The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-09
SHOCKED TO DEATH.
Charles McIlvaino Dies by Elcc-
trlclty In Now York.
A BRUTAL MURDERER SUFFERS
The Death pcnalty.--IIow tho Event
! Passed on..-The Execution Was Not
u BunglinS observation-disclosures
and Death simultancous...Story of
His Crimc..-A Dcprnvcd Criminal.
Indifferent to Ills Fate.

nj Ills Crihlc."-a Dcprnvcu criminal.
Indifferent to His Fate.
SING SING, N. Y, Feb. S.-Chnrlcs
Mcllvaino, the murderer OF Groccryman
Luca, passed his lust Sunday on earth
without showing any signs OF fear or
apprehension. lie was visited by his
unmarried sister and Mrs. Agnes Nc.
vile, another sister, and his wife. His
two sisters showed intense grief, while
his young wife appeared less affected.
Mcllvainc was indifferent. Ills two
sisters Ind to DO led away after they
said farewell to him. Everything was
iii readiness and all the witnesses wero
present this morning. The warden had
been importuned By physicians and
scientists from Ill parts OF the state for
invitations to tho killing. Medical men
seemed as anxious to witness the apple
cation OF the deadly current rs they
were whom the now means OF capital
punishment was first introduced, There
arc others who applied 10 the warden
who desired only to satisfy a morbid
curiosity.
TOUGH PRISONER.
"rhe toughest man. in Sing Sing"
was tho name that Mcllvainc gained
for himself with his keepers in the
prison. Ilc used to be sullen, ugly and
defiant, and when he entered the prison
was openly rebcilious. One day he
broke his bedstead, and when Il keeper
entered the cell the murderer knocked
him down with one OF the iron legs TO
the bed. 1t took three men to subduc
the man, and rs Il punishment he was
kept in dark cell for several days. He
has had several Quarrels with guards
and keepers, as well as with his fellow
convicts. When Wood, who was exc
cutcd Inst July, passed Mcllvainc's cell
on his way to the death chair, McIlvaine
cried out to him: GOOD bye, -
you, you'll be in hell before ann
There was change in NIcIlvainc's de-
meanor since his last hope vanished.
He was subducd and gentle. and has.
spent much OF his time during the last
few days in reading his Bible and talk
ing with Father Credcn, his spiritual
adviser. 1t was feared at one time
that he would make desperate resist
ance when led out to take hisscat in the
death chair.
HIS CRIME.
Mcllvainc was not quite nineteen
years old when he committed his terri
bic crime, and he had only just been
married to girl still younger than him
self. They occupied couple OF rooms
in an East Side New York tenement.
One night in August, 1889, he took two
companions to his rooms. All three
typical East Side Coughs" lay down to
sleep with orders to Mrs. Mcllvaine that
she should awake them shortly after
midnight
In the early hours OF the morning
they crossed the Brooklyn bridge, bent
upon Dlundering some house before.
their return.
Passing through Jay street, an open
window in the Grocer Christian Lucas
house attracted McIlvainc's attention.
1t was al easy mark" he thought, and
telling his companions to wait, he re-
moved his shoes and climbed up and
into the window.
While he was searching for plumber
Mr.. l.uca surprised him. McIlvaine
whipped out knife, and, as Luca APP
preached, plunged it again and again
into the mans body. When Luca
dropped dead it was with fourteen
wounds showing where the burglars
knife had struck.
Mcllvaine was captured red-handed.
Z He had two trials, the jury each time
finding him guilty OF murder in the first
degree. Three times the week OF his
death has been set. His case has been
carried through all the state courts and
to the supreme court OF the United
States, and more than two years have
elapsed since his awful crime appalled,
the people OF Brooklyn and New York.
TIE DEATH WARRANT.
The warden read the death warrant
to the condemned man at midnight.
The condemned. man did not say any
I thing and listened in m indilIerentman-
ncr. When the warden lett McIlvaine
he gave him to understand that his
hours were numbered and advised him
to try and get all the sleep he could.
The murderer remained quiet and did
not seem to be visably affected by the
reading OF the death warrant.
The following medical men wit
messed the executions: DR.. S. B. Ward,
Albany; Prof. L. II. Laudy, Columbia
College; DR.. l.. A. Saxer, Syracuse; Dr..
U, S. Robertson, New York: DR.. Herbert