The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-10-10
MURDERER FACES
DEADLY BULLETS
Norfolk Man Convicted of Numbering
GrOCeIyman Chooses to be Shot to
Expiate Crime -StOicnlly Went
to His Fate.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Special
The Washington Post prints the
following account or the execu-
ton of Young Vsrginian, Arthur
Warden, in Utah:
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,
Special Just as dawn broke
over the western range, under
which is Rugged the Utah State
prison, and the night shadows
were diSSOlVing, Arthur Warden,
of Norfolk, Va, who was known
i'm Utah as Harry Thorne, went
to the death chair Thursday
morning i'm expiatiOn of the muir
der of George w. FaSsell, a Salt
Lake groceryman, on March Pa,
1910.
Barely out OF his teens when he
committed the cOld-bIooded muir
der, shooting down the grocery
man, when, in ''hoIding him up"
the latter did not raise his hands
quick enough, fighting through
the courts for two years for his
life without outside assistance,
Warden, at his execution, dis
played great Stoicism.
Sleeping through the night, re-
fuSing TO hear the death warrant
read, declining either breakfast
or stimulant, and with only the
request that he be not blindfOIded.
n request which was not granted.
Warden walked from his cell out
into the cold chill OF the morning
air unassisted, and with firm step.
He looked at the chair in which
he was TO meet his death, then at
the curtain stretched some fifty
feet away, puncrured with five
omlnOuS holes, all without
twitch of the muscles.
There was no betrayal of fear.
and the pallor of his face was only
that OF two years prison confine-
ment- Hoping against hope until
within a day or two of his execu-
ton, Warden believed that the
pardon board might commute his
sentence.
When told OF the decIination.
warden had nothing to say, but
plucked up his nerve. When asked
by the prison warden IL he
wanted any special favor, he
asked for box of chocolates, CT
garettes and magazines. Through
out the death watch he BETRAYED
no nervousness, and his only re-
quests were that the execution
be as speedy as possible, and that
he be not blindfoIded.
IL was not until a short time befoI
lis execution that he informed War
len Pratt of his identity, and the
lsked that his mother be commun
'ated with, saying that if she did nc
wish his body, it was to be turned owe
o local surgeon.
Shortly before 8 o'clock Warden we
Weakened. He had slept throughol
he night clad in his prison garment
de refused breakfast, saying that b
lid not care to eat. He also refuse
he presence of a spiritual advise
The morning was cloudy, and theI
vas wait of half an hour duriu
which Warden seemed more at cas-
han his guardsmen and executioner
When the dawn broke he was lie
'ut into the rear of the prison, wall
ng easily. AS he came within sigl
If the death chair he gave it a hurrie
glance, then turned to where the shot
would come from, he having electe
shooting as the method of execution
Which is permitted under the Utah Law
Blank in One Rifle.
Within a few minutes he had bee
strapped in the chair and then a sma
fastened over his eyes, Will
mark was placed over his hear
Then the nuzzles Of five rifles. for
oaded with leaden bullets and one
blank, were poked through the tremI
ing canvas screen.
Prison officials, deputies and SUI
icons dropped aside in small group
here was muffled command, an
our bullets sped into the breast of tn
till youth. Three of the bullets CT
he heart and one entered on the QUITE
'dge. In a CULVER of the body tn
lead of the condemned man droppe
N the chest and in sixteen seconds h
vas pronounced dead.