The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-04-16
BAMBERG, S. c., THURSDAY,A APRIL 16, 19l4
GCNMEN DIE IN CHAIR.
"Dago Frank" EXOnerateS Becker
in Statement.

Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, \. Y,
April 13.-The four gunner convict
ed of the murder of Herman Rosen-
thai died in the electric chair at Sing
Sing prison at break of day this
morning. None confessed his guilt.
Frank Seidenschner ("Whitey
Lewis") made a statement, but he
did not fatty assert his innocence.
"Gentlemen," he mumbled, as they
strapped him in the chair. Il did not
shoot at Rosenthal. Them who said
l did was perjurers. For the sake
of justice, l say l did not. The wit
ness, Stannish-'
"Whitey' did not finish the SEN
tence. The strange harness had been
adjusted and the current threw his
body forward in the chair. He had
meant to say that Stannish, a waiter
and a witness at the murder trial,
had lied, but death interviewed.
Seidenschner was the second man
to die. "Dago Frank" (Frank)
Cirofci) came first. t'Gyp the
Blood" (Harry Horowitz) was third
and Lefty Louie" (Louis Rosen-
berg, last.
Over in Forty Minutes.
In forty minutes fiat all four were
dispatched. This time would have
been shortened had it not been for
the overcrowding of newspaper re-
porters. Their numbers necessitated
a. shifting of witnesses for each exc
cution.
There was no untoward incident
throughout the procedure. All walked
quietly to the chair and only their
quaking knees and the sickly green
pallor of their faces attested that the
realization of death was upon them.
William E. Cashin, Roman Catho-
lie chaplain of the prison, accompani-
ed "Dago Frank" to the chair. With
"Whitey Lewis" and "Gyp the Blood
was Rabbi Joseph Goldstein, of New
York. Rabbi Mayer Koofstein, long
the spiritual adviser of the Rosen-
berg family, stood by Lefty Louie. -
Priest and rabbi alike averted their
drawn faces from the chair of death,
struggled to control themselves as
they intoned a prayer for the dying.
After the Electrocution.
"Gentlemen," said Rabbi Gold
stein, as he left the death chamber,
''if you ask me whether the Jewish
boys were guilty, will say l do not
know. They did not confess to me.
AS for the Italian, I do not believe
he was at the scene of the crime. l
do not think any Of them should have
been convicted on the testimony Of
fered."
An anaemic moon still hung in the
sky when those who were to witness
the executions gathered in front of
the prison. Faint lights glimmered
at corridor ends of the buildings, but
no sound came from within. The
hideous noises which convicts have
been said to emit when one of their
number is to die were spared those
who waited.
Dawn was breaking over the hills
when the witnesses were admitted
to the bare court yard of the death
house. Many were ashen-faced and
trembling. From printed list a
clerk read off the names of those
who were to see the first man die.
A moment more and the door of the
death chamber had closed behind
them. Warden Clancy had announc-
ed that "Gyp the Blood would die
first, followed by Lefty Louie,
"Dago Frank" and "Whitey Lewis"
Dago Frank First.
But as it transpired the man who
first came through the little iron
door at the right was 'Dago Frank.
He had shown signs of collapsing and
it was deemed expedient to shield
him from the ordeal of waiting.