The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-04-17
CAPONE AND sANTORE.
Their Execution to Take Place in
Thomaston To-day.
No Confession Will Probably be Made
by Them.
Special to the Press.)

IHoAAsToN, April 16-Everything is in
readiness for the hanging Of the two Italians
tomorrow. Priests have been with them all
day. They still tell contradictory stories, one
laying the blame on the other. Only Capore
appears nervous. Ssntore still appears brazen.
1t is not thought they will make any con-
fession and the priests are about discouraged
Sheriff Irish is still firm in his determination
TO admit none but the legal twelve.and the
deputies, but correspondents hope he will
weaken in the morning. Reporters for eight
papers are here on tho anxious seat, including
Otis OF the Opinion, Dyer of the Belfast Jour
nal, Andrews OF the Lewiston journal, Me-
CieeFy OF the Boston Journal, Higgins Of the
Argus, Lord Of the Courier-Gszette, Lever-
saler Of the Associated Press, and others.
The gsllows is erected near the place of
the old one on which Wagner was hanged.
Ii IS placed under platform out of sight and
is the same gallows repaired and painted. The
prisoners will be confined in their cells in the
forenoon.
(To Associated Press.)
THoMAsToH, April 16.-Workmen began to
erect the gallows Wednesday. The spot is ten
feet north from where Wagner and Gordon
were hung, between the carriage and trim
minsshops, and is covered by a platform en-
tireY out OF observation from without. This
platform is IA feet from the ground, is II feet
square and substantially built. This trsp is
six feet by five and heavily weighted, and sup
ported by wooden pins and catch. When
the pins are withdrawn and only the catch
holds, slight touch of the sheriff's foot will
free the trap and consummate the tragedy
The rope is small, but like iron.
Both men will be hung at once. The fall
will be eight feet. The gibbet is entirely new
except the hanging beam. This was bought
OF the United States government in 1865
to hang Spencer, the convict who murdered
Warden Tinker, and before hanging Spencer
it had hung Cox and Williams, the pirates, at
Auburn. Since the death Of Spencer, the
negro Harris, Wagner and Gordon have swung
from it.
The prisoners will be led out OF the western
wing of the prison, across the yard into the
Woodshos, down one fight to the basement,
and then directly onto the platform. Stand
ing here one looks up to the gray prison walls
and down to the deep quarry pond, on the
edge of which the scaffold stands. In the
rear the steep wall of the quarry, reeking with
Shiny moisture, stands. 1t is gloomy place.
The condemned men continue about the
same. Last night Capone slept little or none,
and was very restless and nervous Santore
was quiet all night. Today has been repeti-
tion OF others. Both smoke necessarily. San
tore reads his Bible and studies the Italian die
tionary. His face is pale from confinement
and fear, and the eyes haggsrd He laughs
nervously, and on the approach of an officer or
visitor he starts up quickly, hastens to
the grating and crosses his forehead reyerent-
ly. Cspene ia the more excited Of the two.
He is troubled with short breath, ia sullen and
nervous, and eyes the prison officials with
frightened, though reveDgefHl look. He is
very restless, moves about, starts from his
stool, throws himself on the bed, then starts
up again and walks his cell, trembling and
quivering necessarily.
Father Boniisce, the italian priest from Bos-
ton, and Fathers Peterson and Harrington of
Rcckland, visit them twice day, but there is
no change, They still lay the blame on each
other and hate each other bitterly. The off
cials have had to shut them up in the ungeon
recently TO punish them for disturbance in
taunting each other, snd the priest find it i'm
possible to reconcile them.
The aight guard visits thom every half hour
and at last accounts (eight ocloek) Santore
waa sleeping, but Capone was sitting up with
his cap drawn over his eyes. Capone thought
until recently that he was sentenced to six
years until told the truth by Father Boniface.
Both have good appetites and cat heartily.
v,,oIl ....Ax.
cscies by italian friends in the nsigh5orhood.
The other prisoners are little affected. Will
kinsoa; the Bath policeman murderer, who
hangs November 10th, until recently has been
apparently Indifferent, but he now shows signs
of fear. The execution takes place at II
o'clock. The men will be called from work
and locked up iu their cells at half past eleven
and put to work again as soon as the execution
is over. Sheriff Irish will be assisted by his
deputies. and two specials.