The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-03-21
MRS. PLACE EXECUTED.
The First Woman to Meet Legal
Death by Electrooution.
MET HER FATE WITH oALMNEss.

Sing Sing Prison-Two Women Ac-
companied Her to the Death Chair.
New York, March 21.-Mrs. Martha
Place was executed at Sing Sing prison
yesterday. She was the first woman to
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 1700, and IL was
continued for four seconds. 1t was then
gradually diminished to 200 voltage,
which was continued for So seconds. DR..
Irvine, the physician of the prison, ex-
Rmined 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
has always been administered at Sing
Sing.
Mrs. Place murdered her stepdaugther.
Ida NJ. Place, a 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 IL 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
woman's nature to so dull her senses
that she could go to her death so calmly
and impassively as Mrs. Place did The
last woman condemned to die in this
state went to the gallows shrieking and
fighting, but Mrs. Place hardly uttered
o sound.
This was the twenty-sixth electrocu-
tion at 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.
There were - 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. DIR. David Cole, of Yonkers, and
Mrs. Meury, a mission worker Of Brook
lyn, who has taken a great interest in
the woman's welfare. Mrs. Sage, the
warden's wife, also spent an hour with
her. hut at 9:30 Mrs. Place was left
alone with the night matrOn, Mrs. Coul-
try with two keepers in the outer room.
The condemned woman was very rest
less. She did not retire until 2:30, and
after that she was up several times to
pray.
A-II I,nA
she believed her sins had been forgiven,
and asserted her faith in the hereafter.
She was buoyed up with this feeling
when the warden came for her to lead
her to the chair. She was dressed in
black, gown made herself, simple and
plain. She had expected to wear it at
her new trial or when she received her
liberty. A white band was around her
throat, and her light brown hair, now
turning gray, was brushed back smooth
ly over her forehead. 1t was clipped
away only where the electrode was to
be placed.
Mrs. Place said simply that She was
ready, and the warden took her arm In
his. They went slowly through the de-
serted old hospital building along sew
eral Railways, and finally through the
last corridor of all. On either side the
murderers' cells were draped with heavy
curtains, and the procession moved more
quickly through this dismal place.
Meanwhile the witnesses had been call
ed into the death chamber. Suddenly
the side door was thrown open, a keeper
stepped in and called for another keeper
and turned rapidly away. The keeper
returned and was followed almost at
once by Mrs. Place leaning heavily on
the warden's arm. Her face was very
white her head uplifted, her eyes closed.
The white band on her throat seemed
scarcely whittier than her face. Behind
came the women attendants, one a ply
sician, the other the day matron. Rev.
DIR. Cole came next, and after him were
the two keepers.
As they came over the threshold Mrs.
Place gave no sign of fear, nor did she
even seem to know what was about to
happen. The warden held her up still
more firmly, and the woman assisted her
to the chair. She picked her way almost
like blind woman across the short
space that separated her from death.
She was gently pressed down into the
frame and DIR. Irvine, who was In wait
ing, stepped in front of her. He mo-
t>tioned to the women, and they came up
on either side. 1t took but a moment
to strap her in. The edge of her skirt
was lifted quickly, the stocking drawn
down over her shoe and the electrode fas-
tened by one Of the women to the right
leg. Then the skirt was dropped. The
head cap was clamped on, the straps
buckled across the face, and a pad drop
ped over the forehead. The two women
stood with outstretched skirts, with DIR.
Irvine and q male attendant on either
side, almost shutting out the view OF the
witnesses, and the signal was given.
| Quicker almost than q fash the cleo
trician threw down the lever. The body
Strengthened, the fingers gripped tightly
Into the palms, and the little prayer
book she held in her left hand was drawn
across the wrist. No one had expected
that the shock would be given so quick
| ly, and the body was relaxing almost be-
! fore the witnesses were conscious that
the execution had occurred.
Mrs. Place had murmured as she was
seated In the chair: "God help me; God
have mercy" There was not a sound
after that, not even a moan. The vis-
| ible effect OF the shock was less than
| had ever been observed in the death
house before. There was not the slight
est distortion Of features; the eyes were
covered and when the straps were re-
moved they were still closed On the
second shock the body Strengthened out
again, and little foam oozed from the
lips. When the current was shut off
the body reposed naturally in the chair.
The body was allowed to remain In the