The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-05-21

trio chair
Aa Richcson cam" into tho death
chamber chaplain St"nlns read aloud
from tho Fifty-tirst Psalm:
"IiaNC mercy upon me, - God. ac-
Cording to ThN loving kindness: ac-
Cording unto tn" multitude ~ thy ten
der incrCics blot out my transgrcssions
Wash me thoroughly from min" iniuuity
Hnd cleanse IN" from my sln For ac-
knowledge my transcrcssions and my
sin is ever hrfnr" me
Then III. chaplain read from H. Tim
othN. first chapter. twclfth verse;
~ know whom | have believed and
am persuaded that II" is able to keep
that which | have committed unto Him
against that day"
Would you like {" confess thrst l'"-
fore those witnesses as you Saviour
asked the Rev. MIR Johnson.
II do confess CHRIST as my saviour.
came The answer ;iriniN
"lIaNc Iou the lca,v of God in your
heart in this hour
II have th" p'ncc "f God In my
heart
DOCS Christ give YOU the strength
you need IN This hoGr""
"Christ gives IN" tn" strcnsth need
"Ha," N"u III" strength To meet
death"
~ have. God will take care Of my
soul and I pray for ali"
40 Non here hcp"nt of your sim
"I dc.
"Dr Won fursi,c cvcrybodv?'
81 forgive ,trrrbodt."
Are you willing /" die for Jcsns's
sake"
"i am Wiling To- lie"
Just az th. word die" lcf, Eichcsuns
lips. Warden l'r.dGes raised his cane
slightly and at that second there vas
a snap rs IN" electric switch shot into
place ana sen, a death dca,ina stroke III
electricity coursing throulh Eichrsons
body, aud The man vas dead.
The body "f Echcson surscd forward
in IN" chair. The straps that held il there
wcrc ,tra tu IN" breaking point and
n faint hissn" noise wat heard as the
electrodes became white hot n their
contact with the i,S hut no sound
came from III" throat nj tn" laws vic
tim
For one minute and eight seconds tn"
current was kept "n at fun strength
of $50" volts c!ch, aaipcr"s. Then N"
switch was thrown of, n. wires dis
connected and the thr.t physicians.
Magrath. NJ, l.nu"hlin and Butler. each
: in turn applied his st.thuscopc I" the
body Of Richcsvn Ills coat ana vest
were thrown open. III" studs l"os"ned
from his shirt front. his u. and collar
removed and his chest barred.
The physicians AGAIN applied their
Instruments and listened and as each
one stepped back from the chair. his
Al l2;l1 Nh" physicians and the legal
witnesses formally pronounced the man
dead. The body vas then removed
from the death chair and placed upon
a tahl" behind a screen.
BosrCN. MAY 20. Clarence ' I Richie
son passed to-day III much the same way
that he spent the TWO previous DAYS.
He slept very iittle scarcely tasted food.
read the Bihle aud other religious books.
l,
= johnson and the prison chaplain. The
Rev. II. W. Stebbln-. and expressed his
final wishes TO William a. Morse, of his
counsel.
Because he had abstained from food
80 long Richeson was much weakened
tonight but he retained. so word came
from the death house az o'clock, conf
plet- control of himself and there We're
no indicat ions at that hour of his breaking
down at the last moment.
Or. johnson remained with III" con-
dcmned man from 1880 last night unit
Si5 O'Clock this morning. at which hour
his watch was relieved by Chaplain Steb-
hans.
During III" night the condemned man
talked with his visitor and discussed
religious topics as he had done on sunday.
He rcctm"d upon his cot without closing
his eyes until about $50 this morning.
when he dropped of to sleep and did not
awaken until -,
hsn som" breakfast was sent 10 the
cell bat wnnn Warden Bridge, visited
him at s3o kicheson had not touched the
food
He greeted Cen BRIDGES oheerfully
and again declared that he would make
no trouhl" VIII IN" time came for him TO
90 10 m" Cna!r
An hour later Deputy Warden Allen
Dr j | Mclaughlin. tn" prison physician
and the Re- !. J. Murphy. the prison
priest. went 10 IN" cell Or. Mclaughlin
examined Ri"heson CLOSELY. but did not
detect anything UNI s'lal III his condition
or stat, Of mind
The physician l"ft ahou. ten minutes
lat.r accompanied by Dr. Johnson. who
had come Ia IA" cell al 4 VI To tho
reporters IN Mclaughlin said that Will"
the condemned man was weak from lack
= of nolrShmeni he was ~ good shape
and III no danger of co'aps!nG
by johnson before returning to the
cell NJ II O'Clock said 10 the newspaper
men.
"Mr H!cr.-on is IN good CONDITION
He know thai he l. 10 die and has ;o'd
Gs that he j. roatv TO meet the punish
n"n' for his crime.
He had a brief sleep this morning. and
il CAV" him strength tn go through the
rest Of the day. He dropped of To sleep
and awokr without knowing that II. had
lie does not vet know iu-r when he
il To- die. nor do |. although am pra"-
ticaiy certain. have no, heard from
Richesnn'S brO' her RChc,On himself
nas cNprc-Scd II d.sIi" 10 soc his brOt her
but lie fears tina, # he should come IN.
meeting would prove 10 b' a nightmare.
that hi~ brother would never bo able 70
crIrc the seen" from his memory"
When ~" clergyman had reached N"
cell again lti"hcson arose and partly
dressed himself After come converse
tion DR.. Johnson informed the prisoner
that to-day was to hc his last on earth
and that he would have To pay the penalty
for his Grim. soon after midnight
Rirh"snn received this fatal information
with crmposurc, IN fact he was m,ich less
disturbed than was his spiritual adviser.
\ Substantial dinner was taken to
Ric:e.on during the noon hour but he did
not eat anything except SON" fruit.
althonGh urged TO do so by DR.. johnson.
who partrok heartily, thinking that his
oXa'lnlc might inspire Richesou.
While R.chcson was being informed that
has end would come tonight Warden
F"idce. was being visited by The man who
viii p;'l the lever That sends the electricity
thrDpEh the prisoner body. He is
Edwin Il. tu-rnr chief engineer of the
Mass clusetls General HOSPITAL. II had
ho"n Known that Davis, regular man for
the work. who was to have come from
New YORK foI the purpose, would moi lie
able 80 80 So
urrier said thai II" had received n
despatch. from Davis asking him to per