The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-04-14
.GANGSTERS MEETD DEATH
WITH THEIR LIPS SEALED
Whitley Lewis" Makes Short
Statemene.
LEFTY LOUIE" LAST TO 80
'Dago Frank" the First to 60, Col
lapses and Has to he Carried
TO the Death Chamber.

Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, n. Y.
April 13.-The four gunmen convict
ed of the murder OF Herman Rosen-
thai died in the electric chair at Sing
Sing prison at the break OF daw
this Easter Monday morning Nom
confessed his guilt and none mention
ed the name of Charles Becker. the
/ former police lieutenant found gail
ty of instigating Hthe murder, but
saved by court OF appeals reversal
WHITLEY MAKES STATEMENT.
OF the four who died, Frank Sci
denshner ("Whitey Lewis") made
the only statement. Even he did not
fatty assert his innocence.
Gentlemen" he mumbled as thcr
strapped him in the chair did not
shoot at Rosenthal. Them who said
I did was preiurers. For the sake Of
Justice. gentlemen, say did not.
The witness Stannish-'
Whitley did not finish the sen
tence. The strange harness had been
adjusted and the current throw his
body forward in the cnair He had
meant to say that Stannish, waiter
and a witness at the murder trial
had lied; but death intervenel.
"DAGO" FRANK CAME TTHST.
Seidenshner was the second man
to die. "Dago Frank" Crank Giro
fici) came first. ."Gyp the Blood"
Harry Horowitz) was the third and
Lefty Louie" Uouis Rosenberg
last.
In 40 minutes fiat all four wore dis
patched. This would have -nan short
ened had it not been for tho over
crowding of newspaper reporters
Their number necessitated . shifting
of witnesses for each execution.
VIM, m
There was no untoward incident
throughout the procedure All walk
ed quitley to the chair and only their
Quacking knees and the sickly green
pallor of their face attested that the
realization Of death was upon them.
William r. Cashin, Roman Catho-
lie chaplain Of the prison, acconpain-
ed "Dago Frank" to the chair. With
Whitley Lewis and "Gyp the Blood
was Rabbi Joseph Goldstein of New
York. Rabbi Mayer Kopftein, long
the spiritual advier OF the Rosenberg
family stood by Lefty Louie" Priest
and rabbi alike averted their drawn
face from the chair OF death, strug-
CLING to control themselves as they
intoned a prayer for the dying.
'entlemen,' aid Rabbi Golrstein
a he left the death chamber, eff you
ask me whether the Jewish boys were
guilty, / will say I 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. do not think
any of them should have been CON
victed on the testimony offered"
An anaemic moon still hung in the
sky when those who were to witness
the executions gathered in front of
the prion. FAINT lights glimmered at
corridor ends OF the building, 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.
"DAGO FRANK COLLAPSES.
Dawn was breaking over the hills
when the witnesses were admitted to
the bare courtyard OF the death
house. Many were ashen-faced and
trembling. From a printed list a
clerk read off the names of those who
were to see the first man die. a mo-
ment more and the door of the death
chamber had closed behind the War
den Clancy had announced that "Gyp
the Blood" would die first, followed
by Lefty Louie" "Dago Frank" and
Whitley Lewis" but as it transpired
the man who first came through the
little iron door at the right was Dago
lapsing and IL wa deemed expedient
to shield him from the ordeal of wait
ing.
The head and leg sponges were
then wet and Headkeeper McInerney,
acting on a signal from the warden,
went to the death cell There he
found Cirofci in prayer with Father
Cashin. The condemned man clutch
ed cruciiX in each hand as he was
led into the presence of death. He
had to be supported by two keepers.
In the lis could be heard the muir
mur OF the other slayers IN their sup
plications. The warden and atten-
dants stepped back from the rubber
mat.
'Oh. God, meet my God" gasped
the Italian. The state electric IN
turned the switch.
WHITLEY LEWIS CAME NEXT.
A new lot OF witnesses filed in.
Then through the little door came
Whitley Lewis" The statement that
he never finished was on his Hps as
he entered. The attendants. fearing
shocking spectacle of hysterfe.,
sought to soothe him.
A current 1920 voults with
slightly tighter amperage than had
been used on Cirofici took his life.
The switch was first closed at
5:47:36 and he was pronounced
dead at SAP.
At 5:56 "Gyp the Blood" was
brought in. He had a Jewish PRAYER
book in his hand and Rabbi Cold
stein walked by his side. Listen,