The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-03-21
MRS PLACE EXECUTED.
Tho First Woman to Meet Legal
Death BY Electrooution.
NET HEB FATE WITH oALMNEss.

The Execution Was the lost Success
ful That Has Ever Taken Place ir
Sing Sing Prison-Two Women Ac
companied Her to the Dea tn Chair
New York, March 21.-Mrs. Marth,
Place was executed at Sing Sing prison
yesterday. She was the first woman t.
die In the electric chair In the state OF
New. York, and she went to her death
quietly. Her death was instantaneous
but two shocks being given. The volt
age Of the current was 1760, and it was
continued for four seconds. 1t was then
gradually diminished to 200 voltage
which was continued for Sc seconds. DR.
Irvine. the physician Of the prison, ex-
amined the woman and then ordered a
second shock. That was the same as
the first in power. and continued for the
same length Of time. The second shock
Sing.
Mrs. Place murdered her stepdaugther.
Ida NJ. Place, mere girl, on Feb. z,
1898. She first threw acid in the girls
eyes and then smothered her. This was
early in the morning in their home in
Brooklyn. She waited the entire day
for her husband to return, and then at
tackled him with an ak, fracturing his
skull and otherwise seriously injuring
him. Place, however, recovered.
Mrs. Place was informed on Thursday
last by Warden Sage that she must die
on Monday. Again on Sunday the war
den visited her and told her she must be
ready at II o'clock Monday morning.
She was ready at that hour, and no one
who watched her could understand what
change must have taken place in the
wOmnn's nature to so dull her senses
that she could 20 to her death so calmly
and impa ssively as Mrs. Place did. The
last woman condemned to die in this
state went to the gall0ws shrieking and
fighting. but Mrs. Place hardly uttered
4 sound.
This was the twenty-Sixth clcctrocu-
ton ut Sing Sing prison. but none before
WAS so successful as that of yesterday.
Not only was there no scene. but there
was no DELAY. Within three minutes
after coming through the iron doors the
order of the law had been carried out.
Their" were II witnesses present and
only those who watched every movement
witnessed Mrs. Places death.
On Sunday Mrs. Place had her regular
attendants, and during the night she
was visited by her spiritual adviser.
Rev. Dr. David Cole. of Yonkcrs. and
Mrs. Mcnry, mission worker OF Brook
Ign. who has taken a great interest in
the woman's welfare. Mrs. Sage. the
worJcu's wife. also enput nm bonr with
her Int of O.3O Nrs place was left
n,onc with tho u;yht motron. Mrs. CouI-
try. will two keepers in the -outcr room.
Tho con,lcmned woman was very rcst
loss. She did not retire until $40. and
after that she was I'M several times TO
prny.
Mrs. Place had told her pastor that
she bclicycd her sins had hccn forgiven.
and asserted her faith in tho hereafter.
She was M,oycd I'm with this fcclin.
when the warlen came for her to lead
her TO the chair. She was dressed in
black. a gown made herself. simplr and
plain She had expected to wear IT at
her new trial or when she received her
liberty. A white band was around her
tlsroat. md her light brown huir, now j,
turning gray, was brushed back smooth
~ tNtT HpF IeTPitHu IL WIS t1pIEu
away only where the clcctrodc was to
be placed.
Mrs. Place said simply that she was
ready. md the warden took her arm in
his. They went slowly through tho Co.
serted old hospital building along soy
cral Railways. and finally through The
last corridor of all. On either side the
murderrrs' cells were drapcd with heavy
and the procession moved more
quickly through this dismal place.
Meanwhile the witnesses had been cell
ed into the death chamber. Suddenly I
The stdr door was thrown open, n Keeper |
stepped IN and call for another f"Hp"r
and lnmHd rapidly away. The keeper
returned and was f"l'owed almost Mt
once by Mrs F!A"". leaning heavily on
he wnrhrn.s arm. lirr rae" was very /
"hi''' y! heah 'i'''l'rd' hnF cVcs c'"seh:
,corccly wbitnr finn hrr face Isnb;nI
.rrre the women attendants, ono, \ si,,iTy-
;ician, the Other the DIV matron. Rcy.
Dr.. Cole came next, and after him were
he two keepers.
As they came over the threshold Mrs.
'hcc gave no sign of fear, nor did she
won seem to know what was ahout to
,appen. The warden held hcr M still
norr firmly. and the woman assisted h"r
q the chair. She njckcd her wny almost