New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-13
Effort to ThWart Execution
Discovered Just in Time
to Repair Damage.
WEAKEST ONE GOES
TO HIS DOOM FIRST
All Creeds Forgotten as Prisoners
Kneel for Final Prayers in
Death House.

A. mas the time grew shoICei
/ before the hour set for the eS-
ecution Of the four gunmen chaage
came over them. The apparent calm
with which they were preparing To
meet their fate earlier in the nisnt
left them, and they were slightly irri-
table and nervous. The most signin-
1 cant change, however, was that tae
three Jewish gunner seemed TO become
suspicious OF "Dago Frank ana ne
was left out Of their conferences.
Father Cashin said this morning that
there was as yet no indication that
/ Frank would confess, but there stiil
remained the effect of the plea which
his mothe is expected TO make to him
when she arrives at O'Clock.
AZ | o'clock a special armed guard
was placed on the boundaries of the
prison reservation with orders TO let no
one pass who did not have an invita-
ton to witness the execution.
The purpose was to keep the prison
in absolute quiet for the rest OF the
night It was rumored that the known
presence of several SangHters in the
village had led TO instructions To the
guard TO exercise extra vigilance.
There is every likelihood that Che
four doomed gunner will he mercifully
under the influence Of nerve dcadcning
narcotics when they are Ted % thf
chair. II is understood that strong
hypodermic Of morphine will be given
to each OF them two hours before they
are led to the chair.
One Of the medical witnesses de-
clared that this method would un-
doubtedly be followed in their cases.
THE medical purpose in administer
ing morphine lac said. "is not so much
to deaden the feelings of the man cleo
trocuted as to facilitate the deadly ac-
ton of the powerful electric current.
The current acts upon the system with
quicker and surer effect because OF The
presence Of the morphine
Gunmen's Last Statements.
Whitley Lewis" and "Gyp the
Blood" issued statements to the people
of the East Side in the afternoon.
"Whitey's" was as follows:
There are many boys on the East ,
Side who are well brought up and have
good parents but who do not look out
for the company they get into. Bad
company is the cause OF their fall.
They get a bad record, and then, no
matter whether they are guilty or not.
they will be framed up Keep away
from bad company is the best mes
sage | can send them" -
Accept my statement that fellow
who earns So q week honestly is better
off than he who gets 81 900 a week II
he does not get it straight" said "Gyp
the Bloods" statement Il had the
best father and mother a 10Y ever had
but / was not good son to them: !
went the wrong way. Tell the boys or
the East Side, the boys ] know and
with whom went around raising the
devil, about the mistakes made which
could have avoided II had done the
right thing. Let them know the syna
gogue is the best home and God their
best friend. We know 1t; tell them
that.
We were supposed, the three other
fellows and 7. TO have as many friends
as any fellow. but when il came to a
showdown IL was only the synagogue
that stood by us outside OF our parents.
Stick to your school and your parents.
They know best. n 1 had my life to
! live over again I surely would follow
their advice"
In an attempt TO delay the execution
Of the four gunmen somebody tamperec
with the electric chair at Sing Sing
yesterday and the prison officials made
the discovery just in time TO prevent
the accomplishment OF that purpose.
When +. l.. Davis, the state cleo
trician, who will handle the switch,
made his last formal inspection Of the
chair in the afternoon he discovered
that various bolts had been unscrewec
and wires cut TO destroy the electrical
connection.
The mechanism OF the chair itself had
Leen so altered as TO render IL difficult
TO repair It within the required time.
The dynamo was badly damaged.
Davis at first expressed grave doubt
as to his ability to repair the damage
in time to have the executions take
place this morning. A particular kind
of dynamo is used for the electric chair.
and none could be obtained except in
New York.
Other electricianS were called In to
help Davis make repairs. and the work
| was rushed With all nA.sth'e expedl-
-