The record-union., 1899-03-21

was Wuch inferior to her husband anu
stepdaughter in education and social
standing, and many friends of Mr..
Place had cut his acquaintance on ac-
count of his marriage to the woman
Miss Place was popular with the fam
lilies of the. neighborhood and this also
made the stepmother Jealous. Mrs.
Places story of the crime was that she
had thrown carbolic acid in her step
daughters face during one of their
quarrels and then got the ak to defend
herself from an attack by her daughter,
but 1t came out during. her trial that
she had made preparations for fight
and had written to her brother that she
would go to him.
Mrs. Place wassfound guilty, of muir
der in the first. degree. The case was
carried to the Court of Appeals, but the
conviction was affirmed and she was
sentenced to death. Governor Roose-
welt was petitioned to exercise clemency,
it being alleged that Mrs. Place was in
sane at the time the crime was COM
mftted, and he appointed Drs. Dana
and Polk of New York City to report
to him on this point. They Informed
the Governor that the woman was sane
when she killed her stepdaughter and
that she was sane now. On March 10th
Governor Roosevelt announced his re-
fusal to interfere.
MRS. PLACES LAST MOMENTS.
SING SING On. Y.), March 20.-Yes-
terday at noon Warden Sage decided
to again notify Mrs. Place of the day
of her execution He said:
L have come, Mrs. Place, so that
f1,o,.a
may be no misunderstanding. to ex-
plain to you that you are to be ready
on Monday morning at II o'clock
The woman said simply: Il will be
ready; I will put my trust in God"
After the Warden left Mrs. Place
cried a little, but bore up wonderfully.
Sunday afternoon the Warden's wife
spent an hour reading to the con-
demned woman from the Scriptures.
Mrs. Place herself occupied an hour or
two in reading tracts that had been
sent her.
In the evening Rev. D. Cole of
Yonkers came to her. After his depart
ure Mrs. Place had no consolation but
her Bible. With her, in her room all
night. was Mrs. Calbyrn Coultry, one
of the matrons. Mrs. Place got up sew
eraI times and looked from her window
at the storm that was bowling across
the Hudson
She told her pastor that she believed
that her sins had been forgiven, and
asserted her faith in the hereafter. She
was buoyed up with this feeling when
the Warden came to lead her to the
chair. She was dressed in black, a
gown that she had made hersef, simple
and plain. She had expected to wear
it at her new trial or when she re-
ceived her liberty
white band was around her throat,
and her light brown hair, now turning
gray, was brushed back smoothly over
her forehead.
The procession was headed by Mrs.
Place leaning heavily upon the War
denis arm. Her face was very white,
her head uplifted and 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 his other arm he
supported her. Behind came the wo-
men attendants. one a physician and
the other the day matron. Rev DR..
Cole came next, and after him were
I
the threshold Mrs. Place gave no sign
of fear, nor did she even seem to know
what was about to happen. She passed
short space that separated her from
death She was gently pressed down
into the frame and Dr. Irvine. who was
in waiting, stepped in front of her. He
motiored to the women and they came
on off erf -1-
ment to strap her in The edge of her
| skirts were lifted quickly, the stockings
drawn down over her shoe, and the
electrode fastened by one of the women
to the right leg. Then the skirt was
dropped. The head cap clamped on,
the straps buckled across the face and
the pad dropped over the forehead. The
two women stood with outstretched
skirts, with DR.. Irvine and male at
tendant on either side, almost shut
ting out the view of the witnesses, and
the signal was given.
Quicked almost than flash 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 quickly, and the body was relaxing
almost before the witnesses were con-
scious that the execution had occurred
Only the woman's mouth was visible
and it changed merely in the drawing
down Of the lips and little darkening
of the skin. Mrs. Place had murmered
as she was seated in the chair: God
help me; God have mercy
There was no sound after that, not
even a moan. The visible effect of
the shock was less than had ever been
observed 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 still closed
On the second shock the body
straig ightened out again and little foam
oozed from the lips. When the current
was shut off the body reposed naturally
in the chair. DR.. Irvine gave it as his
opinion that death had been instan-
taneous
The body was allowed to remain in
the chair until all the witnesses had
retired, when it was taken to the au-
topsy room ana a post -mortem exami-
nation held.
THOMAS CARROLL BOONE.