The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-06

DanuemOre, y. y, October With
out one unforeseen incident TO maj the
perfect and dignified execution of the
death penalty imposed by the trial
court. sustained by the court of APP
peaIs. and not iuterefered with by Gov
crnOr OdeII, Willis, Frederick NJ, and
Burton EduEVUrmer We're put to death
in fifteen and one-haI minute at CIin-
ton prison today. for the murder of
their uncle. Peter y. HaIlenbeck, at
G~rceeudale. Columbia county. on
Christmas eve. 1901. There was not
one sensational circumstance connected
with the execution. The men walked
from the doors Of their cells in the
care Of their priest and thanked on eth
er side by prison deputies. with calm
demeauOr. but extreme palOr.
WORDS OF CONSOLATION.
Father Belanger. a picturesque white
haired figure. not in the robes of office,
but in the every day black frOck coat
of clerical cut with q little purple stole
about the shoulders, walked along with
each of the condemned men in turn,
saying words of consolation.
During the first execution, Father
C-harbOnneau remained IN the corridor
between the death cells, reading pray
CTS and in~voCatiOns to the remaining
Won WOrmerS. Every p~recautiQn 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 in
terstfces stuffed with cotton. so that
the steps OF those VINO removed the
lifeIess body from the death chamber
to the mOrgue could not be heard.
THE EXECUTION.
Three applications of the current n
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 Fred
erick 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 for
the last brother was taken back by
the guards. Father Belanger went
with them. and when Burton Van
WOrmer was brought into the pres
enCe Of death he was accompanied by
two priests. Father C~harbOnneau haV-
ing no further need to remain in the
cell room.
IgtNilSI buI bLL ARlAII 1AA"il iNS
~k0rothers. or sat uD straighter in the
Nlair. for the strap which IS intended
to cover the eyes did not reach high
enough to blindfoId him. SO as the cur
rent was switched on. ne 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 re-
Quired. though it was retained slight
" longer at full pressure than in the
other cases.
In the case of Willis, the current was
on in the three contacts for sixty sec
onds IN that of Fred, with two con-
facts one minute and five seconds; in
that of Burton. with but one contact.
one minute and thirteen seconds. SO
that the actual time consumed in exc
cutting the three men was five minutes
and fifty-fOur seconds.
INTEREST IN THEIR SPIRITUAL
CONDITION.
Father Belanger said after the execu-
ton that the last hours of the men
were spent in exceedinp quiet. with the
striCtest attention to the spiritual in
terests which were their sole concern.
The autopsy upon all three of The
Van WOrmer boys revealed nothing
unusual. In zach case. the condition
of the brain. heart and other organ
was absolutely normal.
HI LAS DAY.
Keeper Murphy awakened the young
men shortly after : o'clock this morn
ing. They were a little dazed at first,
sound sleep III the latter hours having
followed the reStleSSneSS after mid
night. but almost Immediately they
Were awake to full realization of the
fact that this was their last day. Their
new clothing was ready for them and
they at Once clothed themselves IN tie
Garb they would e. at the execution,
Il gray flannel shirt and dark trousers.
each with the right leg slit 10 the knees
To allow the attachment of the lower
eleCtrOde.
They took no breakfast. in accord
anCe with the Catholic requirement 70
come fasting 70 their communion which
Fathers Belanger and C~harbOnneau
administered 10 them later. They said
moreover that they would not eat
again. so that their meal at midnight
was the last.
Frederick. the youngest. who has al
along been the least Impressed of the
three. and At all times has shown more
than the others. said 10 Keep
er Murphy as he dressed himself:
Well. l suppose by his time oror
row we shall be in kinderhOok." evi-
IDENTIFY intimating that the brothers ex-
peCt their bodies TO be taken for burial
to their home.
SOLEMN COMMUNION SERVICE.
II would be difficult to imagine any.
thing more impressive than the solemn
service in the room Of the steel cages
where Fathers Belanger and Charlton.
neau. a little after 9 O'Clock. admins.
tered 10 the three brothers their frs
ind last communion, Signalling thei,
full acceptance into the faith Of tht
Roman Catholic church. To the fulles