Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-01
Van Wormer Boys Pay Terri
BILE Penalty For Murder of
Peter Hallenbeck
ALL DIE IN ELECTRIC CHAIR
Their Execution Took Place at About
Noon To-day and the Entire Pro-
eeeding Consumed Loss Than Six
teen Minutes-condemned Men
Show Great Nerve.

Dannemora, N. Y, Oct. 1.-The Van
wormer brothers, Willis, Burton and
Frederick paid the penalty for their
crime of shooting to death their uncle,
Peter A. Hallenbeck. In the electric
chair in Chester prison this morning.
The entire proceeding from the start
OF the first man from the cell to the
doctors declaration of the death of the
last, consumed but fifteen and a half
minutes and no outward incident mar
red the execution of the law.
The condemned did not sleep last
night until nearly three this morning,
but tossed uneasily upon their cots.
Keeper Murphy awakened the men
shortly after seven and they immedi-
ately dressed themselves In the cloth
Ing which they wore at the execution,
gray flannel shirt and dark trousers.
each with the right leg slit to the
knee to allow attachment of the cleo
trode They took no breakfast, in ac-
cordance with the Catholic require
ment to come fasting to theit commun-
ION which the priests administered to-
them later. Prison Physician Ransom
visited the men in their cells this
morning and closely noted their phys
zeal condition.
Warden Deyo had decided the men
should so to the chair In the following
order:
First, Willis, the oldest and most i'm
pressionable: second. Frederick, who
has seemed to be the most hardened
and at all times more bravado than
the others; third, Burton Keeper
Murphy, who was In the cell room last
night. said he never had seen men
better prepared for death or more fully |
in possession of their nerve. In con-
yersation with Murphy, Burton Van
Wormer said: Il have no more fear
OF the electric chair than this meal
am about to eat. am not afraid"
Willis said: Il only wish there were
three chairs. instead of one so we all
could go together. The hardest part
of it all Is the suspense. but we are
ready. We are grateful for the kind
ness which everybody about the prison
has shown u.s.
Frederick, the youngest, showed not
the slightest evidence of fear and while
dressing said: "Well suppose by this
time tomorrow we shall be in Kinder
hook" evidently intfmating the broth
ers expect their bodies to be taken for
burial to their home.
The men walked from the doors of
their cells in care of their priest and
fanked On either side by the prison
deputies, with calm demeanor, but ex-
treme pallor. During the first exc
cution Father Charbonneau remained
in the corridor between the death cells
reading prayers OF invocation to the re-
naming Van Woraners. Every pre-
caution was taken to prevent the re-
naming men to hear more than the de-
parture OF their brother from the room
The doors had been padded ana the
intersMces stuffed with cotton so the
steps of those who removed the life
less body from the death chamber to
the morgue could not be heard. Three
applications of the current and four
minutes time were required for the ex-
ecution of Willis. But only two appli-
cations of the current was 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
summons for the last brother was taken
back by the guards. 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 blindfoll
him, and, as the current was switched
on, he was still looking over the upper
edge Of the strap towards the priest.
He was killed even more quickly than
the other two. Only one application of
the current was required, although 1t
was retained slightly longer at fun
pressure than in the other ses. Father
Delanger said after the execution thai
the last hours of the men We're spent
In exceeding quiet. with the strietest
attention to spiritual interests which
were their sole concern.
The executions took place In the fol-
lowing order:
Willis Van Wormer 1888 a. m.
Frederick Van Wormer, 11:43 a. m.
Burton Van Wormer 11:4S:30 a. m
History of the Crime.
On Christmas eve 1901. with their
cousin, Harvey Bruce, the three van
Wormer brothers drove from their
homes in Kinderhook, some fourteen
miles to Greendale. Columbia county.
where lived Peter A. Hallenbeck, uncle
OF the Van Wormers. Upon reaching
the house, the boys, who were masked
and armed, raped at the door, which |
was opened by Hallenbeck. Burton Van
Wormer led the way and grappled with
the old man. At once all four began /
a fussilade OF pistol shots, which fairly |
riddled the body of Hailenbeek. Hall |
lenbecks wife ran into the kitchen and
the brothers fired at her, but missed. |
Her husband ordered her to flee and
she ran upstairs, whether the old
woman had preceded her, and the two
barriceded themselves in an attic. Hall