The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-11-30
More Agonizing Than the
Constant Presence Of
Death Was the Last
Parting BetWeen Reia.
tues, When Wives and
SWeethearts We're
Dragged Out Shrieking
Like Maniacs.
Ofthe Doomed Men Some
Pray and Some Curse
and Struggle--The Last
Exit Is Going ADay,"
and Mention of the
Chair Is Tabooed.


shadow Of death, with nothing but
reminders OF death round and about
him. Tho sun was not shining for
him, the starr were twtnklins for 9TH
ers. No sun or sky or earth did he
see IN those years Of gloom In the
death house at Sing Sing. lila iden.
tity In the world was gone. He was
known only a. . number. He was
forgotten ny all but dis family and
the friends who stuck BY him.
Seventeen msn who had beea his
ne.ghbors in adjoining cells In that
time had gone BY his narrow steel
dwelling and had passed through the
little green door. Seventeen men had
been slipped into Eternity. The little
green door Of tho death house at
Sing Sing opens ON the road from
which there IL no turning back. II lie
the threshold OF the electric chair.
Men had gone by Lustig with their
heads bowed in prayer. Men had walked
with head erect 10 meet their Rsdeemer
Men had gone that way cursing the
God who brought them into the world
Men had been dragged grovsiling.
shriea<inx, bowling with fear. begging
for mercy down the short walk from
the death house to death ITSELF
AWFUL MEANING OF THE TERM
''ooiNo AWAY
When tho condemned man starts
down that walk they call 1t going
away" They never mention the chair
in the death house. They never men
ton death. They are breathing its
atmosphere all the time. Every man
keeps count on the day.. He knows
when b. y "noing away" Lustig saw
them all 30. Some had been IN the
death house before he arrived there
others who followed him he saw going
away" Once his day had been set for
going away" but the DAY passed. He
says he knew he was never COINS
Though the little green door becaus,
he had faith IN himself. IN his lawyers
Alexander Srayper and BENJAMIN Reass
and in the higher courts.
And a day came when the Court o.
Appeals handed down rs deciAions in
the cases OF eleven men who were un'
der the death sentence for murder. Two
the chair awaited in Dannernors, one In
Auburn and eight IN Sing Sing. OF al
these only Maurice Lustig was granted
a new trial. On seven OF the eight in
Sing Sing the little green door opened
and closed for the first and last time
To-day Maurice 1mstig walks the
streets of New York free man.
I.ostls was conveted OF the murder
OF his wife. The principal witness
against him was Mrs. Maud IAvingstOn
II was shown on the stand that sht
was the author OF ihree anonymous
letters addressed 20 Coroner Dooley.
INQUEST WAS HELD, THEN FUN
ERAL WENT ON.
The frst of these letters was received
the day Mrs. Lusug was 10 be buried
Coroner Dooley FASTENED to the hous'
and stopped the funeral until an inaues
could be held. lie hal several detec
tiyes and policemen with him. A. tn
conclusion of the inquest the ODrone
and the police went away and the .uA
eral was proceeded with.
| Three months later on the receipt @
more anonymous letters Lustig was oi
derel arrested. The woman kept
| drug store and swore tia. she had seq
Luswg take a bottle OF strychnlne fire.
a shelf in the store, She never sax
anything about this. she stated on tn
stand, never mentioned II to the Cor
oner, nor ala she go to the police cour
TO appear against tile prisoner. II wa
mainly on her evidence that LustlE wa
convicted. 1t was the review OF he
evidence that granted a. new trial to tn
condemned man and SGT him free,
"Oh, it's great TO breathe Gods SUI
shine again." said Lus,is today "It
great Ia be ont in the world onse MOI
10 see people, to have them bump int
Won. to hear them talk and laugh AID
vas swear. It's - wonderful thing I
knoyy vol, have friends who viii site
by YOU 10 The limit, who VIII 10 thinS
for YOU without nope " reward, d
them just for you.
"pyc had them. I've got them,
never believed that | wss Go!ns TO T.
chair. NJ lawyers didn't nsver "a
forge Solomon Badessn, who was ~
in the case. cut who had been ny a.
torney on former occasions lao II IS.
who dug UP the evidence against Ms
Livingston, who found ont she was Tx
ing under an assumed name. lie pho
tographed her former apartments II
got her history. lie was mainly lnstFu
mental In saving me from the chair.
KNEW HE'D NEVER GO THROUGH
} THE GREEN DOOR.
When entered the death house ther
were sixteen men ahead OF me. I mai
the seventeenth. / silled the cells In "a
. house. did nos leave hope behind. f.
we hsd then the newly discovered ev
dence / knew that would never 8