The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-10-07
THE WAGES OF SIN.
Three Brothers Are Legally Executed
for Numbering Their Uncle.
DIED IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR.
The Horror Of Their Crime Almost
Forgotten When One Reads
OF Their Last Farewell
to Each Other.
to Each Other

NSN'e~&Sy
the trial court. sustained by the court
of appeals, and not interferred with by
Gov. Odell, Willis, Frederick and
Burton Van Wormer were put to
death in Is minutes at Clinton prison
at Dannemara, n. Y. Thursday for
the murder Of their uncle, Peter A.
Hollenb.ck at Greendale, n. Y, on
Christmas Eve 1901. There was not
one sensational circumstance connect
ed with the execution. The men walk
ed from the doors Of their cells IN the
care of their priest and tianked on
either side by prison deputies with
calm demeanor but extreme pallor.
Father Belanger, picturesque
whithe. haired figure, not in the robes
Of office, but in everyday black frock
coat Of clerical cut, with little pur-
ple stole about the shoulders, walked
along with each Of the condemned
men in turn, saying words Of consola-
tion.
During the first execution Father
Cn lrbonneau remained in the corridor
between the death cells, saying pray
ers and invocationS to the remaining
Van WormerS Every precaut;on had
been taken to prevent the remaining
men from hearing more than the de-
parture of their brother from the
room. The doors had been padded
and the interstices stuffed with cotton.
so that the steps Of those who remov
ed the lifeless body from the chamber
to the morgue could not be heard.
Three applications OF the current
and four minutes time were required
for the execution of Willis, but only
two applications OF the full current
were deemed necessary in the case of
Frederick, and two minutes from the
time he crossed the threshold Of the
room the doctors pronounced him
dead.
The bodies were carried out into
the prison morgue, and the summons
for the last brother was taken back
by the guard. Father Belanger went
with them, and when Burton Van
Wormer was brought into the pres
ence Of death be was accompanied by
two priests, Father Charbonneau hav->
ing no further need to remain in the
cell room.
Either Burton was taller than his
brothers or sat up straighter in the
chair, for the strap which is intended
to cover the eyes did not reach high
enough to blindfold him. AS the cur
rent was switched % he was still look
ing over the upper edge OF the strap
toward the priest. He was killed
even more quickly than the other TWO.
Only one application OF the current
was required, though it was retained
Slightly longer at full pressure than
in the other cases.
TIMENECESSARY TO KILL.
In the case OF Willis, the current
was on in the three contacts for 60
seconds; in that OF Fred, with two
contacts, one minute and five seconds;
in that OF Burton, with but one con-
tact, one minute and 13 seconds: so
that the actual time consumed ln
execution the three men was i've
minutes and 81 seconds.
Father Belanger Said after the
execution that the last hours OF the
men were spent in exceeding quiet,
with the strictest attention to the
spiritual interests which were their
sole concern.
The autopsy upon all three Of the
boys showed nothing unusual. ln each
case the condition Of the brain, heart
and other organs was absolutely nor
NAL.
Keeper Murphy awakened the
young men shortly after ! o'clock this
morning. They were little dazed at
first sound asleep in the later hours
having followed the restlessneSs after
midnight, but almost Immediately
they were awaken to realiza tlon OF
the fact that this was their last day.
Their new clothing was ready for
them and they at once clothed them
selves in the garb they would wear at
the execution-a gray flannel shirt and
dark trousers, each with the right leg
slit to the knee, to allow the attach
ment of the lower electrode.
They to,k no breakfast, in accord
ance with the Catholic requirement to
come fasting to their communion
which Fathers Charbonneau and
Belanger administered To them later.
They said that they would not eat
again, 50 that their meal at midnight
was the last.
Frederick, the youngest, who has
all along been the least impressed OF
the three. and all times has shown
more bravado, said TO Keeper Murphy
as be dressed himself: Well, l sup
pose by this time tomorrow we shall
be in kinderhook, evidently lntimat-
ing that the brothers expect their
bodies to be taken for burial tn their
home.
1t would be difficult to imagine any
thing more impressive than the
solemn service in the room OF the steel
cages, where Fathers CharbOnneau and
Belanger little after administered to
the three brothers their last commuD-
ion. Signalling their full acceptance
into the faith Of the Roman Catholic
church. To the fullest possible ex-
tent the privacy Of the ceremony was
assured, all keepers except the death
watch being excluded.
THE FAREWELLS.
No farewells were said, under
Father Belanger's advice, until the
grating OF the big steel doors which
separated them from the corridor was
heard. Then, as Willie was led from
his cell, he was allowed to step over to
the cells of Burton and Frederick, and
through the openings between the
bars Ct the cage in which they were
confined, pressed his face and in turn
kissed those Of his tW) borthers, at
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