South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-04-13
Il Am About to be Executed Because the
People Who Said They Saw Me Shoot
Rosenthal Were Perjurers,' He Cries Just
as Current ShriveIs His Body
CIROFICI MEETS HIS DOOM FIRST;
EXECUTIONS TAKE SO MINUTES
BY FRANK CHARLTON.


day dawned over the gray walls of
Sing Sing prison the four young gun
men, convicted of assassinating Her
man Rosenthal in front OF the Hotel
! MetropOle in New York city, on the
morning of July 16, 1912, were put to
/ death today in the electric chair.
None of the men confessed in the
/ death chamber True to their predic-
/ tions they died game.
/ it required just thirty-nine minutes
| to execute the gunmen, who went to
! their death in this order:
First, Frank CirOfici, alias 'DagO
Frank; Jacob Seidenschner, alias
/ Frank Mueller and Whitley Lewis /;
Harry Horowitz, alias "Gyp the
| Blood; and Louis Rosenberg, alias
| Lefty Louie.
None of Men Confess.
Stolid and hardened to the last mo-
ment of their lives, none of the gun
men said a word that might be con-
strued in the light of, a confession.
Whitley Lewis" alone made a state
ment in the death chamber. 1t was a
| hasty, jerky assertion that the wit
nesses who swOre that he had shot
Rosenthal were perjurers
Whitley" was on the verge Of col
| lapse. He suffered an emotional
breeN down in his cell at the last mo-
ment. This unexpected turn of affairs
compelled the order of execution to be
changed at the last moment Whitley"
was shaking and his face was ashen.
! Only the sounds of the electricians
| strapping the electrodes upon the con-
demned man broke the deathly still
ness OF the death house. Warden
7 Clancy had been told that the gunman
had something TO say. but 1t was not
! known whether or not is was confess
sion. AS soon as he was seated Seid-
enSchner began:
Denies His Guilt.
Gentlemen, ] am convicted Of muir
der. l am not guilty of shooting Her
man Rosenthal 1 did not fire the
shot. I am innocent and ] am about
! to be electrOcuted because people who
said they saw me shoot Herman Ro-
senthal were perjurers. 1 want you
all" The mans voice died away
in his throat TO a choking sob, for the
deadly current had suddenly been
turned on. The body writhed in the
straps and heaved until it seemed al
most to be bursting. Suddenly it went
| limp.
The mother and sister Of Frank
CirofCi and the father of Rosenberg
arrived at the prison shortly after 4
o'clock. The old man fingered outside
refusing to enter. The women went to
stay until the last mOmen. with the
condemned son and brother They
had come on an early train from Al
bany, where a last appeal had been
made TO Governor Glynn to act The
prison officials showed the women to
the death house. There they remain
ed within a few feet Of the grewsOme
electric chair. until guards in a kindly
manner led them away to a reception
room in the Office Of the warden.
BY the time fixed for the invited
witnesses to report the warden's office
was besieged by two hundred men.
One woman, who had accompanied
her husband TO the scene, fingered out
side
There was places for only nineteen
men at each execution. Four squads
were formed in the yard. At $50
o'clock the first squad was herded into
the room OF death.
CirOfici First Victim.
Frank Cirofci was the first To enter
the death chamber. He was making
an effort to walk upright. but there
seemed to be a weight at his knees
which dragged him down. The young
Italian bore a crucifix in each hand
and he was accompanied by the Rev
Father Cashin. a Roman Catholic
priest, who intoned his service rapidly.
No time was lost by the four guards
They placed the gunman in the chair
and quickly fastened on his head the
metal hood and to his limbs the cleo
trode that completes the fatal circuit
Then the gunman lost the bold front
OF the underworld. He was utterly
unmindful OF the activities about him
and the stares Of the spectators. His
face was chalky-white.
Then the signal was given. CiTofici
was given two shocks one OF four
seconds and the second Of five seconds.
Then the prison doctor pronounced
him dead The body was at once car
ried TO another room where an au-
topsy was held. CirOfCi was picked 10
go first because he was the weakest.
There had been frequent rumors that
he would confess at the last minute
and reports from the death house had
it that his mother and sister pleaded
with him 10 the last not 10 die with
the secret in his bosom.
AS soon as the witnesses OF the first
execution had left the room the sec
end squad was marshalled in The
little green door" swung open and
Whitley Lewis" appeared. His face
was haggard and his eyes were full Of
fear. All semblance Of color had de-
parted. It was almost blue in its pal
Tor. He staggered along like man
under the spell OF a strange intoxica-
ton His feet and brain seemed 10 be
strangers.
Takes Oath on Innocence.
IF this man makes a statement"
said Warden Clancy. "and you do not
understand IL. you must not ask him 10
repeat IT,"
Whitley" slipped unsteadily before
the chair He reeled. The four
guards picked him up like child and
placed him in the instrument Of death.
Seidenschner tried 10 raise his right
hand for attention. Then came his
denunciation Of his accusers as per