‘Warden Johnson, who had direct charge of the execution, voloed the " ‘warning for silence. Then, In company with Principal Keeper n he stepped out of sight through the door, which was closed ‘ebina them by a stout and very nervous keeper. Ho stood with his hand @m the catch, his head inclined toward the door, Natening for the sound of Geetateps in the corridor between the cells and the other aide. ‘There was a wait of possibly half a minute. It seemed much longer to ¥ 7 ‘@pen and Becker stepped into the room alone. His rudden apvesrance was dramatically startling. A stubble of biack gné ound =74 Is neck bulged against the soft folds of the open collar of "ele Girt. He wore the black, bunchy sult provided by the State for the ‘Gaal moments of tho victims of the law's vengeance, The coat was but- *Qened tightly, hiding the photograph pinned beneath, over his heart. ‘Re Becker catered the room he saw the chair, almost within reaching @istance, Tie proximity startled him, and he faltered for a fraction of « eared’ Hehind bim came the priesta in binck camsocks and purple stoles, voloc of Father Cashin bouming “Joous, Mary and Joseph, I give vpn sengherames “Jeoue, Mary and Joseph, | give you my heart and soul,” repeated jem was pulled away for the trode that he wore, inatead of the flapping slippers provided pair of heavy polished low shoes, euch shoes as police- Something the witnesses Gdgeted ae it became ap- the chief actor in the traged: 01 the chair. , over the chest and under the arms. When Becker, and close to collapse, sat in the chair, the oversealous at- arms this time dut forgot to fasten it. This mis- and the current was turned on. As Becker shot for- it there was no restraint for the upper om the straps fettering his arms and Decessary to @ successful execution The electrode on the head slipped contact on the temples and the forehead instead of on ll, where the hair was shaved. This caused severe the report of the autopsy, After the cur- and opened his ahirt, revealing more the 1,850 volt current was at the straps confined Dr. Farr call on ication lasting five seconds was‘ordered. When - off the doctors worked busily. All signe of life bed fed, 6.65 o'clock Dr. Farr, following the legal formula, said: Cashin and Father © a ‘urry went to the condemned man's cel! ‘They found Warden Osborne there saying farewell to seat he had left Father Curry took Becker's confession of his sins, and fe him communion and the “Papal blessing in the hour of death.” Becker asked for the prayer, “Salve Regina,” and repeated tt after - =) BECKER'S RELATIVE ARRANGES FUNERAL, Joba Lynch, the brother of Mrs. Charles Becker, eaid to-day that his funeral would be held on Monday, probably from the undertaking es- tablishment of William Struwe at No, 2 West Fordham Road. There will be solemn requiem mass at the Church of Bt. Nicholas of Folen- tine at Andrew Avenue and Ford- ham Road, eald by the Rev. Father M. J. Murphy, the rector, The burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery in the plot in which the body of his STE aT Re i RB SA a ea ‘he men in tho stuffy Kittle room. Guddenty the stout heeper pulled the deor | | pened dovt « haggard expression to bie face, although his cheeks were full | Father Curry three times. Johnson asked: “Are you ready?” “I am ready,” answered Becker in on Bocker’s body, made this report: on any vital organ. Becker was the way he resisted the current wi Becker's statement, attacking Whit. | man, and prepared in the death cell yesterday, follows: “Tou are eredited in the public presse thie morning with three state- ments concerning me, each of them wholly untrue and unwarranted. “Firet—It is said that I offered to plead guilty to murder in the second degree. “Standing on the brink of the grave, 1 ask you solemnly to name the per- on to whom I offered to plead guilty to murder in the second degree or aay crime whatever. “It would be too shocking to sus- pect that the Governor of this State ould stoop to assail with unfounded charges a helpless man in the very shadow of death. “I prefer to assume that you have been misied, but I demand in the mame of the justice that you are eworn to administer that you state huw the misconception was caused,! for the statement is wholly untrue. I never offered to plead guilty to mur- Ger in the second degree or any other offense. I authorized any one’ to make such an offer in my behalf, Every one of my counsel assuros me that he never mado any such offer, * a—It ie said that I offered to Fre testimony agaii.st several persons ‘whose names are undisclosed) of having shared with moe in collecting money from lawbreakere—what is ly known as graft it ie wholly untrue that I ever offered to ge bh testimony against any one. Mr. Manton is the one who HOE, BROKEN BY HER GREAT GREF Silent and in Tears as She Reaches Bronx Flat From Sing Sing. Mrs. Charles Becker left Sing Sing prison at 1.16 this morning after spending more than an hour with her tusband. She was a pathetic figure as she slowly climbed the steps from the prison door to the roadway. Bho was leaning on the arm of her brother, John Lynch, and entered an automobile, 8h: beside her brother weeping softly as the car moved away. The car paseed through the lower end of the village, where another obauffeur was picked up. He | took Mra. Becker and her brother to the home on Untvorsity Avenue in the my first ry MRS. BECKER BACK me BRIOGIE WEBBER Prayers and readings from the Scripture oon- tinued until the Deputy Warden and the keepers entered the cell. Mr. &@ low, even tone, and took his place to walk through the door of the death chamber. Dr. William O. Stillman of Albany, who performed the official autopsy “In my examination of Becker's body, I found no visible effect an abnormally strong man, and remarkable. Of course, he had 9 on the knees and on the temples, but that was to be Becker’s Statement Making Attack on Gov. Whitman aaked you on my behalf to take coun- gel with some citizen of pre-eminent distinction concerning the executive action justice required in my case. He assures mo that he never made an; such offer or said anything that could be taken as suggesting it. I ask you, sir, to disclaim publicly this imputa- tion of me or else assign your author- ity, for making 't. "Third—It is id that I sent coun- sel to two arrested for com- Riel, in the murder of Herman osenthal at the moment of their ar- rest. This is wholly untrue, I ask you to disclaim it, “Fourth—With ity that is al- cruel! it in stated that wife died under cireum- most inconcelval tances warranting suspicion that I had caused her death. “Against this foul insinuation I con- tent myself with this simple narrative of the f which can be verified by any ns, anciuding her owa acer, “L was married to Mary Mahone: of No, 117 Washington Street, Feb, 6, 1895, by the Rov. J. N. McGean of Bt. Peter's Church, corner Barclay and Church Streets, “Mra, Becker caught cold on the night of our marriage. It settled on her lungs and ten days later she was treated by Dr, Turner of No, 30 State Street, later by Dr. Cood of No. 111 West Twelfth Street; by Dr, Rook- well of the Roosevelt Hospital or the Vanderbilt Clinic; also by Dr, Loomis, the eminent tuberculosis specialist, and by @ doctor in geftersonville, Sul- Hvan County, whtther she had be removed on account of her disease, Mrs. Becker died in her father’s home Oot, 15, 1895, and was buried from Bt. Peter's Church, and lies in Calvary Cngpatary. “No breath of suspicion wi raised against’ me aa to my wites death, for every one knew that the cause wos hasty consumption.” uc ergo! tored her home and the door closed behind he Mrs. Becker spoke her mind to sev- eral reporters yesterday—the first Ume she has ever said a word of what she thought on the subject of her husband's unfortunate efforts to s0- cure a third trial, “I ahall never rest,” she satd, “unti! I have exposed the methods by which my husband was convicted. Whether he was innocent or guilty of the kill- ing of Rosenthal, there is no justifi- cation for the methods which were used to send him to @ horrible death, 1 would rather have lost any or every other membor of my family t have lost Charlie. Ip all hua ten etats of our married life nothing ever oc- curred to shake my faith in his love for me. Ho was not an an never pretended to be one; but he was a loyal busband and a man all olse,”” 4 Apove Oo GOVERNOR SHOWS THE EFFECT OF THE STRAIN, ALBANY, July 30.—Showing the ef- fects of the strain under which he has been during the last week, Gov. Whitman arrived at the Exeoutive chamber about 11 o'clook this morn- ing. He did not retire until about 2 o'clock, after returnt from Pough- keepsie, where he heard the final of Mrs. Becker for her husband's life. The Governor had no comment to make any phase of the Becker | Bronz. The chauffeur said that Mra. | Becker spoke scarcely a dozen words ‘on the trip down, She seemed like ome in @ daze. As she reached hi flat she was approached by somo ‘pewapaper men, who were repulsed ‘Sith @ gesture of despair, Ghe ea- cane. he letter which the former Heutenant wrote the Executive just before going to the death chair had not been received at noon to-day. 8 THE EVENING WORLD, FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1915. PRIESTS SAY BECKER REFUSED TO CONFESS ON BRINK MRS. BECKER LOST ON WAY 10 PRISON; BEER UNERVED Condemned Man Frets in Cell for Six Hours Until She Arrives. — firening Word y Thiol OSSINING, July 30.—-That Charles '¥ | Becker was unnerved when the eu- preme moment came ts attributable probably to events of his last night on earth. He had looked forward to a long farewell talk with bis devoted wife. Whon the time came he could spend but an hour in her company, and when she left him the disgraceful ond was only a little more than four hours away. Mrs, Becker unwittingly added to the agony of her husband's Jast hours. Leaving New York for Albany at 8.30 o'clock yesterday morning to see Gov. Whitman and plead with him for a further reprieve for Becker, she found herself engaged in a desperate race with timo, Not until late yesterday evening did she reach the Governor at Poughkeepsie, In a few minutes she learned that her mission had been fruitless, In a mistaken effort to save time she raced from Poughkeepsie to Os- sining, about forty-two miles, in a taxicab, The chauffeur lost his wa: and Becker, fuming and trembling, did not see her until his last day on earth was almost at hand, Mra, Becker remained with her husband in the office of the principal keeper of the prison from 11.80 until 12.30 o'clock, Becker did not sleep after his wife went away. Two men were executed this morn- ing—Becker and Sam Haynes, a negro murderer, Becker, at his own request, was the first to go to the chair. Warden Osborne was in the prison, but did not attend the exe- cutions, LOST TIME BY TAKING A TAXI- CAB TO PRISON, The long wait for Mra, Becker was the bie dramatic incident in the pre- liminaries to the execution of Charles Becker. There was something like it in the execution of the four gunmen when the mother and sister of Dago Frank Cirofic! returned from their last visit to Gov. Glynn in Albany and did not reach the prison until daylight. But in that instance the whereabouts of tho two women journeying wearily to their sad task of saying the final farewell to son and brother was known as they came down the Hudson, They were aboard a railroad train, Mrs, Becker, after her fruitless in- terview with Gov. Whitman at Poughkeepsie, engaged a taxicab in that town and etarted for Ossining over a road measuring perhaps forty- five miles, The chauffeur of the taxi- ead, with daring outbalancing his discretion, promised her faithfully that he would reach Sing Sing in two hours, They started at 1.45 o'clock. Unfamiliar with roads be- yond a few miles south of Pough- keepaie, the chauffeur steered his little car blindly and in time he found himself wandering in strange territory, Mrs. Becker and Lawyer John B, Johnston of her husband's counsel, who had accompanied her to ‘Albany in the early morning and had — pursued the Governor through the FOR FURTHER DETAIL long, hot day, urged speed—more ri BECKER & acUTON® tt epeed. a 4 GAMBLERS WHOSE TESTIMONY CONVICTED BECKER always in the direction of Ossining. He lost the main road many times and was set right by persons within hail, When two hours had passed Mrs. Beoker had not covered half the distands between Poughkeepsie and Ossining. CKER WORRIES WHEN HIS WIFE 18 DELAYED. In the mean time the condemned man, with the minutes rushing by him with the speed of bullets, had begun to fret in his cell in the death house, His brother, Jackson Becker, and his sister had departed for New York. He had not been advised until afternoon of the act of his wife. He had not anticipated that she would make a final appeal to Gov. Whitman, the man who, next to Jack Rose and Bridgie Webber, he hated with all the fervor of his dominant nature, Becker had expected his wife in the afternoon before 8 o'clock. He was tcld that she would reach the prison about 7 o'clock. At that hour she was just arranging to meet Gov. Whitman in Poughkeepsie. Becker had long since lost hope. The priests, Father Cashin, the prison chaplain, for whom Becker had but tolerant regard, and Father Curry of New York, for whom he enter- tained a sincere affection, were with him in the early evening. His brother John, a policeman, who sacrificed all he had in the way of worldly goods in the Becker defense, and his broth- er-in-law, John Lynch, were seated outside his cell. Becker became over- wrought, “WHY DOESN'T SHE COME?” HE KEPT ASKING. “Where is she?” he asked time after time. “Why doesn’t she come?” Becker burned up cigars. To an of- ficial of the Prison Commission, who stopped outside his cell and remarked that he was bearing up well, an ill- timed remark under the circum- stances, Becker replied: “What elae is there to do but bear up? I know what is going to happen to me.” Nine o'clock came, No word had bees received from Mrs, Becker, She was groping around in back roads in Dutchess County, watching with throbbing eyes the young man on the front seat of the Poughkeepsie taxi- cab, Warden Osborne and Deputy War- den Johnson telephoned to points up the line in the hope of getting some word of the whereabouts of Mrs. Becker. It was not until 10 o'clock that they received @ call from Mr, Johnston. The Poughkeepsie taxicab was at that time negotiating strange roads in Putnam County. At 10 o'clock Becker's spiritual ad- visers, secing that his mind was cen- tred on his wife and that they could not bring his thoughts to the here- |after or the more proximate electric chair, left him, promising to return at 8 o'clock in the morning. John Becker and John Lynch remained. The delay in the arrival of Mrs, Bocker had by that time communi- cated a current of uneasiness to tho entire prison, Through the myater- jous methods of signals from tier to tier and cell to cell it had become known to all the convicts who were awake that Becker's wife had not reached the prison to touch his hands and his lips for the last time. DIES ALMOST ON ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ARREST, Then !t became known that Becker had asked the time at 9.20 o'clock, and when he was told the hour, had remarked that just three years ago to the minute he had been arrested, jat the desk in the Bathgate Avenue | Station, on a, warrant charging him |with murder, Becker following that |Mine, it was said, had spoken of hie |pet superstitution that Friday was his unlucky day, | He recalled that he had refused to take advantage of time given him by t ‘The chauffeur made apeed, dut agt District Attorney Whitman, after OF GRAVE first conviction, to arrange his af- fairs, because had he taken the time allowed he would have reached the prison on a Friday, He had dodged Friday when that week day hap- pened to mark an epoch in his fight for life. “And now,” he said, whimsically, to those seated about him, “they are going to send me away on Friday.” Outside the prison, gathered in whispering groups, were the news- Paper men assembled to describe the lexecution of Becker, The strain of waiting for the arrival of Mrs. Becker was tolling even on these men, hardened to incidents of life with | which the average oltisen is un- familiar, TRAIN BEAT THE TAXICAB TO PRISON, A young woman reporter reached the prison at 10.30 o'clock. She had been in Poughkeepsie with Mra, Beck- er and had taken an express train from that city to New York, The conductor bf the train had stopped Mie tem or more cara at Ossining to allow her to follow up her assign- ‘ment to meet Mra, Becker at the prison. The Poughkeepsie taxicab arrived at 11.30 o'clock. It rattled down the nfl to the prigon entrance, and as it |approached those close to the road felt the heat of It. Steam was curling from the radiator, and as the chaut- |feur applied the brake the car com- plained with a whine gnd a wail. Mrs. Becker threw herself from the tonneau of the car, Warden Osborne, Mrs. Becker and Mr. Johnston hurried along the porch at the @outh side of the main prison and entered the building through a side door. They hurried through a corridor to a pri- vate staircase and down to the office of the principal keeper, opening on the prison yard. Becker had been brought from the death house, He was a-tremble with excitement and suspense as his weary wife, heartsick and almost spent, fell into his grms. ‘They were together an hour. Mrs. Becker would have remained longer, but Deputy Warden Johnson, who was in charge of the execution, al- though Warden Osborne, violating one of his rules, had remained in the prison, decreed that Becker must be left alone for at least four hours be- fore the end. The few who saw Charlies Becker say farewell to his wife will live ov the scene many times during their lives. The last train for New York had left Ossining an hour back. Warden Osborne thoughtfully provided for an automobile to take Mrs, Becker and her brother and John’ Becker home, WIFE DID NOT SEE HIM PRE- PARED FOR DEATH CHAIR. Becker was hurried to the prison bathhouse. There the operation of shaving his head for the electrode contact, which had been deferred so that his wife might not see him in his accoutrements of shameful death, was completed by the prison barber. He was attired in the ill fitting black sult of the condemned and led back to his cell. The cell last occupied by Becker is tlose to the door of the execution chamber, During bia long tenancy of the death chamber he had heard six- teen men pass by going to that door— among them the four who killed Ros- enthal. As he entered the cell and threw himself on his cot prison quards drew curtains over the doors of the other cells In the death house, and the rest of the condemned had seen Charles Becker for the last time. ¢ Sharing with Becker the indescrib- tied with stout twine. han minute can’t go wrong on any of them. Special for Friday. EROS ; D FERETER ER Couto Not a hy sweets. dal finished: carhlon- saivaely flavored, t Q ry hevine fl inxs of luscious Fruit iow OF 1 rune! ic anty THOCOLATH COVERE! Teo, « YY KouND BOX masta 1 Mil CHOCOLATE COVERED Ci |. mellowest Uy roam, fl [cittously covered with our Celebrat Gxeelled bi richness ‘aud purity, | oe Mt bein |] wal peter | ceaehr ae | aici a” able anticipations that come to a man whe sees the electric chair coming toward him faster and faster as the minutes speed by was Sam Haynes, fa negro murderer from Putnam Coun- ty. But for the aelay granted to Becker because of his appeal for & new trial Haynes would have been electrocuted with him last Wednes- day morning. One of the last acts of the negro waa to shout to Becker his thanks for two additional days of life. Wardon Osborne was In the prison, but didn’t see the execution, The de- talls were left in the hands of Dep- uty Warden Johnson, and it wae @ sad task for bim to arrange them. For he believes in Becker's innocenos. Acting Principal Keeper Fred Dor- ner and his assistant, William Halpin, were detailed to stand by Becker in the short walk from the door of the death house to the chair, Father Cashin and Father Curry, who ad- ministered to Becker the last rites of the Roman Catholle Church, of which he was a convert member, accom- panied him from his cell to the chair. WARDEN HURRIES AWAY FROM SCENE OF DEATH. Just os the signal was given for the newspaper men and witnesses to get ready to enter the death house to see Charles Becker executed this morning, Warden Osborne came from his office and waiked from the prison with a hurried step. He apol jo ne- body, but climbed the long fight ef stone steps leading to the woman's prison on the crest of the hill and disappeared from view. He was seen jater hurrying along one of the streets leading into the village. Sheriff Grifenhagen was at the prison, but did not entér the death house during the electrocution. Noth- ing could have induced him to wit- ness the affair, he said. On the hills around the prison sev- eral hundreds of the villagers gath- ered, They were kept back by guards from entering the immediate proxim- ity of the prison. jays “Salad is one of our few natural, unrobbed foods.” Yours will be extra deli- cious wit! b LAD Its delicate, tempting flavor blends with any Maladee-taan it @ treat, Ask Your Grocer For it. If he haan’t it—write us. And asle for Salad Recipe Bool, FRANCIS H. LEGGETT & CO, Hadoon River, 27th te 28th Ste., New York ames femeneecea ee? DIED. CLEARY,—On July 30, MARY CLEARY, at her reside 486 Bast 14th at. Native of Tipperary, Ireland. of Patrick J., Thomas, Bernard, James, Mrs. P. J. Vieming ond Mra, J, W. Ournmings, Funeral Sunday, Aug. 1, at 3 P. M. WHELAN.—At her residence, Ne. 3 Enst Olet at, on July ANNIB WHELAN (nee Grogan), beloved wife of P. ther of Mre. J. . Fredrich. m mass will be offered Sweets for Going Away Time Week-End Combination Packages, 99c HOSE big bundles of Candy Joy, all ready for you, each assort- ment put up in strong container wrapped in plain paper, and All you need do is to call out the number of the Combination you desire, catch hold of the ttached, and hustle for your train or boat, without losing a The: ix combinations, all different, and you ‘OMBINATION No. 4 CONTAINS 1 1b, box Hah 6 ocolntes, 1 Ib, bex Superfine ameia, % Ib, box Wafers, 1 package of Southern Pea= ya, nackare of Boston izle Broken ° one (sy : Candy, 1 Saeaes ALLED OONFECTIONS—A oollect! ed in » host of utiractive forms, Ench jelly oF tootheome mititully lmecquered metal BATRA SPRCIAL, POU Our rex: Noes koe Ur eK, fie. Boo EXTRA SPECIAL, rouND Box Our Lady of Good Counsel, Bast 90th Saturday at 0.80 A. M. Interment Cal- vary, Dubin papers piease copy, RICE COMPLETR ‘Special for Saturday BEASHORE "y 2 he ine ke vt fe Beh feashore, aw tl + sect ica eforeenttongr® POUND BO: fresh, covert; ougwr, CHOCOLATE COVERED ALMOND FIGS—Dainty litte most delicions | Crughed et shakes’ Simonds, Sellgnttully com leoflomised coating of our unexcelled Uecolate, EXTRA SPECIAL... POUND Box PPERMINTS—These are Finert Oil of ueppermint , ume big Milk Chocolate 39e