The evening world., 1892-02-06
Murderer McIlvaine Preparing
to Die Next Monday.
His Brayado Succeeded by a Spirit
OF Devoutness.
Doath Machinery Ready for Sing
Sings Sixth Electrocution.
r,,rc,A, IN RI, ,vxS,sc vo,,,,

SING SING. y. L., Feb. 6.--Charles Nell.
vaine, the young murderer who Is 10 die In
the electric chair as soon after midnight Of
sunday as warden Brown may decide. was
awake shortly after : o'clock this morning,
and at 4 o'clock received his breakfast, which.
as yesterday. consisted OF toasted bread
dipped In sherry.
warden Brown told an EVENING WORLD
reporter That McIlvaine appeared brigh, and
cheerful, and II his nights slumber had been
disturbed by visions OF the fatal chair or the
spectre or white-robed Grocer Luca whom he
stabbed to death his dsmeanor did not
show II.
McIlvaine's change OF heart Is one OF the
wonders OF the prison. Principal Keeper
Connsughton says he Is the most remarkabl.
criminal that has ever been confined there.
Until Informed by his faithful sister that
there was no longer any nope McIlvaine was
by turns ugly, quarrelsome, denant, suilen.
He reviled his keepers, derided his fellow
condemned men ana was constant source OF
trouble.
About year ago he became stubborn and
refused to get out Of his bed even to eat. For
days he lay and cursed his Keepers, the other
prisoners, and even the friends who were en-
deavor,ng to prolong his life.
He was told that II he did not dress himself
he would not be given anything to eat. but
that statement had no efrect upon him.
Then Principal Keeper Connaughton
ordered that he be dressed by force When
the keepers approached his cell, McIlyaine
dened them. lie tore loose his iron bed and
ana grabbing piece Of the iron, said he
would brain the first man who entered the
cell.
The big Principal keeper was hastily sun
moned. lie unlocked the cell door. took Nc
llvnine by the serum OF his neck, and, snak.
Ing him as he might a bad boy, boxed his
ears
The denant murderer was thoroughly cowed
In minute.
Since then he has been sulien. He has fire.
quently made heartless remarks to the other
condemned men, but he has given no real
trouble to his keepers
All this time he has had hope that he
would finally escape the death penalty. Even
last month"; when taken down TO Brooklyn
for reser -, he said to an EVENING WORLD
reporter:
vaine. Well, I'm not dead yet. As long as
there's life there's hope"
When informed last Wednesday by his SIS
ter that the Governor had refused To do any
thing Tor him, a change In his demeanor
occurred, and the once heartless murderer
has now become the devout student OF the
Bible, under Father Credens guidance,
earnestly preparing for eternity, as was told
in yesterdays EVENING WORLD.
McIlvaine was not quite nineteen years old
when he committed his terrible crime. ana lie
mad only Just been married to a girl still
younger than himself They occupied n
couple OF rooms In an east side New York
tenement
one night In August, 1880, he took two
companions to his roolns. All three typical
East side "toughs,' lay down to sleep
with orders to Mrs. McIlvaine that she should
awake them shortly after midnight.
In the early hours Of the morning they
crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, bent upon plum
dering some house before their return.
Passing through Jay street, al open win.
dow In Grocer Christian Lucas house at
tracted McIlvaine's attention. II was an
"easy mark" he thought, and telling his
companions to wait, he removed his shoes
and climbed up and into the window.
While lie was searching for plunder, Mr..
Luca surprised him.
Mcllvaine whipped out knife, and as Luca
the mans body. When Luca dropped dead II
was with fourteen wounds showing where
the burglars knife had struck.
McIlvaine was captured red-handcd. He
had two trials, the jury each time finding
him guilty OF murder In the rrst degree.
Three times the week OF his death has been
fixed. His case has been carried through all
the state courts and to the supreme court OF
the United states, ana more than two years
have elapsed since his awful crime appalled,
the people OF Brooklyn and New York.
lie was the frst man condemned TO ole un.
der the new law tn be sent TO Sing sing. He
has heard iive men taken out OF adjoining
cells to go to their death, and he Knocked
them as they passed out.
Now that his own end has come so near. he
has become meek and gentle. Keeper Con.
naughton believes he Will walk TO the chair
bravely, and prove that It was not bravado
alone that enabled him to receive each sen.
tence OF death with stoical Indifference.
Last evening, according to Mr.. Connaug H.
ton, the condemned man, with but two days
more to live, was as cheerful and happy " as
though he was going 10 a welding"
Electrician +. +. Davis, who has assisted
at every eleclrocuiion that has taken place
IN this state, was al the prison yesterday
afternoon and, with Capt Hilbert, the yard
master, who designed the machinery Il death
as It now stands, made a careful Inspection
OF the apparatus, which was found 10 be In
perfect order.
Everything Is In readiness for the electro
cution, and Warden Browns daughter Will go
away this afternoon TO remain until the ex-
element attending McIlvaine's death In the
chair has passed away.
Before noon OF Monday Grocer Lucas slayer
will probably have paid the mll penalty OF
his crime.
Nicola TreLka, who WAS expected to pre-
cede McIlyaine TO the death chair Monday,
and whose sentence was Thursday commuted
TO life imprisonment by Gov Flower. was this
forenoon taken out OF the condemned meas 5
building and given cell among the 1850
conyicts IN the big cell house,
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