The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-21
DEATH IN ELECTRIC CHAIR.
Continued from First Page.

the coming of the woman Suddenly the
side door through which the party would
enter. was thrown open, a keeper step
pei i'm and called for another keeper and
turned rapidly away. The Keeper return
ed and was followed almost Immediately
by Mrs Place leaning heavily on the war
deu's arm. Her face was very white, her
head uphfted, her eyes closed. The white
band around her throat seemed scarcely
whittier than her face. The warden held
her arm closely with his and with mis-
other arm he supported her. Behind
came the women attendants. one a ply
stefan the other the day matron. Rev
DR.. Cole came next and after him were
the two keepers.
Went Calmly TO Her Death.
As they came over the threshold Mrs
Place gave no sign of fear. She picked her
way almost ike a blind woman across the
short space that separated her from death.
She was gently pressed down into the
frame and DR.. IRVINE, VINO was In waiting,
stepped in front o~her. He motioned TO the
women and they came up on either side.
Ii took but a moment 10 strap her in.
The edge OF her skirts was lifted quickly
the stocking drawn down over her shoe
and the efectrode fastened by one of the
women to the right leg. Then the skirt
was dropped. The head cap was ciamped
on. the straps buckled across the face and
a pad dropped over the forehead
The woman stood with outstretched
skirts, with Or. Irvine and male at
tendant on either side almost shutting out
the view of the witnesses, and the signal
was given.
Quicker almost than flash the elee-
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
The WOman's Death Cry.
Only the woman's mouth was visible
and II changed merely in the drawing
down Of the lips. and a little darkening Of
the skin. Mrs. Place mad murmured rs
she was seated in the chair, God help
me: God have mercy"
There was not sound after that, not
even moan. The visible effect of the
shock was less than had ever been observ-
ed in the death house before. There was
not the slightest distortion of features;
the eyes were covered. and when the
straps were removed they were stih clos
ed.
on the second shock the body straight
ened out again and a lille foam oozed from
the lips. When the current was shut off
the body reposed naturally In the chair.
DIR. Irvine gave 1t as his opinion that
death had been instantaneous.
POst-MOrtem Examination.
The body was allowed to remain IN the
chair until all the witnesses had retired,
when il was taken to the autopsy room
and post-mortem examination held. No
one was present but the operating sur
geons, and their report was submitted and
will be filed in Kings county together with
the other doctors, relating to the woman 5
death. The autopsy was rapid one and
although no information was made pub
lie, the indication are that the organs were
found in healthy condition.
The insanity plea entered in behalf of
Mrs. Place never impressed those who
knew the woman best very favorably.
The body was placed in a red box and
was taken to the Sing Sing station where
Il was shipped to East Milestone, n. j.
The story of the Crime.
Mrs. Martha Place killed her step-daugh-
ter, Ida Place, at their home, 59S Hancock
street, Brooklyn ON Feb. 7, 1898. The girl
was but % years old. A double murder had
been planned by the woman She killed
her step-daughter when the girl was TAX
ing an afternoon nap, splitting her skun
open with an ak, and pouring Vitriol on
her face and into her mouth.
The same evening the woman lay i'm wait
for her husband, William w. Place, In the
darkened hallway of the house, and when
he entered she struck him in the face
with the AK, and inflicted serious wound.
He managed to get outside the front door
and alarm the neighbors before he became
unconscious. When the police and neigh
bors entered the house they found Mrs
Place in bedroom in which gas was es-
Gaping, and she was shamming uncon-
seriousness, Mr.. Place recovered conscious
ness and said his wife had tried 10 muir
der him, and the woman was arrested, af-
ter they both had been taken TO a hosp!-
tai
The motive for the woman's crime was
Jealousy of her step-daughter. Places first
wife died six or seven years ago and about
eighteen months afterward he engaged the
woman who became his second wife. TO
act as his housekeeper. Her maiden name
was Garretson, but she had been married
to man named SavacoI. now dead.
As long as she was housekeeper il is said
she was extremely kind to Places daugh-
ter, Ida, but she became quite different
person when Place married her. She was
possessed Of an ungovernable temper.
which led TO frequent quarrels with Ida
and Mrs. Place, was very much embittered
because her husband took the young wo-
mans part.
Another cause of family pickering was
Places refusal to have his wife's adopted
son live with them. The woman was much
inferior TO her husband and step-daughter
In education and social qualities. and
many friends of Mr., Place had cut his ac-
quaintanee on account of his marriage TO
the woman. Miss Place was popular with
the familiessin the neighborhood and this
also made the step-mother jealous.
Mrs. Places story of the crime was that
she had thrown carbolic acid in her step
daughters face during one of their quar-.
rels, and then got the ak to defend herself
from an attack by her daughter but it
came out during her trial that She had
made preparations for flight, and had
written to her brother that she would go
TO him.
Governor Would Not Interfere.
Mrs. Place was tried before Judge Hurd
On Brooklyn last summer and was found
guilty of murder in the first degree The
case was carried TO the Court of Appeals.
but the conviction was confirmed and she
was sentenced to death Gov. Roosevelt