The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-04-24
,rURDERERs PUT TO DEATH.

That His Three orphan Children De
 Taken to Dominican Convent.
 Sing Sing, April 23.-There was a double execution at the state prison here this morning. The men put to death were Louis P. Hermann and Charles Pustalka, both of New York city, both Germans, and both wife mur- derers.
 Hermann shot and killed his wife in a quarrel on July r, 1S95 and Pustalka stabbed his wife to death on August 2S last because he suspected her of in fidelity. Hermann asked as special favor that he be put to death first, and Warden Sage granted the request, though he had originally intended to send Pustallla to the chair in advance of Hermann.
 The warden was undoubtedly infiu- enced in his first decision by a desire to have the more dsagreeable part of the affair over as soon as possible. Pustalka was of a highly nervous tenn perament, and it was feared that he might make a scene in the execution chamber. while Hermann was stolid and apparently indifferent to his fate, and no trouble was anticipated in his case.
 The witnesses to the executions were invited to be present at Il o'clock, and the major part of them arrived on the train reaching here from New York at 10:53 a. m.
 Shortly after il o'clock they assem- bled in the prison office and were es- corted to the execution chamber by Warden Sage and his assistants.
 Hermann was brought into the chamber at 11:16 o'clock and at 111T:30 the current was turned on.
 After fifty seconds it was turned off and Dr. Irvine, the prison physician, made an examination, as a result of which he announced that the man was not dead.
 At 11;19 o'clock the current was again turned on at full force for five seconds. Another examination was made by Dr. Irvine, followed by the other doctors present, and at 11:21 o'clock Hermann was pronounced dead.
 Herrmann's body was removed from the chair and placed on a dissecting table in room adjoining the death chamber, and a new set of witnesses was admitted to see the second execu- tion.
 Pustalka was brought into the room at 142 o'clock. He didn't make the expected scene, but walked firmly to the chair. At 11:43:2o the signal was given by Dr. Jerome and the current was applied for fifty seconds After a little more than a minute it was turn ed on again for five seconds, and at 11:46 o'clock the doctors declared him dead. Both executions were pronounce ed entirely successful.
 Pustalka and Hermann spent their last nigth as they had done ever since they were brought to Sing Sing. Herr mann was the life of the death house, while Pustalka was inclined to be morose and seldom talked to any one. When they were informed that their cases had been decided against them, they were also told that they had bet ter prepare for death. Pustalka then began to allow the Rev. Father Creedon of this village to look out for his spir- itual welfare, but Hermann was not much inclined to pay any attention to religion.
 Father Creedon and Chaplain Weill had visited the two men daily since Monday, to prepare them to meet death. Chaplain Weill talked to Hermann while Father Creedon consoled Pus- talka. The latter appeared repentant and told the priest he was ready and i,,o fr I Ia s,,s% ever, was broken and the priest told him to cheer up and die bravely This he said he would do, and that he would not give Warden Sage any trouble.
 Hermann, according to Chaplain Weill, died Presbyterian. The chap lain says Hermann was just as cheer full this morning as at any other time Neither one of the men knew that this was to be his last day, but both knew perfectly well that the week was draw ing to a close and that they were likely to be summoned at any moment
 Louis F. Hermann shot his wife through the heart and killed her on the afternoon of July IT, 1895, in the apartments of Charlotte Palmer at 304 East 105th street.
 The wife murderer had just been re- leased from the penitentiary, after hav- ing served a years term there. He found his wife at the place named and chided her for not having visited him while he was in the penitentiary. She did not receive her convict husband with much show of love. He went away and returned on the following day when he produced a revolver and, notwithstanding her entreaties to be spared, shot her three times One bull let entered the right temple, the sec ond passed through the woman's breast and the third lodged in the abdomen.
 When the deed had been committed the murderer went out on the stoop of the building in which the crime had been perpetrated and sat down on the steps to smoke a cigar. Here he was found by Policeman Johnson, who took him back into the room where the wife lay dead.
 When he was locked up the mur- derer protested that he had not intend- ed to take his wifes life when he pur- chased the revolver. He asserted that the woman had been unfaithfu1 to her marriage VOWS, and that it had been his intention to kill her paramour.
 Charlotte Palmer, with whom Mrs Hermann had been living before her death had taken the unfortunate wo- and friendless and had cared for her and made it possible for her to earn enough to keep her by working for the