The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-06

CLOCK .tnls morning pdiu tnc PehhNy ior
tho murder OF Mrs. Mary J. Lane. At n 40
| o'clock he was electrocuted at the death
house of the state prison in Charlestown.
There was a most dramatic scene when
| Cassels was brought out by four sturdy
keepers, who followed the condemned
| man. and Rev. John w. s. Barnes. the
prison chaplain. who held Cassels by his
| right arm.
| Cassels, showed no particular signs OF
! fear. but when he arrived in front of the
| chair ne knelt down and began TO pray.
Cassels was ghastly pale. He was dressed
in trousers and vest OF gray and a gray
| shirt, which was turned down at the
neck. The left leg of his trousers had
been cut up to the knee and the trousers
rolled up. showing his bare leg.
The chaplain OF the prison stepped back
TO the west wall OF the death house and
Warden Bridges went back to the seats
occupied by the legal witnesses of the
execution. Cassels knelt on his bare left
knee directly in front of the chair. clasp
ing. his. hands above his head, and, rails
ing his eyes, began TO pray. Then in
voice which was thrilling he began:
Gracious God. my Father. have come
to the foot OF the cross, and 1 beseech
Thee that Thou wilt be merciful. Re-
ceive my SOUL and oh. God, forgive those
who swore this poor miserable life away
o God, cheer my poor old father In Scot
land. and comfort my poor old father
and keep him that he may forgive me. O
God. cheer and be merciful to Mary. the
woman love and the woman that Thou
made me love.
Forgive those men who made me die
and forgive those who see me die, be-
cause they ara not TO blame for It God
keep my children. and again forgive me
who am about to die. God bless ny chill
dren and keep them from harm"
At the conclusion of his prayer Cassels
stood up and he was quickly strapped In
the chair, and at exactly 12:40 o'clock the
current was turned on. Cassels surged
against the straps which held him in the
chair, and after one-half a minute the
current was turned off. and the body
sank back. inert and apparently ,ifeless,
DIR. M. A. Morris, who represented the
surgeon general. applied the stethoscope
TO gCassels' breast and discovered a spas
modic movement of the heart. whereupon
the signal was given TO the electrician In
charge, who once more turned on the
current, and again the body surged
against the straps. This time there arose
from the barred left leg of Cassels, to
which the electrode had been applied a
mass OF steam, which some OF the wilt
nesses thought was caused by burning
flesh. As a matter of fact there was no
aroma and the film which seemed to
rise was merely steam.
DR.. Haskett Derby of Boston and DR..
Joseph i. Mclaughlin. the prison physi-
cians examined the body after the Sec
ond application, and while they and DR..
.,rl. q sh. ina dts1
that Cassels was dead, IL was rather as a
matter of precaution that the current
was once more applied Again the body
surged up against the straps which bound
IL to the chair and once more the steam
from the electrode on the left leg arose.
The current was kept on for the third
time for about 20 seconds, then IL was re-
leased and the medical men present exam
ined the body and decided that the Cas-
sells was dead. Then the warden had the
mask removed from the face OF the dead
man and his eyes were wide open. but In
dicated neither fear nor suffering.
1t Is believed that Cassels infatuation
for Mrs. Lane, although she was the
wife OF another, led TO the murder. The
man himself was married but claimed
that an intimacy had existed between
himself and Mrs. Lane for more than
year. At length. however an elopement
was planned. The couple were To meet In
Springfield, Feb. 2, but Mrs. Lane failed
to keep the appointment At the last min
ute she decided TO remain with her fam
lily. Cassels. angered by Mrs. Lanes
change OF heart, purchased revolver
and two bottles of 'carbolic acid. and went
to her home He urged her again to elope
with him, and when she refused, fired
three shots at her, two OF the bullets taxi
ing effect She died two weeks later. Cas-
sells was found lying In the road. IA. had
taken the acid, but medical attendance
saved his life.
The trial OF Cassels at Springfield,
which began Dec 80, was full OF sensa-
tional incidents. A volumnous corre-
spondence which indicated the relations
between Mrs. Lane and Casscls was in
iroduced
When one witness testified that cas-
sells had said after the shooting, he was
sorry he had not kill ID MI Lane, Tie
prisoner shouted: You lie
A verdict OF guilty OF murder in the first
degree was found on Jan. of this year.
All previous scenes In the case. how
ever, were eclipsed by that which occur
red at Springfield on Jan 30, when the
condemned man was brought into court
for sentence.
When Cassels was given the customary
opportunity to speak he drew from his
pocket a roll OF manuscript and began a
personal appeal to the court, claiming
that he had not had an impartial trial,
that witnesses for the commonwealth had
perbred themselves. and that the dis
trict attorney and his own counsel hnd
conspired to suppress letters which pass
ed between Mrs. Lane and the prisoner.
which, ~ introduced. would have put
different light on the whole matter. As he
proceeded the prisoner became greatly
excited. lie made an impassioned plea for
clemency. Don't murder me I'm cell
like n rat Don't disgrace Christian land
where God says: Thou shalt not kill, he
urged.
"shoot me in the open, but don't muir
der me-" said he dramatically. He ini
plored that chance be given him To de-
fend himself. and said that III the sem
tence which the court was about tn n-o.
nounce was carried out. n would be the
coldest. most unscrupulous murder ever
committed In Massachusetts.
when Cassels had finished judge Hop
kins reviewed the case. announced the