Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-09-30
VAN WOnMEkSIO DIE
Intend to Neet Their Fate
Without Showing Fear.
DO NOT WISH 70 SEE STEPNOTHER
Mrs. Van Worner Is Frustrated by
Refusal of Governor odclI to In
v and Request CT the
Boys Not to See Ihem AG-in.

| Refusal of Governor Gdcll to in
tervene and Request CT the
Boys Not to See Them Agsin.
PLATTSBUEG, n. Y, Sept. 3d.
Mrs. Esteila Van Wormer, sgepnIothey
of the three brothers who are 10 de to-
morrow morning in tie electric chai
! at DGnnemora, was told upon Ler az
rival at Dannemora that her stepSons
had reQuC.ted that size should not b,
allowed to visit them or even SO much
as see them in their cells in tie Geatl
house. 1t was not because they DID MOI
wish to see the woman who has been
the only mother they have eve known
and who has stood by them through
thick and thin, for it required az the
courage the young men could muster
to take the stand they took after a
long talk with Warden Deyo and
Rev. Father B~elanger, their spiritual
adviser, but solely because they were
afraid that the ordeal of the farewell
would completely unnerve them.
Tbs thought uppermost in the minds
of Willis, Burton and Frederick Van
Wormer is that they must not weaken
or even appear to weaken. Realizing
fully that they must die within thirty
six hours, they intend to meet their
fate with fortitude. They appear to
regard Gry evidence of fear as even
more d~;sgraceful than death in the
electric chair.
Mrs. Van Wormer was Oh the verge
Of Il cvous prostration when she
reached Plattsburg after her attempt
to plead with Governor Cdo!l at AL
hany.
During the hours ride from Platts-
burg to Dannemora Mrs. Van Wormer
said: Il think Governor Odells action
in refusing to see me was heartless. |
am poor and unable to pay the cost of
removing the bodies of my SONS from
Dannemora to Undertook, but if l
could only get their bodies back to
Undertook l know I could arrange
for their interment there. | hope and
pray that some way can be found to
bury my boys somewhere near my
home in Columbia county, so that l
can visit their graves. | expect TO see
them soon after l reach DannemOra,
and l will stay all night and visit
them again."
Mrs. Van Wormer was so overcome
with emotion that she broke down and
cried like a child. At Dannemora sta
ton she was met by Father Belanger,
the venerable pastor of st. Joseph's
church, who conducted her to the par
ish house, where she was met by War
den Deyo.
Father Belanger and Warden Deyo
visited the boys and found them calm
and prepared to die. The question 81
which shall 60 first TO the chair is still
an open one and will in all probability
remain so until the very last minute
1t is intended that if any one of the trio
shows signs of weakening he shall be
taken first. If all three are apparently
equal to the ordeal Fred's, the youngest
brothers, plan my be adopted. Fred
has told both Warden Deyo and Father
BClangcr that he is ready to so frs
and that he believes Willis should go
second and Burton last. Burton wrote
a letter to Pearl Ccnnor, bidding her
goodby. The three brothers are declared
by Prison Physician Ransom to be in
excellent physical condition, and they
eat and sleep fairly well. State Electri-
bcian Davis will arrive at Dannemora
and will make an unusually thorough
examination of the entire electrical APP
\paratus.
Since Governor Odell's refusal TO in
tkrfere in their behalf the three young
~