South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-02-20
BY JOHN HENRY ZUVER.


MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. Feb. 20
Shrouded in robes OF black, with white
shirt fronts and collars, and black
neckties. covering complete new suits
Of underwear, all donned by them
selves during their last 30 minutes
glimpse OF earth and in preparation
for the caskets in which their dead
bodies now rest, Harry Rasica, age 40.
late OF Nincennes. and John ".
Chirka. 30. of Indiana Harbor, paid
the Indiana legal penalty for mur-
der in the electric chair at the state
prison here during the first hour OF
this Friday
Rasica, who murdered his wife a-
Terre Haute last Sept l3. and then
shot his child. and, ON sept. "a was
sentenced 10 die by Judge Fortune of
the Vigo county circuit court carries
with him into eternity the distin-
guished record of being the irst man
to suffer capital punishment by cleo
trOcUtiOn in this state, marking In
dianas return TO barbarism after
seven years of freedom from the
legalized murder that he underwent.
Both Wife Murderers.
Chirka, the other victim, carries
with him the record OF being the last
man executed under that same bar
barrie law, al least for a while. lie
also was a wife murderer. the crime
being committed last May 20, sentence
being imposed by Judge Mcmahon IN
the Lake county circuit court al
Crown Point Sept. p.
The executioners made quick work
Of their job.
Rasica was taken from the death
cell Immediately after midnight at
1907 the electric current was turned
on. and az 1915 Drs. Paul r Bowers
and James W. Mnligan, prison ply
sicians. pronounced him dead.
The death trip for Chirka began as
soon as Rasica's corpse could be re-
moved and at 1890 the electricity
was turned into his body. Physicians
pronounced Chirka dead at l2;3S.
Eight Minutes in Each Case.
1t required exactly eight minutes in
each case TO dispatch the two men
into eternity OF a certainty. The same
amount Of electricity. 800 volts, We're
used in each instance.
Sitting in the office OF Clerk Ar
thur =. Reed, who presided ar a
luncheon INDUCED in by the press
representatives during the develop
ments. il was noticeable that he grew
particularly interested in other sub
jects on two occasions when for a Few
moments the electric lights lost a por-
ton of their bTilliancy, and gained
some in flickering.
IT was easy enough however. -
guess what was going on In the hos
pital ward where the gallows once
were
It was social manslaushter put on
for n horrible example" refusing 10
DO its work without throwing out
some hint Of defiance 20 that statutory
imposed hypocricy. that made OF it. a
star chamber" performance.
Aside from the two physicians and
the condemned men, Warden Edward
J. Fogarty. Deputy Warden George
w. Kesters0u. Rev. IT. John IT,.
Bleckmann. Catholic chaplin. too
gcther with the electricians and Off
cial aides. no others We're present
IL is doubtful if there was a prison
er asleep during the appointed hour.
but there was mo- disturbance While
there was resentment among the cou-
victs nj the return Of the death peu-
altv 10 the prison. some months ago,
they along with the officials. and tie
men who We're 90 suffer it. appear I'D
have become fully reconCUed. Rasicl
and Chlrka bid each other good bIr.
u meet each other 0r not in the next
world. just as though they were re-
firing for The niEht only.
Only Bare Results Given out.
Every effort was made by Warden
Fogarty and prison ATTACHES ta keep
Everything secret connected 30 tEe
execution. except thr nat. .fs a-
required by laW so one would lel
who turned the fatal buttou- TotbiuE
would De- said of the evident pains or
lack - them. that came with tta
shock.
1T was success said the Nar-
den. and ne would bulge no furtht-
except 10 add that he was saving So.
not only Officially. but because IL VS.
true. lt was also cleaned from con-
versation. that the two men went 20
their doom uufinchingly.
Warden FogarJy did youchsafe tbs
much
'Great credit IS due Dee said. 500
Father RI-csaann fcr the able n1an-
uer in which ne has handled fh0-s
men since it became definitely Snowa