The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-31
|BECkER DIES STILL
CLAIMING INNOCENCE
II FINAL Statement Pays Highest
Tribute 90 His Wife as His
Only Legacy TO Her.
~sAcnIr1oEp TO MY FRIENDS"
n Thss Way He Attempts To Explain
\ Reason For His Conviction OF Deco
Whicl, He Declares Was n fo"'
Crime.

Crime.
New York. July so.--Charies So 81,
Nas put TO death in the eles III.
Al sing Sing soon after IA" 49,
,s-.avrsnr for the murder OF a Sta.C
r-t,re.1 Herman Rosenthal DuI5li te5
4n1 sssen1ess night which preceoeo W
ana,h Pecker had signed toflI'Ai
Arciaration If innocence WnlcH az vas
~ have delivered orally Ia the WI
ressss who faced him as ne Sa' III
the death chair. a,~od
Rut as he led the way ~ ua% 80
manner into the death Chsii'"e. -
S~aw-r chspks crsyish oiiNe llHBr'
.ha,a ,,ho has 10 he there 70 Watcn
49, dss felt that ne had been Wen
as,s.ss hv good friends, who hnaisy
Sss nsrxusSeA him while ne was
"a awaffing dawn not to ny 70 speaA
Ne thoughts 10 the rows or young
nssn whose eyes ne met for mo-
mart az he shambled into the room.
Final Declaration of Innocence.
rea statement which was head
"a nv Becker MY Dying state
yz.ent. was as follows;
.sf,ensler,en ] stand before YOU
"a r,.v fuli senses knowing that
M mower on earth can save me
from, the grave that Is to receive
me. In the face of that. in the
teeth Of those who condemn mo.
and the presence of my God
ana Your God. ! proclaim my alb
sosute innocence of the foul crime
for which must die.
ssYou are now about 20 witness
my destruction by the state;
which is organized to protect the
lives of the innocent. May Al
mighty God pardon every one
who has contributed In any de-
gree TO my untimely death.
sand now, on the brink of my
grave, / declare 20 the world that
am proud to have been the hus-
hand of the purest. noblast woman
that ever liyed--Hcien Becker.
This acknowledgment is the only
legacy can leave her. i bad YOU
all goodbye.
Father, ann ready to go.
Amen"
! A. Becker finally gave this decla-
ration out In written instead of oral
form. he therefore signed 1t Charles
Becker with a fountain pen.
His Last Message.
His very last message, which he
delivered to Father Curry FIVE minutes
before going to the chair, was brief
II ran:
Il am innocent am not ruilty
by deed or by conspiracy, or in any
other way. of the death of Herman
RosenthaL ! am sacrificed for nly
1riends''
Becksr's body was called for at Sins
EtnE at 1880 o'clock this Afternoon
~ Undertaken w, r. Struwe, OF wesi
rordham Road the Bronx. The body
was enbaimed at the prison in pre-.
paration fer It's immediate remova
today to Mrs. Beckers home in Uni
versity Avenue. the Bronx. The buria
win be in Calvary Cemetery, 1t wa!
said. early tomorrow at q time 10 b,
announced later Ia the day.
From the time Father Curry an,
Father William r. Cashin. the CathoIf
chaplain. who had been interested il
Becker's spiritual welfare ever sine,
the condemned man was received int
the Catholic Church. went to Fathe
caehin's house In Ossining TO get
few hours sleep before the trying or
deal in the death chamber. Becke
spent a last seven or eight hours on
earth without sleep or food
Last Hours Were Fully Occupied,
When Mrs. Becker said her last fare
well 10 him Ia one OF the prison offlcet
at i2.S0 o'clock this morning and mo
tored In "a taxicah back TO her Brony
home. Becker was constantly occupied
IA conferences with prison officials. II
prayer. or In looking 10 the release 70
publication Of hts final messages Il
the public
Becker had left an inner Office ant
was back IN the death house befor,
4 o'clock this morn!ng. where he re
matned until a small red door LEADING
10 the electric chair room was opened
for him at sac o'clock in the morning
or two minutes before the first shoel
Was administered which plotted con
scicDsness from htn forever.
All OF the seventeen condemned ner
Y m THE desrh fousx props Fan over,
low of eight men are housed in the Old
hut rsmcdelied. punishment cells. Will,
twenty-five new cells are nearing coYn
p3etion--were awake and waiting foI
Hecker as he returned TO his own deatl
Mpuse cell
8 The condemned men had remained
awake first so that they themsclveJ
might conduct last religious servfe,
Ter Becker and Sam Haynes. and alss
RI say their scodbyes then in cas-,
4 10 should be led away in the morn
ne while they were sleeping Tn,
1pndemned mems services. led by var.
K tons prisoners liz the death cells. in
q1nded the readings from The scrip.
IRE, the Lord : PRAYER and other pray,
n 4rs which s2toeefncr lasted ar hour
s Al 2.S0 oclook this morning. or M
hour after the death house inmates haf
0nished their final services Becker
r&ceigea most unusual Welt, consld-
erinE the hoor,the length Of the visit
Ind the visitor.
osborne's Long Call.
M Becker's caller was Warden Osborne
Nho tries 10 avoid death house visits
zach calls as concern the prison man
nEenent in general Warden Osborne
Remained in conference with Becker
Hntis O'Clock IN the morning Even
g4 general notion nf what was dis.
eAssed between Mr. Osborne ard Beck
~ Tor an hour and half could nor
4 - learned.
BALTIMOREAN BROWNS
81 e AklNG MORNING SWIM