The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-21

New York, March 2O-Mrsl Mar
tina Place was executed at Sing
Sing prison today. 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 were given. State
Electrician Davis threw down the lever
at exactly 11:01 a. m. The voltage of
/ the current was 1,760, and it was con-
| tinued for four seconds. 1t was then
| gradually diminished to 200 voltage.
which was then continued for fifty-six
! seconds. DR.. Irvine, the physician of
! the prison, examined the woman and
then ordered second shock. That was
I the same as the first in power, and
! continued for the same length of time.
The second shock has always been ad-
ministered at Sing Sing.
! Mrs. Place murdered her steDdaugh-
| ter, Ida NJ. Place, a mere girl, on Feb.
I, 1888. 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
| attacked him with an AK fracturing
ing him. Place, however, recovered.
| Mrs. Place was convicted and SEN
| fenced to death, but she never for q
moment believed she would be electro
| cuted. She at first claimed that she
could remember nothing of the murder,
and later the plea of insanity was sub
united in her behalf. 1t was not until
| Thursday last that Warden Sage an
nOunced TO her that Governor Roose-
welt had absolutely refused to interfere
with the course Of justice, and that
she must die on Monday. It was a
great shock to the woman, but during
| the last four days she bore up wonder
fully well. She suffered in two ways
/ after she learned that she must die
from SleepleSSneSS and from loss of ap-
! petite. Again yesterday the warden
visited her, so there might be no mis-
| understanding, and tod her that she
must be ready at II 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 impassiveIy. 1t had not
been expected that she would do so.
The last woman condemned to die in
this state went to the gallows shrieking
and fighting, but Mrs. Place hardly ut
| tered a sound. She merely muttered Il
prayer with closed eyes, her face turned
partly upward, and seemingly uncon-
scious of things about her.
This was the tWenty-siXth electrocu-
ton at Sing Sing prison, but none be-
fore was so successful as that of today
Not only was there no scene, but Inere
was no delay. Within three minutes
after coming through the iron doors,
the order Of the law had been carried
out. There were twelve Witnesses pres
j \. :,
movement witnessed Mrs. Places
death.
Few were able to see the raising of
the body as the electrical shock passed
through it. 1t was only when the cur
rent was partly shut off that they could
see the body relax. 1t was an easy way
to die.
HER LAST DAY.
On Sunday Mrs. Place had her regu-
lar attendants, and during the night
she was visited by her spiritual ad-
wiser, Rev. DR.. David Cole of Yonkers,
and Mrs. Meury, a mission worker of
Brooklyn, who has taken a great in
terest in the Woman's welfare.
Mrs. Sage, the wardens wife, also
spent an hour or so with her, but at
$3.50 Mrs. Place was left alone with the
night matrOn, Mrs. Coultry with two
keepers in the outer room. The con-
demned woman was very restless. Out
side a terrific gale was blowing, which
ratified the windows in the gloomy old
hospital building, where Mrs. Places
quarters were located. There was a
driving snowstorm, too, and several
times the woman went to her window
to watch the storm. She did not re-
tire until 2:30. and after that she was
up several times to pray. Never for
moment did the matron relax her
vigilance. Mrs. Place was followed
with watchful eyes for the twenty-four
hours that preceded her taking off.
1t cannot be denied that Warden
Sage was anxious in the extreme re-
garding the execution, and it was with
this in mind that he ordered every
precaution taken to insure the best re-
suits. He sent Rev. DR.. Cole to her at
9:15 this morning, first inquiring
whether the aged clergyman could
stand the strain. DR.. Cole assured him
that ne could, and was so full of SYM
pathy for the woman he had known
since she was a child that he was anx-
ious to be with her and comfort her to
the end. DR.. Irvine also visited her in
the morning, and with him was a wo-
man physician, who had been sent to
attend the execution at the suggestion
of Governor Roosevelt. Mrs. Sage was
the last of her friends to say goodbye.
HER SINS FORGIVEN.
During the last few remaining min
utes of her life, Mrs. Place was again
and again urged to go bravely to her
death, and she promised that she
would She told her pastor that she
believed that her sins had been for
given, 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
herself, simple and plain. She had ex-
pected to wear it at her new trial, or
when she received her liberty. white
band was around her throat and her
light brown hair. now turning gray,
was brushed back smoothly over her
forehead 1t was clipped away only
where the electrode was to be placed