Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-10-08
THREE DIE IN THE CHAII
TRIPLE EXECUTION AT THE DAN
NEMORA PRISON..

death penalty imposed by the ttia
court, sustained by the court OF ap
peals, and not interfered with by
Governor Odell, Willis, friedrich NJ
and Burton Van Werner were p. (
death in fifteen and one-half linu.
les at Clinton prison yesterday for tbs
murder OF their uncle, Peter a Hell
tenbeck, at Green1ale, on Christmas
eve, 1901 The men walked from the
doo's OF their cells in the care of
their priest and ilanked on either
side by prison deputies with calm de-
meanot but extreme pallor.
| Father Belanger, a picturesque,
white haired figure, not in the robes
Of bis Offices, but in the every day
bl aCk frUck coat Of clcrCal cut, with
a little purple stole alb ut the should
ers, walked along with each of the
'ondr mngd men Ia turn, saying
words OF consolation.
Willis Van Werner entered the
death chamber at "a 30, the cur
cnt was tuned into his body one
minute alter and at IL: 37 he was de-
clarCd dead.
At ll:4l 30 friedrich entered the
]eath chamber, at II 10 the current
was turned on and he was declared
lead at II :43 30
| Burton entered the death chamber
1t IL Al, the current was turned on
1t 1l:E:30 and he was declared dead
1t IL AS 80.
The entire proceeding from the
tart Of the first man from his cell
70 the doctors declaration Of death
If the last, consumed but hfteen and
,ne-half minutes and no untoward
incident marred the execution OF the
aw.
The bodies were carried out into
The prison morgue, and the summons
'or the last brother was tn ken back
| by the guards. Father BelangeI went
With them and when Burton Van
Werner was brought into the presence
| If death, he was accompanied by two
priests Father Charbonneau having
| 'oUm. Either Burton was taller
| Itraighter in the chair, for the strap
lid not reach high enough to blind
Iwitcned on he was still looking over
The upper edge OF the strap toward
The priest. lie was killed ven more
4 nj al u 40 II 10 ~ n
'ent was turned on at II al 80, Only
me application was required, al
though it was retained slightly long
n at full pressure than in the other
Eases.
The last thing any of them said
% Assistant Chief Keeper Nash was
rom The lips OF Burton. Said he:
81 have no more fear Of the cleo
ric chair than Of this meal which we
IRE about to eat ] would just as
ief be the last one tn go in, for
Know that I can stand the farewell
am not afraid"
This was not Slid bolstfully, but
TeTy qui tly.
Keeper Murphy, who was ia the
ell said when he came off duty yes
ierday morning that he never had
ieen men better prepared for death
lr more fully in possession or their
nerve.
81 tell you," said he to the Associ-
tied press TepreSen tative. "they were
lot more Self.rcntrolled than ].
Caving out any queSti on OF th' 1r
guit or whether or not they ought to
lie. hive come to like tn Sc three
,ellO VS., and it made me feel bad to
iav 90 dbVe to them
Willis Van Werner said to Keeper
Murphy:
81 only wish there were three
hairs instead OF one, so that we
could all 90 tore hnI. The hardest
part of it all is the suspense, hu t we
ire raany We are grateful for the
indness which every body about the
prison has shown to u.s..
on Christmas eve, 1901, with their
'ousin, Harvey Bruce, the three bro
hers drove from their home in Kind
arl O k, some fourteen miles TO the
hamlet Of GrCeudalc, in Columbia
ruuuty where lived Peter a. Hallen-
beck, the uncle Of the Van Wermers
m the way they stopped at the
Greendale church, where they sto
from the vehicles Of the ia rmeIs, a
number of robes and whips
Thence they went to the Hallen-
beck home where MIR. Hallenbeck,
his wife and his aged mother were
slttiug i'm the lamplght in their liv-
il room. Both tie women saw
Them drive past. a few minutes
later there was knock at the door
and Mr.. IIalIcnbeck answered it, to
ind masked med before him a rmed
with TevolVerS Burton Van Werner
led the way and with him the old
man grappled. At once all four be-
gan a fu>illade Of pistol shots, which
Iairly riddled the b dy Of MI. Ilallen-
heck. Mrs Hallerbcck, the wife, ran
INFO the Kitchen and the brothers
shot at her, but missed. Her hus-
band ordered her to flee and she ran
upstairs, whittier the older woman
had preceded her, and the two bar
ricaded th~msplves in the attic,
Mr.. Hailenbeck, although mortal
ly wounded, broke away from his
ass ATLANTIS, and went to the landing
the stairs, where he kept a load
ed shot gun. The assailants saw
him get the gun and fled. The old
man fell tn thp floor ana died,