The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-21
Mrs, Places Last Words, As She
Went to. Death Chair. /
FIRST WOMAN TO BE ELECTRO.
CUrED In NEW YORK.

Sing Sing, N. Y, Msrch 20 Mrs.
Martini NJ Place who killed her stsp-
daughter at their home in Brooklyn on
February z, 1895. was slsctrosutsd IN
Sing Sing prison this morning. the ftrst
woman to die in the chair in this state.
Mrs. Place went to her death IN passive.
cnlm, and with no more than n murmured
prayer. With her when shs entered the
death house was the warden, IN WHOSE
arm she leaned heavily; her minister.
Rev. DR.. David Cole Of Yonksrs, an old
| fri snd and aged pnstor: q woman ply
sician, one Of the niatrous OF the prison.
and two keepers. -
Mrs Place was dressed in black.a gown
that she hadamade to we1r at her new
trial or as first thought. to her freedom.
She seemed to tower above the warden,
who kept her arm tightly within his, and
one arm around her to support her. Her
light gray :. hair was brushed smoothly
back from. her. forehead; one hand held .
small prayer book. The woEnsn's eyes
we're closed aud she picked her way to
the chair Without lowering her head. A.
she sat downS her lips moved sesin IN
prayer and she said "God help me.
The two men who followed her closely
were there In an instant. DR. Irvia
with an assistant, helped to cut of thel
view Of the witnesses seated around thal
chamber. 1t was but moments work
to bare the leg and attach the electrodet9
the prison matron drawing her ekirSa
out In front of the chair, the second elec-
an instant MRS Place never stirred. Her
aged pastor walked quietly away. he
could not bear to look at her. Quicker
than 1t has ever been done before, the
straps across the face were buckled on
the pad drawn over the eyes; tho signal,
given and the lever thrown down.
| The women attendants preAseo olose MP
against the chair. One could hardly sce
a movement of the body. 1t grew rigid,
the fingers giipped the palms, the prayer
book in the woman's left had gtwtstcd
across the wrist and slipped partly out
when the muscles relaxed.
Her mouth, small with thin lips, mere
ly frightened, 1t seemed, fna though in
quiet content; thefn was no palm, no
| suffering, no scene Of any kind.
\ Thsf women IN the death chenber
seemed. sersngelyf sutss OF place. The
woman physician was bright LOOKING.
| sharp in her movements, rapid In what
she did - but her dress was what gave the
scene a strange aspect. She wore gray
dress and huge hat with pronounced
crimson trimmings. She both fastened
on the electtode and examined the heart.
| With the:prison matron she stood directly
| In front of Mrs. Place and watched her
face rs she died. Both were affected, but
performed their duty we'll.
At oxactly 1l.0l State Electrician Davis
gave the shock. 1t wns . voltage Of l7oO.
about the usual strength. and was CON-
tlnued for four seconds. Then IT was
lowered to 200 and maintained for %
| aIlrP
DIR. Irwin, the prison physiclap. felt her
neck where there was . el,ght pulsation
of the artery. But the woman was dead,
aud those physicians who saw tue elec-
tYocution and examined tho BODY alter
wards. gave IT as their opin,on that deatn
| had been instan tRneona.f After blief
| interval second shook was given. Those
who stood around did not even hear 9
| respiratory nlpan, but = ltttlS froth oozed
| from the lips,s4 The voltage 'wss the same
as in the first shook and again four sec-
onds. 1t was gradually diminisned TO zoO
| and when the current was shut on the
body sank quietly into the chair; the low
sr limbs had stiffsned somewhat; there
was hardly mark where the electrodes
had been. There the woman lay. her face
| Just As she had walked into the death
house. impassiye, calm with simply
| frightened drawn lips.
Ths BODY remained In tho chair until
after tho witnesses had tled out OF the
cham her when IL was removed to the
| autopsy table whsre the autopsy was con-
Quoted behind closed doors nc one being
permitted to be present except the operat'
and DR.. Jennie Grimm. The report win
be sealed and not be made public at
present. rs,. - -
Later In the day the body was taken to
an undertaker's establishment and en-
balmed. II was shipped tonight to New
Jersey. The procaution regarding tns
autopsy report was taken merely because
| of the intense interest, aroused regarding
| the sanity Of Mrs. Place. Indeed, thote
who have been with Mrs. Place from be-
ginningtto enc. say that.she was perfect
| iy sane woman. she WAS prepared Tor ner
death early this inorning by Key. Dr:
Cole, and she said to him 81 will meet
my death bravely. i viii put my trust
She was ready when the. warden visited
her at 10 O'Clock. She had said good
bye to Mrs. sage, who had been kind TO-
her.. with tears in her eyes and to her
spoken during the death march. 1t was
from the top floor Of the old hospital
building in the eastern part Of the yard,
distance Of five or elk hundred feet to
the chamber. The party descended two
flights of stairs. passed through the als-
montled wards Of the old hospital through
many rooms and, last of all, through the
dimiy liz corririor that led within. The
cells of "Murderers' Row" were draped
with curtains; there was not one person
to look at the. woman on that gloomy
journey to the chair Alter 1t was over
Warden Sage said the whole affair was
even more satisfactory than he had hoped
| for.
There is no denying that She warden
had feared a hreakdnoVn' or scene
MRS. PLACES CRIME.
Mrs. Martha Place killed her stepdaugh-
| ter, Ida Place. at their home, say Hsnoock
street, Brooklyn, on February. 2, 1893.
The girl was but 70 years old. A double
murder had been pMnned py the woman.
She killed her stspdaughtsr when the
girl was. taking an afternoon nap, split.
| ting her skull. open = with an axe, and
pouring ykrA on htr Ace and Into hsr
1nuuthi.W .Ths same 14feninG lhe woman
Inv I'M wsl6 iof her iisbSAhd, William W.
Place, nas thes sdnrkSnsd hallway OF the
house, lAh 1hsn Ne enhcsd she struck