The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-06-08
Crimes of Three Murderefs At0ned
for at San Quentin.
p j. COLLINS. A. GARCIA AND A.
AzOFF HANGED AT THE PRISON.
Each of the Hardened Criminals Went
to His Death Calmly. Rade Good-by
to the World and Di sd Without n
Struggle, Collins Alone Remaining
Silent on the Scaffold, His Spiritual
Adviser Speaking for Him.
Special TO the REcoRD-UNIox.


SAN QUENTIN, June 7.-Amelio Garcia,
Anthony Azoff and Patrick j. Collins
died on the scaffoid here this morning.
The triple hanging was witnessed by
many people, who had come from the
city to witness the executions. There was
nothing sensational in the scenes that at
tended the legal killing Of the condemned
men. Each went to his death calmly,
bade good-by to the world and died
without struggle. Collins alone was
silent on the scaffold, but his spiritual
adviser spoke for him, admitting the
crime for which he was to be hanged.
AT o'clock this morning Warden Hale
walked from his residence to the old
factory building in the prison yard. in
the third story OF which the gallows had
been erected for the execution of Patrick
j. Collins, Amelio Garcia and Anthony
Azoh. He visited the condemned men
in their cells and found them rather
cheerful. considering the gloomy pros
poets.
The Warden prepared to read the death
warrants. Collins offered to waive the
reading, but the Warden carried out the
formalIties of the law to the letter. Dur
ing the reading of the documents the con-
demned men paid little or no attention
to the words as they fell from the War
denis lips and they seemed TO be relieved
when the preliminary was finished.
Garcia, the Spaniard, passed a good
night. He went to bed early and slept
soundly. but the slumbers of Collins and
AZoff were somewhat disturbed.
AT Z o'clock breakfast was served aud
the three ate rather heavily. partaking of
fruit, coffee and bread. Early in the
morning Father Lagan and other Catholic
priests from San Rafael arrived at the
prison and offered consolation to the
three mon.
Collins and Garcia were Catholics and
en- braced the rites of the church. Azoff
at the last hour was baptized in the
Catholic faith.
AT $50 o'clock the condemned men
bathed and donned black trousers and
dark blouses, and preparations were
made for carrying out the final sentence.
The 7:40 train arrived from San Fran
cisco with about 100 prominent citizens,
who had been invited to witness the exc
cutions.
Amelio Garcia was taken from his cell
and led to the gallows. Before him
walked two priests recitiDg the service
for the dying. Garcia smiled as he
walked up the stairs leading 10 the trap.
On either side were Chaplain brahms OF
the prison and Amos Lunt, the execu-
toner.
The knot was quickly adjusted and the
black cap slid over the head of the
doomed man while he looked about and
smiled. With the words "Good-bs.
adios," on his lips the trap was sprung,
and at 9:3l Garcia expiated the crime OF
which he had been convicted. In prison
parlance be died game"
His neck was broken by the fall, and
he did not make a move after he fell.
After the body had been suspended thir-
teen minutes Drs. E. II. Mattner, Van
meter, Harvey and Berry pronounced
life extinct. Uhe remains were then
tax en- down and put in a rough wooden
coffin for burial.
Anthony Azoff, the murderer of Len
Harris, the popular Southern Pacific de-
tective, was the next to take the walk to
death by the gallows route. The priests
preceded him. AS he walked up the
stairs he looked about and smiled and
nodded at people in attendance.
He had made careful preparations for
the event, as his mustache was waxed
and his hair neatly conlbed., He trem-
bled perCeptibly, but assumed an air of
bravado, and as the cap was pulled over
his head after the rope had been adjusted
be said in loud tone, "Good-by, all.
Here goes brave man"
AS the final word was uttered the trap
was sprung and his body fell the length
of the rope. 1t swung back and forth for
awhile, but other than few Involuntary
movements of the fingers there was no
struggle.
Patrick ]. Collins was changed man
as he walked to the scaffold. 1t was no.
ticeable that the cold sneer which he dis
played continually duung the scenes
accompanying his trial and conviction
for the murder of his wife had disap-
peared, and benign expression had
taken its place. lie had evidently made
his peace with God and man.
He walked up the gallows stops firmly,
with the chaplain at his left and the ex-
ecutioner at his right hand. The priests
preceded. reading and chanting responses
as they proceeded.
The condemned man said not word as
he stepped into the trap. Father Lagan
advanced to the rail, however, and in his
behelf made few touching remarks.
This is an awful moment for the ac-
cused," he said. HE cannot be expected
TO express his thoughts. He comes hero
with sincere heart and expresses his
confidence in the future. He committed
an awful crime while drunk and not re-
sponsible to God. He wished me to state
that he believes he is forgiven for his
sins, and he forgives every body on earth
and asks forgiveness OF ALL"
1t WAS an impressive moment and had
its effect on those who stood about
The priest then expressed the thanks of
the three men to Warden Hale and Cap
tains Birlem and Edgar for the kind
treatment they had given them.
At the conclusion Of Father Lagan's re-
marks the cap was adjusted and the trap
sprung. Except for few spasmodio
movements of the limbs, Collins did not
move after the fall. His neck was broken
and in fourteen minutes life was extinct.
His remains were cut down and placed
In a casket beside the bodies of Garcia
and Azoff.
With the removal of the bodies the
triple execution was over, and the visit
ors slowly filed out of the prison aud
took the nrst train for the city.