The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-31
Ten Feet From chair.

Ten feet in front OF the middle OF the
frs, bench was the electric chair-not
a massive chair as many think, hut of
light hut solid construction Heavy
strips and loops Of leather dargled about
its legs Of tawny yellow and from the
chair arms. Five steps to the right or
the chair "a one faces II is a small red
door which Leads into the old death
chamber. now being renodelled into an
extra cell house. and then on Into the
cell room whore Becker already VAS De-
ginning his walk 10 death.
Two bright lights b!aaed high IN on
the gray ceiling Of the new death mouse.
\ step back of the chair and TO the LEFT
was 4 long lever against the wall with
an electric switch above II.
pr. Charles y. Farr. the prison physi-
clan, and his assistant. pr. Henry
Mcreness. Jr.. were waiting beside the
| electric chair.
Assistant Warden johnson was stand
| ing against the gray plasterei wall near
A., the small red door. his chin in his right
hand ard his ewes gazing tnoughtfuslE
at The floor. around the chair were
grouped four guards in blue uniforms
each ready to strap an arm or a leg to
the chair.
\ heavy twisted wire. thickly' IN
sulated. dangled above the chair, Then
back o. the chair a small, alert man,
/ bald except around the temple, ana
wearing a gray coat and trousers, q
s.r.pr! shirt. 10 v~aistcOat. a poke dot
tie and newly polished patent leather
shoes, looked over the switch ana lever
In a husinessllke way. He was the
state electrician. Al his W roqueSt
his name never IS given out Tor puoI4ca-
ton,
over near tho RED door leading to the
coils a short, roly poly little guard,
white haired whore he wasn't hald,
peeked from time to time amid the eN'
pe,tant silence through an inch wide
aperture as he opened the door very
slightly. lie heard voices and shuitiinI
feet. Then the stout little old Guard
pulled the door knob toward h!m, opened
the door and stepped aside.
Becker came into the room, hut MOI
the Becker the reporters present mac
known in the days when the powerful
head OF the strong arm squad do'ni'
neered in the Tenderloin, His body
seemed shrunken and his face showed
fear. There we're two priests In Ions
black cassocks. reading the litan'es II
steady. but subdued voices, and between
them walked the doomed man.
one leg was bare from the knee down
70 the top of the black sock and the
slashed trouser leg had been rolled NJ
into n knotty bulge, 1t wasn't the old
BECKER. hut a shadow.
He had been directed into the chair
Guards dropped down on one Knee anc
strapped apparatus to either ankle II
seconds that seemed minutes, Othei
guards as quickly swung and bucklet
strains that fastened his wrists TO tn,
arms OF the chair. \ guard reached
1.... ,Noht,,l and INev hlS head hack
The helmet was pressed down on hi
head and the dangling wire ~connecteI
with It.
Rockers weakening voice and tn
voices OF the priests were the onl.
sounds. Leather shut out his sight sud
denly forever. Almost the last tones h,
WAS physically able to utter came from
Inns that showed slightly between tn,
uppe and lower leather face bands.
The alert but unperturbed electrician
looked over Becker's read oward Dr
Farr. A slight hand movement by tn
prison physician told the electrician tina
all was ready. The electrician leane,
forward and watched Becker's chest "a
the now sIghtless man In the chair trie'
for the last time to pray. When a mo
ment later the electrician noted Becker
chest at the end OF an ~exhalation IN
elttlIlCldu Sll'b wv % WIS W ~
simultaneously. Father Curry turne
away his head from straps that la
creaked sharply.
A few minutes later a telegram, as re
ouiied by law. was being sent from IN
warden's office. It was to Gov. Whit
man and read
Charles Becker and Samuel Hayne
have been executed in conformity wit
, the law this morning, Thomas Mot
Osborne, Warden"