Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-23
STATES FIRST VICTIM
or ELECTRIC CHAIR


been expected, but there was little OF II
apparent The keepers who buekled
| ralap Into the chair, may have fumbled
n bit. but with all their work was
lightning quick.
DOOMED MANS STRUGGLE.
The first victim Of ;se chair relnquished
his hold on life reluctantly. At exactly
! 7:14 o'clock the drop OF a white handker-
| chief was the signal for the release OF the
| first shock. The mans body strained
against the straps as 230O volts coursed
! through his limbs. The spasmodic move
ments of the chin driven against the
death mask showed that every muscle
| was quiverlng.
| At 7:1Th the second charge was turned
on. An instant after the signal for this
a thin line of blush smoke curled upward
| like the smoke of a cigarette apparently
from the right leg Of the strapped
murderer. No delay was permitted and
the third shock was switched on at I:D.
The charge had been gradually drop
ped to 500 volts and this final charge
failed TO show any huttering life remain
ing.
Just one minute and ten seconds after
the man entered the room the first shock
of electricity was turned on. The Rev.
Antonio Ulanitzky. of Ramey. Pa, was
Talap's spiritual adviser He Joined the
doomed man early last night and stayed
with him until the end. At o'clock
this morning the priest said Mass In the
cell. The organist of his church assisted.
Talap ate a light breakfast short
time before the execution.
APPROACH OF THE END.
The rest of the time Taap spent in
prayer. Excessive care had been taken
by those in charge of the deathhouse to
see that nothing was wrong. At the last
minute he'gasoline engine that generates
current for the dynamo was started. That
muchine has been tested several times a
day in the last week This gasoline en-
gine was the first notice to Talap that
death was near. In spite of efforts to
tone down its explosions. the throbbing
noise of the machine in action penetrated
even through the 2-foot concrete walls
OF the deathhouse.
When this machine started before
o'clock this morning, Talap knew his end
was near. The electrician and all con-
cerned with the execution other than the
guards at the deathhouse arrived there
shortly before I o'clock. The first cur
rent was turned on at 7:l4 o'clock At
1921 o'clock the witnesses and newspaper
men got up and filed out of the room.
The body was taken into the autopsy
room. Relatives had made arrangements
with a Bellefonte undertaken to take the
body back to Norristown for burial. This
will be done late this afternoon.
TALAP's CRIME.
Talap gave his life for the killing of
his wife on August 8, 1913 They were
walking from Pottstown to Stowe. The
woman was found dead in the road the
next day. There was bullet hole
through her head another through her
arm. Three weeks later Talap surren-
dered. He said he had shot his wife
accidentally while showing iner his re-
volver The prosecution contended there
had been jealousy and n quarrel, and |
that this was responsible for the shooting. |
Talap was found guilty of murder in
the first degree and sentenced to be |
electrocuted.
Talap was not the first man to be
sentenced under the new State law, |
Andrew Malinowsky, of Allegheny county, |
the first got n reprieve last week until |
March 2S. He Is now in the death house.
The physicians today were DR.. F. j.
Campbell. DIR. J. w Crane, of the New
Jersey State Penitentlary. and DIR. ]. F.
Cody, physician for the Centre County |
prison.
fonte John B. Mclean. a Philadelphia |
lawyer: Sias II. Rowland, of Philadel !
ph!a; Aarcn B, Hess, of Lancaster father |
of the electrocution bill, and P. a. Johns, |
of Uniontown. DIR. E, A. Kell, of Potts
town, also was present
INsTRUMFNT OF DEATH.
All the latest appliances for the formal
taking of human life have been installed |
at the new deathhouse.
The switchboard standing just back of |
the chair and slightly to the left is so |
arranged that, after the full capacity of |
1900 volts has been thrown On. 1t automat-
ically runs down several hundred volts. |
The first shock, according to the physi-
clans renders the victim unconscious; but |
to kill the man in the chair must re-
ceiVe the exact voltage suited to his re-
sistance. If there is too much it will not
kill, hence 23OO volts are put on first, the
next shock starts at 1000 volts and runs
down to 1900.
The death house in itself is a grim
looking two-story structure built OF solid
concrete. 1t sits atop bleak, desolate-
looking hill about four and half miles
from Bellefonte
over at the squatty station of Rock
View the State owns ll,00O acres of the
countryside. Here will be
Pennsylvania's model prison
farms. So far there is nothing on the
site but the death house save a few frame
buildings to the rear one of which is the
cottage of Warden John ]. Francis. The
latter did not attend the execution.
A sample of the 20-foot concrete wall
!
acres has been erected just below the
death house. This and the house itself
stand out stark white against the drab
dreariness of the hill. Across the valley
there is mountain.
MURDERER'S LAST HOURS.
There are no windows in the death
house. Talap has not seen the sky nor
he earth since he was brought from Nor
'istown by the sheriff and two deputies a
week ago. He has spent the time until his
execution today In solitary confinement.
The man is survived by no relatives other
han his children They are all small No
me came to see him during the week
1ut the priest. He left no message for
he world and held no conversation with
my one but his spiritual adviser. Last
hight. according to the prison authorl-
les. he confessed his sins and received
lbsolution.
Talap was clothed in black trousers, |
,ray shirt and black SHOES when he was
brought into the execution chamber. He |
quirmed slightly as he approached the |
hair and turned his head to look at IL. |
II his face, rather than fear, was a look
Il curiosity He apparently was ready 10
lie ana he did not finch.
The chamber Is large room, about 20 |
" 20 feet a concrete bench runs about
hree walls of 1t for the witnesses.
Almost against the other is the chair,
,iaced in the centre OF a rubber mat
hraa al 4 |