Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-17

the family and he was with the condemned man
until the end came today. He walked with him
to the scaffold and spoke q prayer for the soul
Of the man who was about to come to an I'M
timely end
For several hours this morning Mr.. Parson
sat with Schneider upon the cot in the narrow
cell.
SCHNEIDER wEPT BITTERLY
Schneider wept bitterly and showed signs of
complete collapse. From Bible that he had
brought to the Jail with him the minister read
number Of selected chapters that were ap-
propriate to the occasion add that held out q
hope Of salvstion in return for repentance COM
ing even at the eleventh hour.
Mr. Parson also brought with him letter of
farewell to Schneider that came from the mem
bers Of the distressed family. 1t was not long
letter, but it was infinitely sad and had a
marked effect upon the young man. 1t was
last word Of goodbye from mother and brothers
never to see in life again. There was word Of
consolation, a word of hope, and yet the ones
who wrote that last note knew when they were
writing it that the next time they saw Howard
Schneider it would be a cold corpse.
In response to request from the family
Warden Burke ordered that no autopsy should
be held over the dead body, and that as soon as
the doctors were sure that death had come it
should be turned over to the undertaken who
was to prepare it for burial
THE UNDERTAKES AND THE COFFIN.
At 10 O'Clock the undertaken appeared in
the rotunda with the coffin. 1t was carried
past within a few feet of where the
living man still sat in his cell. 1t was a
plain rosewood box with no inscription
upon the lid. 1t was placed in the
adjoining corridor near the scaffold. and i'm
mediately after the body was cut down it was
laid In the coffin and shortly after was re-
moved from the Jail.
THE PROCESSION TO THE scAFFoLD.
The procession to the scaffold was small
one. Mr.. Burke went to Schneider's cell and
standing by the door read the death warrant.
Then he turned and Schneider was led out
from his room. They started on their
short and distressing walk. FRS. came the
warden of the Jail. Beside him walked Mr..
Strong, the guard who adjusted the rope about
Schneider's neck. Then came Schneider him.
self. staggering along and supported on either
side by one of the guards Of the Jail. Then
came the minister. followed by two guards in
case their services might be needed. This
was all.
The line Of march from the southeast
corridor through the big rotunda and into the
northwest corridor. in which the execution
took place. squad of twenty-six policemen,
under command of Sergt. Acton Of the fifth
precinct. maintained order and cleared pas
sageway through the crowd for the little group
of men to pass along.
About an hour before the execution Schnei-
der was given milk punch. 1. was the only
nourishment he had been able to take during
the day and he swallowed it with an apparent
relish
During Schneider's last hour upon earth Rev.
Mr.. Parson and the colored evangelist, Mr..
Roberts, were with him. Mr.. Roberts sang a
hymn. Jesus Save Me-" and endeavored to
have Schneider repes. the words after him. his
efforts being crowned with some measure of
success. The two men prayed earnestly and
exhorted him in stirring words, but to the end
their advances were met in only half hearted
manner. Schneider went to his doom as be had
lived for the past year, apparently oblivioV
and careless.