The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-09-06
HIS LAST NIGHT.
The Hardened Villain spends 1t in
SingIng aud Card Playing.


and he ate heartily and appeared to
relish it, He was provided with a good
supply of boiled ham, fried eggs. coffee,
Limburger cheese, peaches and rye
bread After he had satisfied his hunger
he lighted one of the cigars that Thomas
T. Vile, father-in-law of Warden Mitchell,
had given him He conversed pleasant
ly with his keepers, John Gemmel, Geo.
Schaaff and John Wagner, for while,
and then entered into a game of cards.
AT half-past three O'Clock yesterday
Hangman Van Hise drove a horse and
wagon into the jail yard from Pavonia
avenue, and took from the vehicle the
scaffold on which Altenberger is to die.
This death-dealing machine was Joined
together by five o'clock, and the weight
of four hundred pounds was dropped
to test it.
The machine was found to be in ex-
cellent working order, and the Hang
man proudly said that it would ''do as
well as it had in the past" Van Hise
has a record of having hanged thirty
eight persons.
Jail Warden Mitchell caused all the
prisoners on the west side of the jail
to be removed to the corridors of the
east side. This was done to prevent the
the scaffold on the third tier. Alien
berger had also been placed in cell re-
mote from the gallows, but in Ward No.
l, where he has been of late. and he
could not hear Van Hise at work. When
he was taken to this cell Altenberger
was told to lie down and sleep. He an
ASKS FOR SONGS.
mo, no. l will not sleep tonight for
/ have not got much time before me"
Instead of sleeping he played pinochle
wit n CnT
until dark, and then he asked the keepers
to request the female prisoners in an
adjoining ward to sing for him. The
crowd of women complied, and, dissolute
as they were, they sang only hymns and
pathetic songs. Altenberger sang with
them much of the time. He and his
keepers also sang I'm the Switzerland"
and later Altenberger sang alone Near
er, My God. to Thee" A large crowd
had gathered in front of the Jail by this
time. and everyone of the morbid Curl
osity seekers listened attentvely to the
hymn, but when it was finished the
remarks made by different ones in the
crowd were not at all sympathetic.
The singing by half-past nine o'clock
wearied Altenberger, and he asked for
bottle of lager beer, which was supplied
him. After drinking it, he suggested an
other game of cards, and played and
smoked for long time.
During the early part of the evening
Sheriff Toffey escorted number of Wis
itors to the corridor. where the scaffold
had been erected, and permitted them to
view it. After satisfying their curiosity.
the Sheriff permitted his guests to pass
Altenberger's cell in the detention room,
and a number of them spoke kindly to
the murderer, who simply laughed and
acted as If he enjoyed their visit. The
condemned man talked to Deputy Sheriff
John j. Erwin for nearly half an hour
about current topics, but he never once
referred to his rapidly approaching end.
At twenty minutes before one o'clock
this morning Altenberger and his keepers
We're socially chatting. Warden Mitchell.
Rev. E, A. Meury,. reporter for ''The
Jersey City News" and several keepers
were in the dining-room downstairs eat
ing supper. The feast was interrupted
by a loud noise from Altenbergers cell,
hastily to the cell to ascertain what
the trouble was. He soon returned and
reported that Altenberger and his watch
ers had been trying to capture a VEN
turesome rat that was exploring the cell.
After this Altenberger lay down on his
cot, but after a brief time he got up
and nervously walked about the deten-
ALTENBERGER SLEEPS.
He soon lay down again, and at five
minutes after three he fell asleep, but
and tossed on the cot. In fifteen minutes
he awoke and began to cry He APP
peared to be breaking. down. Rev. Mr..
Meury quieted him, and then Altenberger
requested the clergyman to pray for
him, which was done.
AT half past four o'clock Altenberger
sent word down stairs that he desired
to see the reporter of 1.-THE Jersey. City
News" and when the reporter went to
the cell ne was greeted by Altenberger
and Mr.. Meury, The condemned man
said as he handed the reporter a paper;
Il want you to publish this.''
THE MURDERER'S THANKS.
The paper. contained the following
Il will take this opportunity to rem
der my heartfelt thanks to all who have
been so kind to me during my stay in
the Hudson 1{ County Jail. Foremost
den and the keepers, SchaaT, Gemmel
q would also tender my sincerest
thanks to my counsel, who have put
forth every effort to save me from the
terrible doom now before me.
Also to my spiritual adviser, the Rev.
friend to me, and who has done much
to help me bear the burden resting so
heavily upon me. May his counsel and
lot. tsn BE BERNARD ga ALTENBERGER Glfa eGM my
The letter was written by Mr.. Meury
at the request of Altenberger, who
When the reporter inquired of him
how he felt Altenberger, replied
I feel just as good as you do. No.
last two days"
walked about his cell some of the time,
and when not walking reelined en- his
cot. but he sought sleep in vain. At
| five o'clock Pastor Meury asked him to
guess the time and he did SO to the MINI
ute During his walks about the room
he sometimes stopped in front of the
window which fronted on Newark ave-
nue. and gazed at the people who began
| to assemble there as soon as it became
| daylight. When he observed one party
| of men come from liquor store he way
| ed his hand to them as if to signify that
| he would have liked to have been with
| them' At this time he appeared to be
| in good spirits, and acted as il he had
no apprehensions
PESHALL APPEARS.
| At eleven O'clock last night Charles j.
| Peshall called at the County Jail and
| had an interview with Mr.. Meury and
| Warden Mitchell. What was said dur
| ing the interview beside an endeavor on
was not. made public. The Sheriff was
| at the time in hotel in the lower part
| of the city. A rumor was started by
| the visit, to the effect that Mr. Peshall
| had secured delay of the execution,
| When a reporter for THE News asked
| Peshall what he had done OF proposed
to do, the lawyer did not give him any
satisfaction, and declined to talk about
| the matter, At eight o'clock today there
! Jail that Peshall might in some way
| secure a delay of the execution
! On Tuesday last Altenberger wrote a
letter to his mother as follows:
! My Dear Parents
| Permit me, your lamentable son, Ber-
nard, under the shadow of death, to
address these few lines to you. My dear
| parents, God has permitted such a great
1 mishap to befall me and Heaven will
\ deliver me from its guilt and forgive me.
| To Him cnly | cry daily for the for
| giveness of my sins, and ! know He
will t'0rerivh and gralc1on mo NV daars