The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-10
SCENES IN HIS CELL YESTERDAY.
Last Moments Of the Un-
fortunate Convict.
POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION,
Death Caused by Diseased Lungs and
Lack of Nourishment


Sara Alexander died in his cell in the Raymond Street
TAIL Brooklyn At ten o'clock yesterday morning The
nrst Information of his demise reached tho outside
world fifteen minutes after the spirit OF the miserable
man had fed from it, wrerched tenement Engineer
Brundage, Of tho jail hastcned to the Office OF Sheriff
Dagget In the County Court House, and informed him
OF the occurrence Word also conveyed 10 Police
Headquarters, and soon spread like wildnre from
mouth to mouth Many persons received tho announce
ment with incredulous remark. Half hour alter
the receipt Of tho news representative Of the HERALD
visited the JAIL where he found Dr. r. E. Brown OF the
City Hospital who had been summoned to examine tho
body; sheriff Daggett keeper stinsou Assistant Dis
lrct Attorney sne Chief Clerk walkely Of the District
Attorneys oncc and ono or two other officials Per-
mission asked TO tho body, which the Sheriff
granted rcmarking at the same time:-"wcii, don't
know whether am doing right In letting newspaper
men soc the body. a. they may lay TO my charge its
hthy condition" Tho writer in company with Captain
Woglom, ofsho Fifth precinct Captain Rhodes, Of the
seventh precinct the jailer and others, then
ishcred into the lower corridor Of cells and along
,hence to the lower end, whore an iron-bnrrcd
ioor separates space Of about fourteen feet from
Ihe remainder OF the corridor. There are two
cells opening into this subdivision. In No. Is IL
Andrcas Fuchs the murderer and butcher Of Simmons
and in the lower one, No. H. on opening the heavy
the condemned murderer Of the Russo Polish Jswess
Sara Alexander. Tho corpse, which still warm,
lay upon pallet, covered with musty blanket.
On the head u black skulcap Tho features were
shrvclsd cmaciated and somewhat contorted and tho
expression such the eye would seek long 10
rest upon.
..who first observed that Rubenstein was dying p"
Inquired the reporter. -
~ did" answered tall, stout middleaged man,
who proved to DC Deputy Keeper Howard II will tell
you how It have been assigned TO the duty Of
Watching Ruby and this morning about ten O'Clock
looked in at tho cell to how he getting along.
found him lying tho steam pipes there in the
ner leaning forward in most uncomfortable position
He made no reply to me when spoke to him. then
called to Harry, the Mailman get other and
come and help mo to lift Rubensein his bod. Harry
brought the and we lifted him up and laid him
than he began oth the mouth and his eyes turned
CLASSY. He gave one groan and died.n
''whep were his relatives here 10 him last. Mr..
Howard :" fsA
SWELL they amt boon hero great deal Of late His
brother Jacob, think, was here to see him last
Friday and on Sunday"
How did he take the action OF the Court in refusing
10 place argument In his down on the September
ealendarr'
He took that mighty hard" M
'who told him oflts"
sHs brother, believe the nrst to mention t. -
sYou said his brother had not been here to soc HIM
since Sunday. Tho action OF the Court to which have
reference had yesterday. How could he have
learned OF the failure OF tho effort his behalf from his
broiher?"
Mr. Howard then said that 1t tho action Of Judge
Pratt in denying the motion for stay OF proceedings
TO which he had reference when he said RUBY
weakened that be had TO sit down keep from fall
ing"
Since the execution Of Dolan It has been remarked
that Rubenstcin has been really very weak and deb
lated and he has been under medical treatment by Dr.
A. Warren Shepard, the city physician. He took his
medicine regularly, according TO tho report OF his
keepers, but grew worry reticenL Ho WAS never much
given conversation but within The two weeks no
has rarely ever spoken. He cooked his white fish in
sweet oil ate unleavcned broad onions ana apples as
usual but parook OF the peculiar diet moro sparingy
than had hitherto been MS won't In hts devotions he
was jealous to all external appearances On
II onday night he treated to a BATH his last on
sarth He nc:cr partial 10 water, and his I'M
Clearly habits and condition subjects OF
disgust among his fellow prisoners After the bath he
pariook Of nsh and oil and exchanged few words
with his ncxt coll door neighbor, "Frenchy.n Fuchs
While the writer in the corridor yesterday he en-
dcavored 10 engage Fuchs in conversation to what
Rubenslcin had said to him, but Fuchs said he
wanted 70 talk with Captain woglom about his
own business nrst and then he would speak OF others
The Captain, he said, had trunk belonging 10 him
which he wanted sent to him at once. Captain wog-
lom told Fuchs shat he had trunk belonging TO him.
and that he, "Fuchs, would not need such article
any more" Fuchs who was much annoyed, turned
pale and liz his pipe He subsequently, that Ruben.
-
"Thcy will not hang me here. They may hang me in
heavcnlu s.egsN
VISIT OF RELArIvRs TO THE JAIL
Tho Sheriff word TO the relatives the deceased
Of the death Of the prisoner and alter Israel
Rubenstein, his daughter, Mrs. Rachel SONNET and
Jacob Rubenstcn visited tho Jail Before entering the
cell door the old prayed aloud after tho Hebrew
form, In high kcy, and the woman sobbed. Israel
asked permission Of the Coroner, who present TO
cover the lace Of son. and the request being granted
be drew the blanket over the features He lighted
candle and placed IL at tho left side OF the body He
next cIaspcd tho checks his hands, and held them
Tor lew minutes. The old man then cried out, my
von dies pure the SUM- How could he be IN New
York and East New York ut the same time W This
afternoon the body viii be surrendered to the relatives
Tor interment
THE cArsE OF DEATH.
Dr. Shepard gave IL as his opinion, before holding
the postmoretn that death resulted from exhaustion
from low dctiu2 HIS time has bccn passed IN jail be-
tween praying ana lasting Tho post morten was held
~ Tour O'Clock IN the Mushroom OF the jail by Dr.
Shepard assisted by Dr. Norris and several other ply
scianx There were no traces OF poison The body
was very much cnaciated. There WAS swelling OF
The lower cxtrcmitlos in dropsca complaints. The
Internal organs indicated lack oi nourishment; other
wise all the organs except the lungs found normal
The hcart was thin and weak THE kidneys were once
diseased but they we're good condition ~ the time Of
death In the upper lobe OF the left lung there
cavity at It's apex and tubercuar deposits ed the re-
manning portion The brain, though healthy, was
20 hs mr. mar N u~p
OF death was exhaustion and inaniton ami the Sec
ondary the diseased lung Dr. Shepard declined to
give ms conclusion from the examination TIL he tcs
hcs NJ the inquest which place az the jail ut
eleven o'clock thus forenoon
KrFoRrs TO THE GALLows
Before the stay OF proceedings granted BY Judge
Brady several weeks ago Rubenstcn, binding Tndcr
sheriff Steytn TO secrecy said that no would pivc
him $1,000 ana unc-thiru interest In q patent ma
chine which he had invented to carry people BY land
and water without the use Of II he would Sc
euro his release. A lew days subsequently he made