The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-07-12


prisoner. But there was still great
room for Improvement
II hate 20 think of II ALL, said
LHstigi TO the reporter, much less tc
talk about IL. | saw seventeen mer
go TO the death chair. Three went
away only yesterday and though
had already been granted a new
trial | was compelled to stay there
and witness the death march, to say
nothing OF the agonies Of their last
night on earth. 49,
Lets sees thinker can give you
the. names, OF the seventeen in the
order OF their going away" There
TRre two triple and two double ex-
eeutions. Carl I.utz and Joe Car.
netti went OFF together. Then Sam
Osnek. Then Robert Wood. The
next were Frank Schemmerhorn.
Bert Brown and Pedro Foletti who
died together. Then Phil Meganno.
Joseph Zemacko, Charley Swinton
anu Albert Walters went. Thomas
Barnes and Fritz Gebhart were led
out at the same time and yesterday
santa Zangara, Giuseppe Garielli
and George Williams. That makes
sixteen, doesn't it? Let me see-[
can't think of the seventeenth, but
am sure there were that many.
All the boys kept a record OF the
names on the wall of their cells with
pencils and | did know the names
well when left there. If | could
only forget the others Id be very
glad
You couldn't imagine what I've
been through in those two years to
save your life. was in Cell No.
I, which faces the only door to the
place through which the seventeen
doomed fellows were marched for
the last time.
Held Wake.
The night before the going
away as we called the execution
up there. there was living awake.
The living would sit up with the
living soon to die None of the
prisoners would be allowed out of
the cells OF course, but all hands did
all they could to make the going
easy. The spiritual advisers were
the only ones allowed in the death
house that night besides the death
watch OF three men.
Everybody stayed up all night.
The watch would pass Bibles
around from cell to cell and the
boys would each read a chatter
lhen we would all sing hymns, and
then read another chapter. We
didn't lose any time on the Job eth
or. Once in while some poor fell
lows groans could he heard as the
END drew near. Then to comfort
the poor fellow we'd start UP anoth-
er hymn and stick to 1t until the
5roan.1g was over.
IT was my lot to see the bunch
come in with straps and other
paraphernalia to. prepare for the
death march. I've seen old prison
pals with arms strapped behind
hem led out Of cells Opposite mine
sVe seen otherso carried ont bodily
and III never forget il, I'm afraid |
Sc my haif?' There isn't much |
eft isJthere? Well / had plenty |
Of It when I went to Sing Sing. DO |
YOU wonder at it? Notice also that |
m getting gray. I've seen mems |
lalf turn white over night in that |
leath house up the river. See nv |
)art lost, too You know our cells
we're so dark we could never see TO |
1art our hair | never saw a raw
u sunlight or daylight the whole |
lme was there. The only light
whatever in that place comes from
ne. lb-candleDower. incandescent
Globes that hang one at each cell
IN the outside of the bars.
We used to have bath once a
week IN common tub in the death
ouse. You know everything takes
lace in the death house. The bovs
ever get out of those four walls un.
u they are taken out for good. We
we're allowed three newspapers and
magazines week, but they had TO
g mailed to us direct from the pub
shers.
lead Church News.
We had little light to read nv
nd-say would you read ifs Won
new mat you were living and vet
good as dead? bet you wouldn't
sad the sporting news anyway. ITS
ostiy the church news for fhe
oys. To see EN- pouring over dbe
ipers to find if the court of appeals
al decided their cases or the eov
nor had decided to reprieye or
irdon EN- was pitifuI.
We were allowed to bug to8ac =
and cigarettes every two weeks.
'erybody chewed tobacco dav and
ght- It's a habit that sort O. helps 3
make one forget his troubles
'me OF the boys learned the habit :
ter they went there. just on that
count We had-let me see a
lhute-six feet by one foot make
squire feet, don't #? WeIi we &,
d Just six square feet TO man W
parade in. dress In. chew and I
It in The cells are six by four 4
e. The beds take up a space OF