Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-10-07
THREE BAD ONES.
Van Wormer Brothers Electrocuted
Within Space of Fifteen Minutes.

Dannemora n. y Oct. Without
one unforeseen incident to mar the
perfect and dignified execution of the
death penalty imposed by trial court.
and not interferred with by the gov
ernor, Willis, Frederick and Burton
Van Wormer were put to death in
l5k minutes at Clinton prison today
for the murder of their uncle. Peter
A. Hallenbeck, at Greendale, Colum-
bia county, on Christmas eve, 1901.
There was not one sensational cir
cumstance connected with the eXecu-
tion. The men walked from the
doors of their cells in the care of
their priests and hanKed on either
side by prison deputies with calm de-
meanor but extreme pallor. Father
Belanger. a picturesque, white-haired
figure, not in the robes of his office,
but in the every day black frock coat
of clerical cut, walked along with
each OF the condemned men in turn,
saying words of consolation. During
the first execution Father Charbon-
neau remained in the corridor be-
tween the death cells, reading prayers
and invocations to the remaining Van
Wormers.
Every precaution had been taken
to prevent the remaining men from
hearing more than the departure of
their brother from the room. The
doors had been padded and the in
terstices stuffed with cotton so that
the steps of those who removed the
lifeless body from the death cham
ha,, ,nt h.A rl
Three applications of the current
and four minutes time were required
for the execution of Willis, but only
two applications 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 sum-
mons for the last brother was taken
back by the guards. Father Belanger
went with them and when Burton Van
Wormer was brought into the pres
ence of death he was accompanied
by two priests, Father Charbonneau
the cell room. 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 blind
fold him, and as the current was
switched on he was looking over the
upper edge of the strap toward the
priests. He was killed even more
quickly than the other two. The cur
rent was turned on at 11:47.30. Only
one application was required, though
1t was retained slightly longer at full
pressure than In the other cases. Doc
tors Ransom, Spitzka and Mcdonald
had carefully examined the other two
mems bodies, but in the case Of Bur-
ton. the last, other physicians who
were present among the witnesses,
were asked to step forward and ex-
anime the body as 1t remained in the
chair and so the official pronounce
ment OF death was naturally delayed.
In the case of Willis, the current
was on In the three contacts for sixty
seconds, in that of Frederick, with
two contacts, one minute and five Sec
onds, in that of Burton, with but one
contact, one minute and thirteen sec.
onds. so that the actual time oonsum'
ed in executing the three men was
five minutes and 81 seconds.
In order TO reduce to the smallest
possible number the list of witnesses
the warden counted as witnesses the
prison deputies and guards whose
duty compelled them to be present
Neither the district attorney nor the
sehriff of Columbia county, In which
they were convicted. Of the supreme
court Judge, was present.