The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-22
VIGIL OF DEATH.
|aallinger Eats Sleeps and Prays,
But-is Terribly Detected.

Hallinger's last night on earth was a
ydismnl one AS the hours sped by, the
1 III urderer paced his cell anxiously. o.
Acasionally he would sit down and wiring
his hands, but he seemed to derive much
comfort from the presence of the Rev
ai her j. Fl. Finnegan, who spent the
ntire night in the murderer's cell. pray
Ting and speaking words of cheer to the
unfortunate man.
When a JERSEY CITY NEWS reporter
! entered the gloomy walls of the Newark
Avenue Jail. shortly after eight O'Clock
last nightS here was crowd on New
ark avenue, gazing with curious eyes at
the windows of the building. Nothing
could be seen, yet the crowd fingered,
prompted by that morbid curiosity which
seems to actuate SO many human beings.
Hallinger's cell was not visible. He was
confined in the northwestern wing of the
Jail called the cage. The cage is
larger than dn ordinary cell and
four murderers have spent their last
| nights on earth in it, 1t was in this cage
<Ahat Frank Mechella, an Italian who
F'stabbed New Jersey marshal to death
in Hudson treet about twenty years ago,
was confined the night before he expiate1
his crime on the gallows. Martin Kim
kowski, who murdered pretty Nina Mul-
Ter in Guttenburg. and who was hanged
after m ost sensational trial also spent
his last hours there. In later years
George Disque was confined in this cage,
Disque went TO his home in Hobokeu one
afternoon and found sewing machine
agent with his handsome wife, of whor
Ihe was fnsanely Jealous. He hacked her
to death. The last one to occupy the
cage was Conrad Ebert of West Hoboken,
who killed his wife.
~ All that the crowd could see was the
. lonely watch patrolling up and down the
corridor in front of the condemned mans
Acen. Constable John H. Mi tchell had
Reen assigned this dismal duty.
COULD NOT EAT.
: AAt six O'Clock HalllnEer was pacing I'D
down his cell, when the matron
4 ought him most tempting meal.
talIinger pushed the victuais from him .
u II can't eat now" he said, in low and
mournful voice.
Bring my victuals up later and maybe
can eat."
Say" said he, as the matron was
moving away. where is that man-that
what do you call htm?" Here the nepro's
voice failed him and he filed with tears.
BY great effort he cleared his throat
aud said:-
Il mean that hangman, Van Hise. Is
he here? Is he in the jail?"
'Oh, no, he has gone away" said the
Kind hearted matron. "He thinks that
his services NAV not be required, as
Peshall says he will save you yet"
''Oh, | don't know" said Hallinger,
sadly; lit seems to me that it is all up
with me now'
"Don,t sav that. cbanr ,r, ~ sold tha
matron, kindly. Hallinger evidently did
not hear her. for he buried his face in his
hands and sebped.
"A HERO IN THEIR EYES.
1t is wonderful the interest taken in the
hanging by the other lesser criminals in
the Jail. Hallinger was a great favorite
with them, as he was always singing and
happy and had pleasant word for every
que. Then again, on account OF the
crime for which he was incarcerated, he
was looked up to with a sort of rever-
Batial awe by the lesser criminals. When
lt was whispered about among the prjs-
Dners that Hallinger bad refused 10 taste
his supper, many expressions of sympathy
were heard.
WEIRD HAPPENING.
At half-past eight O'Clock the female
prisoners in the Jail were allowed the
I freedom of heir ward as usual The re-
lpor;ers and the jail officials were e seated
y 10 the front efiice awaiting news from the
&elI OF h. ess.dsmned man. Everything
as silent aAd the silence was beginning
get oppressive when the strains of that
nn, Nearer My God to Thee,'' sung
the entiie chorus Of the women,
Rted through the walls of the jail. It