Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-04-13

CoolhS, ~ l., apIll 10 Typ lnc
Blood, " "Dago Frank" "Whitoy
Lewis and "Lefty Louie" were elee-
trocuted in Sing Sing prison today. The
mems real names follow: "Gyp the
ood'-Harry HOrowitz. "Dago
Frank Frank Cirofici 'rWhitoy
Lewis Frank Seidenshner. cleft 7
Louie Louis Rosenberg. They went
to the death chair respectively at 5:35,
5:4S, 5:57 and G:0S a. III. The first
died in six minutes, the second in four,
the third in five and the fourth in nine.
Not one of the four confessed. "Whitey
Lewis" was the only one of the for
who made a statement. Sitting in a
chair, awaiting his turn in the death
chamber, he said
Gentlemen, want to say a few
words for the sake CT justice. Those
witnesses who swore they saw me shoot
Rosenthal were perjurers. / swear by
God / did not shoot him.
The quartette of gunner were con.
victed of numbering Herman. Rosenthal,
New York gambler, early in the
morning of July IL, 1912. Rosenthal
had "squealed" " on the police official
he said had protected him-Lieutenant
Charles f. Becker of the "strong arm
squad" and was to have told his story
to District Attorney Whitman. =,
4. 1t was charged that Becker employed
the four to kill Rosenthal to prevent
him from testifying. Like the gun.
men, he was convicted Of murder in the
first degree and sentenced TO die. After
more than a year in the cell house he
was granted new trial and is now in
the Tombs.
Cirofici Appears Dazed.
Father Cashin, the Catholic chaplain
at Sing Sing, accompanied Cirofici TO
the death chair. The last communion
had just been given to the doomed
gunman, and he walked through "the
little green door, with the blessed
wafer on his tongue. In his hands he
carried a crucifix. He seemed dazed
and made not a sound as he was strap
ped in the chair. 'N'>h @ ->'
SSeidenshner, who came next, was
quite calm and quacered a psalm from
the Hebrew book of prayer. Rabbi
Goldstein entered the death chamber
whit him. He strobe quickly to the chair
then turned and hesitated. Two guards
pushed him into the seat and began
adjusting the straps. Seidenshner
started as the wet sponge pressed his
head and tiny stream of water trick
led into his left ear.
He began to speak as an attendant
behind him started to fit the black
electrode over his head The gunman
flinched at its touch but his voice was
firm throughout his short declaration.
The rabbi, standing with his back TO
the chair, his face working pitifully,
meantime continued to intone prayers.
AS Seidenshner finished his statement
he repeated after the Rabbi the con-
stantly recurring words: '"There is one
God, only one. ="
He was speaking the last word when
the attendant clapped the flap of the
electrode carrier across his mouth and
buekled it. Through the opening, how
ever, the prisoners s lips could still be
seen moving evidently as he muttere1
responses to the rabbi words.
Then there was brief stiffness, the
warden raised his hand and State
Electrician Davis, behind the switch
board, threw the lever over.
Dies Muttering Prayers.
Seidenshner strained eonvulsively
against the straps. His body remained
rigid for several seconds. His left hand
griped the chair tightly. His right
clutched the prayer book open at one
of the psalms. Foam bubbled from his
lips. Over his left ear a wisp CT
smoke appeared. At $50 the current
was switched off and the body sank
back inertly.
There was a brief wait, and then
another shock. Then Prison Physicians
Farr and Morenas approached opened
the gunman S shirt, applied their
stethoscopes and pronounced the victim
dead. Attendants quickly loosened the
straps and carried the corpse into the
Dlorgue behind the chair.
HOrowitz appeared half parslyzeil
with horror when he entered. His eyes
bulged, and it was evident that he was
close to complete collapse. He moved
mechanically as the guards guided hiIa
and died without word, and was prob
ably hardly conscious, the doctors said,
of what he was undergoing.
8 Rosenberg was the hardest. to kill
-Four shocks were neetied. He said
nothing and showed little emotion.