El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-20
Silent Warning Given Doomed Men
When Little LuxUries Are
Sent In, the End Is
Not Far Away.

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Continued From Page 1. This seotion)
wearing a rose. One of the gunmen
asked another what kind of a rose II
was.
that their was no more tOrmality.
SpOhr laid emphasis on the brighter
side. But Lustig said:
There was one scene to which /
could never become accustomed This
was the last parting of the relatives
with the man who was to pass through
the little green door The shades were
mercifully drawn, but We could not
shut out the cries and the screams
that rang through the death house.
On, It was awful
Paints the Darker Side.
'I will never be able 20 forget the
depths Of despair sounded by those
agOnized cries Fathers, and mothers,
sisters, brothers, wives and sWeethearts
went by US weeping and in mysteries.
They were carried out falntlng- They
we're dragged out raving like maniacs-
There was an awful stiffness in the
death house just before those scenes
and long after the cries had ceased to
echo through the corridor"
Should those fateful appeals tall
there are three wives who will take
leave Of the ROsenIhal murderers.
There is Mrs. Louis Rosenberg, the gay
wife Of Lefty LOuie;' there is blond
little Mrs Lillian HOrOWItZ, still a
mere girl, who has been working in a
department store to earn a little money
TO buy her husband, "Gyp the Blood"
a few comforts, finally there IS Beck
er's noble wife. a New York school
teacher, still on duty, whose lot has at
tracted the sympathy OF all and who
has borne Becker a child since he went
into the death house. The puny infant
died soon.
When an appeal Is denied, there IS
mystery in the death house" about the
new date of the now quite hopeless
prisoners taking off No verbal an
nouncement is made to him, but one
Saturday, on stepping from his weekly
bath, the fortunate one" as his COM
rades call him, is ordered into new
cell.
The weeks Warning.
aHere." wrote Roland B. Molineaux.
"he receives everything new; new bed
ding, new clothes from head to foot,
and his knicknacks, pipe, TOBACCO
boxes. books and the package of let
tiers from home, ragged and blurred
from reading and rereao1ng-after al
have been carefully searched But he
knows that he has received something
eIse-his unuttered notice that one
week from the following Monday he
will be moved again. No questions are
ever asked; he has seen it all before.
But should he ask. the only reply
would be, Il don't know"
Here come in some OF the curious
and precise death house customs. The
comrade for whom "The Little Green
Door" viii swing open a. week hence
is distinguished above al others So
FAR as they can manage 1t, he is to have
his own way in everything, promptly
and without argument If he asks for
q song or q story, or wants to play
checkers-by the calling out system
there is instant acquiescence- All quar-
rels are completely forgotten. Every
comrade presses delicacies upon him
During all that last week the death
watch" shared by two keepers, sits in
front Of his cage every night. Mean
while he and his comrades endure that
greatest torture Of all. the partings
with dear ones
For the last night the unwritten code
prescribes everything. At midnight 8
keeper stops before each OF the other
occupied cells distributing the tobacco.
pipes, and other trifles belonging to
the comrade who is about to 60, who
calls out as each presentation is made:
The Parting With PrfsORmates.
Keep that to remember me by" And
each recipient answers:
Thank YOU" The collouuy ends
thus, in each instance:
Goodbye. I hope you have luck and
Thank you Goodbye and God bless
you"
OF these responses MoIineux wrote
LuE1 are MDM Is L4lGg we're ten years
ago, they viii be the same 20 years
from now"
There is no sleep for anyone. But
there is no more talk They hear him
tearing up letters from his family and
friends resolutsly after one last read
ing.
Long before the dawn they can faint
II hear, or feel. the vibrations Of the
dynamo that IS being made ready to
supply the death current. Presently
they hear soft footsteps. the priests
coming, and the murmuring of Latin.
The drawing OF the cell curtains fol-
lows
1IOlineux lay fiat on his cell floor
and looked under the curtain He
says.
sT saw the priest bless and kiss him:
hold I'D the cross before his eyes. bid
him have faith, and then back out of
the cell He, who was soon to be it
followed. Then heard the procession !
march rapidly into the next room.
Bang said the hungry little door as it
closed"
Then all wait in silence Nothing
happens for a few minutes. The bril-
liant electric lights suddenly grow dim
for a moment It is the DETECTING of |
death current. Another murder has /
been appeased-