Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-21

room. The condemned woman was very
restless. Outside a terrific gale was blow
ing. which ratified the windows in the
gloomy old hospital building, where Mrs.
Places quarters were located. There was
q driving snowstorm, too, and several
| times the woman went to her window to
watch the storm. She did not retire until
$50 o'clock and after that she was up
several times to pray. Never for a mo-
ment did the matron relax her vigil
lance.
Mrs. Place was followed with watch
full eyes for the "a hours that preceded
her taking off. 1t can not be denied
that Warden Sage was anxious in the
extreme regarding the execution and IT
! was with this in mind that he ordered
every precaution taken to insure the
best results. He sent Rev. DIR. Cole to
her at 9:15 this morning, first ,inquirlng
| whether the aged clergyman could WITH
! stand the strain. DR.. Cole assured MN
| that he could and was so full of sympathy
for the woman he had known since she
| was a child hat he was anxious to pc
with her and comfort her to the end. Dr.
| Irvine also visited her in the morning anu
| with him was q woman physician wing
had been sent to attend the execution 1T
the suggestion of Governor Roosevelt,
Mrs. Sage was the last of her FRIENDS
to say goodbye. During the last re"
remaining minutes of her HE flis'
/ Place was again and again urged TO go
bravely to her death and she PROMISE
that she would.
She told her pastor that she believed
that her sins had beer forgiven and as
serted 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 a made herself, sim
pie and plain. She had expected TO
wear it to her new trial or when she
received her liberty. A white band was
around her throat and her light brown
hair, now turning gray, was brusheo
back smoothly over her forehead. II
was clipped away only where the e!ec-
trode was to be placed. Mrs. Place said
simply that she was ready and the
warden TOOK her arm in his. They
went slowly through the deserted old
hospital building, along several Railways,
and finally through thelast corridor OF all.
On either side the murderers' cells were
draped with heavy curtains and the pro-
cession moved more quickly through this
dismal place.
Meanwhile the witnesses had been
called into the death The
electric apparatus had been given it's
final test and all were waiting with
suspense for the coming of the woman.
Suddenly the side door through which
the party would enter was thrown
open, a keeper stepped in and called
for another keeper and turned rapidly
away. The keeper returned and was
ollowed almost at once by Mrs. Place,
leaning heavily On the warden's arm.
Her face was very white, her head was
slightly uplifted and her eyes We're
closed. The warden held her arm
closely within his and with his other
arm he helped support her. Behind
came the woman attendants, one q
physician and the other the day ma
+ron Paw Dr Colo n a ma noYt and
after him We're the two keepers. AS
they came over the threshold Mrs.
Place gave no sign of fear, nor did she
even seem to know what was about to
happen. She passed almost like a
blind woman across the short space
was gently pressed down into the frame
and DR.. Irvine who was in waiting,
stepped in front of her. He motioned to
the women and they came up : on either
side. 1t took but a momen to strap
her in. The edge of her skirts We're
lifted quickly, the stocking drawn
over her shoe and the electrode fastened
by one of the women to the right leg.
Then the skirt was dropped. The head
cap was clamped over the straps buck
led across the face and forehead. Two
women stood with outstretched skirts,
with DR.. Irvine and a male attendant on
either side, almost shutting out the view
of the witnesses and the signal was CIV
en-.
Quicker almost than q, flash the cleo
trician threw down the lever. The body
Strengthened, the fingers gripped tight
ly 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 a little darkenine
Of the skin. Mrs. Place had murmured
as she was seated in the chair: God
help me; God have mercy"
There was no sound after that, not ever
a moan. The visible effect of the shock
was less than had ever been observed ir
the death house before. There was no
the slightest distortion of features, the
eyes We're covered and when the straps
were removed they were still closed. u
the second shock the body Strengthened
out again and a little foam oozed from the
lips. When the current was shut off the
body repOSed naturally in the chair.
DR.. Irvine called upon the woman ply.
sician to make an examination. which sht
did by merely opening the waist anC
placing her stethescope etwee the fold:
Of the dress over the heart. She perform.
ed her work quickly and then the Other
physicians present were aSkeQ TO com
plete the examination. DR.. Irvine gave i
as his opinion that death a been in,
Simultaneous.
The body was allowed to remain in thu
chair until all the witnesses had retired
when it was taken to the autopsy room
and q post norton min alton, held. NJ
one was present but the operating sur
geons and their report was sealed ant
will be filed in Kings county together
with the other documents relating to tht
woman's death. =
TIL autopsy was a rapid one. and al