The evening times., 1899-03-18
BIDDEN TO HOPE NO MORE.
Last Interview of Murderess Place
with Her Lawyer.

Sing Sing. \. Y. March 1S.-Prepara
tions for the execution of Mrs Martha
Place are being made with rapdity and
secrecy. Any hope the condemned woman
may have had that her case would be ia
ken to the United States Supreme Court
was dispelled yesterday afternoon by her
lawyer, Robert Van Eiderstein, who was
assigned by the court to defend her and
who has fought desperately for her life.
even making personal appeal to the gov
ernor in her behalf. He visited her and
told her nothing could be done. and she
realpsed into the same sort of mental CO.
ma that followed Warden Sage's announce
ment yesterday that Governor Roosevelt
hda declined to interfere
Mr.. Van Eidersten arrived at the prison
late in the afternoon. After a brief talk
with Warden Sage he was taken to the top
floor of the old hospital, where Mrs Place
is imprisoned. Mrs Place had been told
that he was coming. She was standing
at the barred door when the lawyer greet
ed her. AS he entered the bare little room
she shook his hand but remained silent
She was studying his face.
+ Nothing can be done, Mrs. Place" said
the lawyer gently. Il have come to tell
you that l received your message asking
me TO visit you, but had intended to come
today anyway. There is no ground on
which your case can be taken to the United
States Supreme Court"
Mrs. Place had stepped back to her cot
She sank down without a word AS the
lawyer went on to tell her that it was his
duty TO advise her to prepare for the worst
she raised her hands to her bowed head
There was no more manifestation of ner-
yousness than when the warden had
brought her the death message the day
before.
Mr.. Van Eiderstein did not remain with
her long. AS he was bidding her good-by
she clasped his hand in both of hers and
said:
Il am deeply grateful for all you have
done for me, and l want you to know that
all your kindness has been appreciated -
AS Mr.. Van Eiderstein walked through
the narrow doorway she kneeled beside
her cot and uttered fervent prayer The
lawyer, after the interview, said that Mrs.
Place had borne up with wonderful forti-
tude.
Mrs. Place has changed very little since
the time she was first imprisoned, said
Mr.. Van Eiderstein. She has gone
through all the ordeals and seen her
chances for life disappear with phenome-
nal bravery. l think that she appreciates
everything possible has been done to save
her from the electric chair
Mr. Van Eiderstein said that all the
gone over and he had found not single
phase of the courts findings that could
be made a ground for appeal to the United
States Supreme Court.
Warden Sage yesterday sent the official
notifications to the witnesses. The names
Of these witnesses and the day decided
upon for the execution are to be kept
from the public, the warden says, until a
few hours before Mrs. Place is led to the
death chair. The notice to each person
who is to see her die contains the injunc-
tion that all the details must be kept Sc
cret.
This secrecy which the warden imposes
on witnesses to all executions sometimes
has not been kept. Warden Sage said yes
teTday that he would depend on the hon.
or of all those he had notified to keep si-
lent. Governor Roosevelt's letter caused
the warden to take extraordinary precau-
tions to preve1e any of the details becom-
ing publicly knewn.
1t is probable that either Mrs Anna M.
Reilly or Miss Katharyn Coultry, the ma
irons who have been keeping watch day
and night with Mrs. Place, will be select,
ed as the woman attendant on the day
OF execution. Warden Sage would not say
what woman physician he had selected.
1T would be extremely unpleasant" F."
said he, for the woman physician who is
kind enough to consent to witness Mrs.
Places death to have her name announced
in advance"
I. F. Davis, of Corning, the State cleo
trician. was here yesterday to make pre-
liminary tests of the death apparatus. He
and Warden Sage had long conference