Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-02
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as were several newspaper men. DIX
prison officials made up the party.
The warden refused not less than l5OO
requests from persons who Wlshed TO
attend from all over the State and
from other states.
At IL O'Clock, Electrician Davis with
Drs. Ransom, Spitka and Mcdonald
went down into the electrocution room
and carefully examined the apparatus
and discussed the psychological as
poets of the task before them. AT that
time the priests We're with the con-
demned men, whom they reported to be
still in the best possible frame of mind.
In the meantime the witnesses IN the
warden's office were waiting for the
moment of the march to the death
chamber.
Just before the start, Mr.. Deyo care
fully examined them with reference to
the duties before them They were to
be silent, keep their seats and under no
circumstances to interfere with any
part of the procedure. I'VE have plenty
of guards and keepers" he said, "to
meet any emergency
1133 A. M.-Willis Van Wormer has
been executed.
1143-Frederick Van Wormer has
been executed.
11.4s.3O A. M-Burton Van Wormel
has been executed.
They We're brought to trial before an
extraordinary term of the supreme
presided over by Justice Allen Chester
of Albany, on March 80, 1902.
Harvey Bruce turned States evil
dence, and it was to a large extent
upon his testimony that the conviction
of the Van Wormer brothers was Sc
cured. He swore that upon the ride
back from the scene of the crime, one
of the brothers boasted of having made
a "CZOlgosZ shot" into his suncle'
stomach: another of having shot him
in the back, while the third declared
that the old man had not escaped with
out getting the contents of his revolver.
1t was shown that the bitterness
which the brothers felt towards their
uncle was due chiefly to his having
foreclosed a mortgage upon the property
in Greendale, owned by their step
mother, the loss of which compelled
their removal to Undertook. Upon
April Is. all three were found guilty
and sentenced to be put to death in the
week ending May 30, 1902. Their APP
peal to the court of appeals acted as a
Il stay, and the case went over to the
present year. pending the decision of the
highest court upon the exceptions taken
by their counsel to the proceedings be-
fore Justice Chester.
The grounds of appeal We're, in the
main. that the lower court erred in per-
hitting their conviction upon the evil
dence of their footprints in the snow,
the accused mems counsel, Judge Cady' S
contention being that when their shoes
were taken from them at the Jail for
the purpose of comparison, they were in
effect compelled to give testimony
against themselves. 1t was also con-
tended to be an error that Bruce, who
was jointly indicted with them, was
permitted to testify against them. Ur-
on all these questions, together with
others of q technical nature, the court
of appeals ruled unanimously in dis
missing the appeal and affirming the
judgment of conviction. Judge @ Brien
in writing the unanimous opinion of the
court, pronounced incredible the main
plea of defense, that the expedition OF
the four to Hallenbeck's house was in
the nature of a young mans prank, the
fatal outcome of which had been part
of the plan.
The court fixed upon the week of July
6. for the carrying out of the death SEN
tence, but the Van Wormers have been
twice respited~by Gov. Odell. to whom
Judge Cady appealed for a commuta-
ton of sentence to life Imprisonment.
Except for this visit, for the efforts
of Judge Cady in their behalf, and for
the stepmother of the condemned man
to appeal to Gov. Odell, no voice has
been raised in their behalf. No letter
has been received by the governor en-
dorsing their appeal for mercy.
1t is known that Gov. Odell would have
welcomed any plausible ground upon
which to commute the sentence, as he felt
that little good would result to the public
mind from the morbid interest attaching
to the triple execution. The governor had
even written a portion of his final opinion
in the case committing the sentence of
Frederick II. Van Wormer. the youngest
OF the three. upon the natural theory that
he might have been influenced to the
crime by his older brothers. but a careful
demonstration of the question convinced
the governor that the youngest brother
was guilty as any. if. indeed. he was
not in fact the rinEleader in the crime.
Harvey Bruce. their fellow in the crime
for which they died, Thursday. was tried
alone and was sentenced to Imprisonment
for IS years.
Mrs Hallenheck soon followed her hus-
band to the grave. as also did the aged
mothe, of the murdered man. A brother,
George A. Hallenbeck. survives but he is
broken in health and nerve by the awful
tragedy enacted almost within his hear
ing.
The triple execution of Thursday raises
to a total of - the list of the murdcrcrs
vino Rave died in the electric chair dur
ing the 16 years since that form of death
method superseded the gallows and the
hanEman'S moose.
The simultaneous execution of three
brothers is not as has been several times
enormously stated. unprecedented in the
history Of New York state. although t.
find the parallel one must go back more
than 10 years. On June 18th, 1875 three
brothers, Nelson, Israel Jr.. and Isaac
Thayer of the town of Boston. Erie coan-
ty, were hanged simultaneously on triple
gallows erected at the west side of Mag
ara square in the city of Buffalo. in tbs
presence of an enormous gathering of 1peo
ME from all parts of western New York
and. as was then the custom, under guard
Of "a 70 iyf.