The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-31
Guards Fail to Buckle Chest
Strap and Body Slips
Forward.
FUNERAL SET FOR
10 O'CLOCK MONDAY
Widow Frustrated When
Body Is Brought From
Prison to Her Home.

Charles Becker was put to death in
me electric chair at Sing Sing soon
after dawn yesterday morning for the
murder OF a States witness. Herman
Rosenthal. During the sleepless night
which preceded his end Becker had
signed a formal declaration of inno-
cence which he was to have delivered
prally to the witnesses who faced him
= he sat in the death chair.
But as he led the way in a dazed
manner into the death chamber. his
drawn cheeks a grayish olive tinge.
these who had to be there to watch
him die felt that he had been we'll ad-
vised by good friends who finally had
persuaded him while he was awaiting
the dawn not TO try to speak his
thoughts to the rows of young men
whose eyes he met for a moment as he
shambled into the room.
He walked steadily enough. but
fright seemed to have dulled a bit his
sense Of place. Of direction. He stepped
somewhat too far out in front Of the
electric chair. murmurming brief re-
llgious aspirations in a voice that grew
weaker and more uncertain as frac-
tons Of seconds dragged on. and then
with an uncertain, undulating move
ment Of his head he found the chair
with a backward glance and slightly
TO his right and sat down In 1t.
Voice Becomes Husky.
Most Of all the quaver In his voice
showed how close his big boned frame
was to collapse.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph assist me
IN my last agony" he echoed the lit
tie prayer the priests near him were
saying. Lord have mercy on us!
Christ have mercy on u.s." he repeated
end repeated in a short, chOppy way.
The words as Becker said them
might have been the rapid repetition
Of hypnotic formula. They came
faster and faster as seconds passed.
fear crowding them into a low quaver
Of sound as he was strapped into the
cha!r-strapped with so much excited
hurry cn the part Of the guards that
Unnecessary horror was added to the
last moments Of the scene.
His voice grew huskier as It be-
came less audible. He tried to clear
It with a short. hard cough as the
black robed arm OF Father Cashin ad-
vanced across the chair to place a
crucihx momentarily against the
doomed mans lips. There was no
fervency, seemingly no understanding
On Becker's part OF the act as he
pressed his lips against the Cross
rather as the crucifix was placed
against his lips by the priest.
Jesus. have mercy on me-" he said
brokenly at last, the face straps which
now shut out the light from his eyes
forever adding to terror in muffiing
his words. In a last supreme effort he
Easped Into Thy hands. o Lord.
commend my -"
Flash stills His Voice.
On the instant there was a green fash
ne great chest shot forward and he wa
voiceless before he could say the fina
soul" For full minute a trickle o
smoke arose. The body sank back thei
as II from a slow sagging within, sho
forward a second time. while the crucifi,
gripped in the right hand slanted out
ward, sagglng and strained third tim,
and Charles Becker. was pronounced
dead.
II was at the moment OF the frs
L i1t
while strapping to the chair the mos
noted criminal executed at Sing SIM
for generation or longer. discovered
that they had done their first work 81
hurriedly that unnecessary grewsome
ness was added to the official killing
Wrists, forelegs and head had bee,
properly buckled 10 the chair. but whel
u came to fastening one OF the larges
and most important straps OF all--th
wide band OF leather that should hav
heId Becker's back securely against tn
electric chair--the guards in their furr
rrst drew the chest strap NO that
went around the outside OF his uppe
arms instead Of around the chest unde
the arms.
:. In sill greater hurry the guards u
eharse Of the chest strap upon noticing
her mistake loOsened the buckle an
ed1lsted the strap properly. But mex
mey forgot to fas,en the chest stra
buckle.
Covering slips From Face.
Therefore when the nameless stat
'er'ririan caught the signal that al
was ready and threw on the hrst contac
o' current Becker's chest, with no stra
puckled to hold II back, strained man
inches further forward than II woul'
Continued on Third Page.