Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-10-01
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
The Van wormers Electrocuted.

Dannemora, n. Y, Oct. willis,
Burton ard Frederick Van Wormer,
three youthful brothers, today paid the
penalty for the murder of their uncle,
Peter A. Hallenbeck, at his farm house,
at Greenport, on the evening of Decem-
Der oath, 1901 1t was Christmas Eve
aud heavy fall OF snow had covered the
ground. In the Halenbeck home as
the farmer, his wife, and her mother sat
by the fire a knock was heard at the
kitchen door. The old man rose
and went to the door. Opening it,
he saw four masked figures standing
there. and in his feeble way attempted
to renulse those whom he doubtless
Thought intended to invade his home.
In the melee that followed some eighteen
shots were fired, and when the smoke
cleared away, the old man was lying on
his own door step with the blood ebblng
from several gaping wounds. A few
minutes later he died. The murderers
fled, and for several days the mystery
showed no sign of being cleared when
suspicion was for some reason turned TO
the three Van Wormer boys, Frederick,
IS years old, Burton, %, and Willis,
"A. In the mesh of suspicion fell Har-
vey Bruce, companion of them, who was
known to have been with them the night
the murder was committed. They were
arrested and, on Bruce turning state's
evidence, the mystery was cleared.
The Van Wormers seeing that out
right denial would be unayailing, said
they had not intended to murder their
uncle. but had only wished to scare him.
His death, they said, resulted from the
scuffle that occurred at the kitchen door.
During the trial, however, the point was
brought out that Hallenbeck had shortly
before the time of the murder foreclosed
a mortgage on the Van Wormer home
stead, at Undertook, and that i'll feel
ing had thus been engendered against
him. The brothers were finally found
guilty of murder in the first degree.
Bruce, for turning states evidence was
let off with eighteen years imprlson-
ment.
Within their narrow cells, in the death
house, Willis, Burton and Frederick
Van Wormer spent practically a sleepless
night and it was not until 3 o clock this
morning that they babe each other good
night aud dropped off into a sound slum-
Der Father Belanger and his assistant
entered the prison shortly after s clock,
and went at once to the death house tc
administer the first and last communion.
State electrician Davis examined the
clothing to see that the right legs OF the
trousers were properly slit to the line t.
allow the easy application of the cleo
trode. The prison barber yesterday after
noon visited the boys in their cells anC
shaved a portion of the hair from theil
heads to allow the adjustment of the he
met. The boys will be the thirteenth
fourteenth and fifteenth victims t
meet death in Clinton execution
chamber. The boys spent the greater
part of last night in reading their Bible
and gave especial study to a book ex
pounding and explaining the CathO
| lie faith, which had been furnished then
| by Father Belanger.
When it came to the final partin!
Fred, the youngest, broke down com
pletely, and wept piteouSly. His dis
tress was clearly in the parting rattle
than in the thought of his impending
death.
At 1892 after the usual test of tn
chair the first man, Willis Van WOrmer
r eldest of the brothers. was summoned
lie entered the death chamber, wa
seated in the chair and the curren
turned on. At 1887 he was de
cared dead. Five minutes later Fred
erick entered the death chamber, the
current was turned on and a minute an,
half later he had paid the penalty o
his crime. Four minutes later Burton
was seated in the death chair and a
IL: AS he was declared dead.