The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-23
Herman and PuStalka Ex-
ecuted at Sing Sing.
Both Crimes Were of Most
COld-BlOOded Kind.
Pustalka Stabbed His Wife and Her.
man Used a Revolver.

SING SING. April 2a-louis Herman and
Charles Pustalka. the two wife murderers.
were executed IN the electric chair mt Sing
Sing prison this morning. Herman was the
first 20 be taken from the death house into
the execution chamber. Warden Sage. prir-
cipal keeper Connsughton and Chaplain WE'LL
went into the death house about H. clock.
Herman was the one Warden Sage called for.
At III he was in the chair and the first
shock was turned on. After being on short
time it was turned of. and at ll:l0 a second
shock was turned on. 1t remained on short
time ard Herman was pronounced dead at
ll:2l.
After Herman was pronounced dead his
body was removed from the chnir and carried
into tho dissecting room. which sdjoius the
death chamber.
Pustalka, walking between Rev. Father
Creedon and Father Bruden Of Poughkeepsie.
entered the death chamber at III 80. He
walked directly to the chair and was strapped
in. There were two shocks thrown into Pus-
talka's body. The first shock yos. turned ON
at ii 40. and the second at II AZ He was pro-
nounced dead at II 40. One thousand. eight
hundred and twonty volts were used 70 kill
each man.
GRIMES THEY sufFEhED ron
EARLY on the morning of August 28. 1895
while his wife was sleeping. after having
spent the night away from home. Pustalka
entered mis- apar tments on the top floor of tho
fiat house at No. sis East 18th street. and pro-
curing long knife. went to his sleeping wife
and stabbed her in the throat.1 The fend
then seized the woman by the hair and drag
eing her into the kitchen. which ad3o'ued the
sleeping apartment, inflicted wound after
wound upon her defenseless person. When
the woman died the murderer opened the
front OF her dress and took from her breast
$780, He thon washed himself. changed his
clothing and, kissing his little i0-ysar-old
daughter, who had witnessed tho whole sad
affair. left the house. When Pustrlkn wa.
arrested he was fonnd in the cafe Waldorf.
which was owned and operntcc py his wife.
He sat mt n table holding revolver in his
hard and. when taken into custody told tho
officers that he had intended to take the life
of his step daughter. who was associated with
Mrs. Pustalka in the cafe.
Several days before the murder was COM
mitted Pustaka had complained to the police
that his wife was unfatbful to him, and that
the cafe Waldorf was place OF prostitution.
The authorities made an arrangement with
the murderer TO meet him and hnvs the plsce
raided. but Pustalsa faiied TO keep his ap-
. pointment and satisfied his jealousy by taking
the life of tho woman whom he thought had
been unfsithfui TO HIM.
Louis p. Herman shot his wife through ths
| heart and killed her ON the afternoon OF July
| II. 1855, in tho apartments OF lhariosto
| Palmer, No. 3OI East 18th street. The wife,
| murderer had just been released from the
| peniteutiary, after having served u years 9
| tsrm there. He found his vile Mt the place
| named and chided her with not having visited
| him while no was In the pepitontiary. she
| could not forget the way the man had treated
| her in days gone by and consequently did
| not receive her convict-husbsnd with great
| show of love.
| The man old not like this, and left his wife.
| visiting her again ON tho following day. when
| he produc6d n revolver and Notwithstanding
| her entreaties TO be spared. shot her three
times One bullet entered the right temple.
| the SECOND passed through the woman's
| breast, and the third lodged In tho abdumen.
| When tho deed had been committed. the MUIR
| deror went out on the stoop OF the building In
| which tho crime had boon pcrpetrated and
! sat down on the steps to smoke cigar. lie
was found by officer Johnson who took him
into tine room where tho wife lay wslterina
In a pool OF blood. As soon as Herman saw
the body OF his dead wife, no broke from tho
grip Of the policeman and rushed to the
corpse. bending over which he Kissed The
pale. upturned face.
When no was locked mp the murderer pro-
tested that he had not intended TO take his
wife's life when he purchased the revolver.