The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-31
sits Motionless In Chair.

~
Gentlemen he said in a steady. fer
vent voice to the witnesses ranged in
front OF him, 81 die strong in Christ"
Those were his only words from tho
moment he came into the little room
until his death. Throughout the strap
ping and adjustment of the apparatus he
sat in the chair m~Otionless except for u
slight movement of his lips as he prayed
silently.
Becker was officially pronounced dead
nj $50 \. NJ. and carried away. The
official pronouncement OF Haynes Ceath
was made thirteen minutes later and he
too was carried to the autopsy room
just back OF the electric chair by tho
white clad lnternes OF the prison los
pital.
The statement which Becker had hoped
TO make verbally in the death chamber
until ~d!ssuaded from trying to do so by
his closest advisers was supplementary
10 the statement he addressed TO Gov.
Whitman on Thursday and released for
publication that night after his lawyers
and others had persuaded him to tone
down the original. He wrote a title AZ
the head of this second statement. MY
Dying Declaration.
After he had made his confession and
had received communion from his spirit
ual adviser, the Rev. Father James
Curry, Becker. five minute before the
march 20 the death chamber was begun,
CAV out his tinal brief statement.
As Becker finally gave his declara.
ton out In written instead OF oral form
he therefore signed It. Charles Becker
with a fountain pen.
HIS very last message. which he de
livered to Father Curry five minutes be.
fore going TO the chair. was brief. I,
ran:
II am innocent. I am not guilty by
deed or by conspiracy or In any othel
way OF the death Of Herman Rosenthal
! am sacrificed for my friends"
Neither Sleeps Nor Eats.
From tho time Father Curry ant
Father william +. Cashin. the Catholi,
chaplain. went to Father Cashin's hous.
In Ossin!ng to get a few hours sleeI
before the trying ordeal in the dealt
chamber, Becker spent his last seven OF
eight hours on earth without sleep o.
food. After Mrs. Becker had said he
last farewell TO him In one of the prison
offices at IL 80 A. NJ Becker was con
stantly occupied In conferences will
prison officials. In prayer or In look
ing after the release for publication o
HIS INA i1cbsdEcS 70 INC PUBIC,
Becker had left an inner Office ant
was back in the death house before
o'clock. where he remained until a small
red door leading TO the electric chai
room was opened for him at AZ In tn
morning. or two minutes before the frs
shock was administered which blotte,
consciousness from him forever.
All OF the seventeen condemned mel
In the death house proper--an over
flow OF eight men IL housed In the oil,
but remodelled punishment cells Will
twenty-five new cells are nearing com
pletion-were awake n waiting 70
Becker as he returned to his own dealt
house cell.
The condemned men had rename,
awake so they themselves might con
duct a last religious service for Becke
and Sam Haynes n also to say thei
good-bys, Their services. led by varl
Gus prisoners In the death cells, in
cluded readings from the Scripture. tn
Lords Prayer and other prayers whicl
altogether lasted an hour.
At $3.50 o'clock, or an hour after tn
death house inmates had finished thel
service, Becker received a most un
usual visit, considering the hour, tn
length of tho visit and the visitor.
Becker's caller was Warden Osborn,
who tries to avoid death house visit
unless such calls concern the prisoI
management In general. Warden Os
borne remained In conference wit
Becker until I o'clock. Even a genera
notion of what was discussed betwee
Mr.. Osborne and Becker during the hou
and a half they talked together In 10,
tones could not be learned.
When Mr.. Osborne had left the deaf
house Becker made a request tina
showed the affection In which he hel
his wife. 4 photograph of Mrs. Becke