The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-02
Three Brothers Die in the
Electric Chair.
NEITHER HITCH NOR FLAW
The Deadly Current Does its Work With the
Silence and Smoshness of irresistible Power
1.-The Brothers Die With
Calmness,
(By the Associated Press }

Dannamora, N. Y, Oct. Without one
unforeseen incident to mar the perfect and
dicniied execution of the death penalty
the Court of Appeals, and not interfered
with by Governor Odell, Willis, Frederick
NJ, and Burton Van Wormer were put
to death in fifteen and half minutes at
Clinton prison today for the murder of
their uncle, Peter A. Hallenbeck, at
Greendale, Columbia county, on Christ
mas Eve, 1901. There was not one SEN
sational circumstance connected with the
execution The men walked from the
doors of their cells in the care of their
priest and fianked on either side by pris-
on deputies with calm demeanor but ex
treme pallor.
Father Beanger, picturesque figure,
paced not in the robes OF office, but in
the every day black frock coat of cleri-
cal cut with 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 Char
bcnneau remained in the corridor be-
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invocations to the remaining Van Worm
ers. Every precaution had been taken to
prevent the remaining men from hearing
more than the departure of their broth
eT from the ROOM The doors had been
padded and the interstices stuffed with
cotton so that the steps of those who
removed the lifeless body from the death
chamber to the morgue could not be
heard
Three applications Of .the current and
four minutes time we're required for the
execution of Willis, but only two apph-
cations 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
guards. Father Belanger went with them,
and when Burton Van Wormer was
brought into the presence of death, he
was accompanied by two priests, Father
Charbonneau having no further need 10
remain in the call room.
Either Burton was taller than his
brothers, or sat up straighter in the
|
cover the eyes did not reach high enough
to blindfold him, as the current was
switched on he was still looking 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 pres
sure than in the other cases.
In the case of VILLAS, the current was
on in the three contacts for sixty sec
onds; in that of Frederick, with two con-
facts, one minute and five seconds; in
that of Burton, with but one contact, one
minute and thirteen seconds so the act
ual time consumed in executing the three
men was five minutes and "a seconds.
Father Belanger said after the execu-
tion that the last hours of the men were
spent in exceeding quiet, with the strict
est attention to the spiritual interests
which were their sole concern.
The autopsy upon all three OF the Van
Wormer boys revealed nothing unusual
In each case the condition or the brain,
Eeart and other organs was absolutely
normal.
Keeper Murphy awakened the young
men shortly after O'Clock this morning.
They were little dazed at first. sound
sleep in the latter hours having followed
the restlessness after midnight, but almost
Immediately they were awake to tuil
realization of the fact that this was their
last day
Their new clothing was ready for them
and they at once clothed themselves IN
the garb they would wear at the execu-
tion a gray flannel shirt and dark trous-
ers, each with the right leg slit to the
knee to allow the attachment OF the
lower electrode.
They took no breakfast, IN accordance
with the Catholic requirement TO come
fasting to their communion, when Fathers
Belanger and Charbonneau administered
to them later They SAID moreover t"ae
they would not eat again so tnaC tEelr
meal at midnight was the ast. =,
Frederick, the youngest, VINO mas all
along been the leas eieeseo u ei'e
i three. and at all times has shown more
bravado than the others, salo 70 heeper
Murphy as he dressed hlmsel'
.sWeil 7 suppose by this time tomorrow
we sball ba in Kinderhook,' evidently III
timat;ne that the brothers expect their
bod;es IN he taken for burial to their
home.
It would be difficult to imagine any
tb;no more ;mnressive than the solemn
service IN the room of the steel cages,
wbera ro+bers Relanger and Charbonneau
. E+tIa af+ar nine o'clock administered
IN tbe tbrae brothers their first and last
80 oromnn;on 'mv ion, s;gnalzing their full accept
anoo ;nto tho faith of the Roman Cathoilc
obyroh To the fullest possible extent the
n,.;vacv ~ the ceremony was assured al
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