Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-08-03
Miseellaneous Reaaing.
THE DEATH HOUSE.
One Who Has Been There Tells OF the

Ll0ulSUd1l SlldllCS DCShSAB
ly Of the New York police force, was
electrocuted early Friday morning in
the death chamber at Sing Sing pris-
on. Roland B. Molineaux was tried
for murder, convicted and spent sew
eral months in the death house, an
occupant of one Of the little cells
where Becker spent his final hours OF
life. Molineaux wrot of his expe-
riences there in a book, 1.-The Room
With the Little Door," published by
Dillingham;. He gives this descrip-
ton Of a mans last day and night;
the few remaining hours before the
little door opens to admit him to the
execution chamber:
There are unwritten laws and can
ons for all important occurrences In
the death chamber. I do not mean
the prison rules; but the way I'VE"
have Of doing things. For instance,
the new arrival, after he has passed
through all formalities at the officials
hands, and they are many, is initiated
by "us'' on the first night passed In
our society.
This is an ancient and honorable
custom, and like all limitations, a Sc
cret. These fixed ceremonies occur all
through his long and brutal life In
the death chamber. Long, for even
a short stay in it makes him old;
brutal, because his punishment is
death. Is that not enough? And to
add thereto years Of solitary confine-
ment is to kill him not once, but over
and over again. The system Is all
wrong Oh, the years in the Dealt
chamber! The loneliness, the quiet.
Hell must be a quiet place.
When at last it is drawing to a
close, when the governor has refused
to interfere, the officials proceed In
this On Saturday the for
tunate ONE on stepping from his bath
is ordered into a new cell-the one
next to the little door" leading to
the execution chamber. Here he re-
ceives everything new; new bedding.
new clothes from head to foot, and
then his knicknacks, pipe, tobacco,
boxes, books and the package of let
tiers from home, ragged and blurred
from reading and re-reading; all have
been carefully searched. He receives
something else, for this change in it
self is his notice that one week from
the following Monday he will be NOV
ed again. No questions are ever ask
ed; he has seen it all before; but
should he ask, the only reply will be,
II don't know"
From that moment a certain un-
written etiquette among Us is never
violated. His own way in everything
as far as we can possibly comprehend
it, is our law. Does he ask for a song
or story, his demand is acquiesced
with at once. Will he play checkers?
He may choose his opponent, and he
will always win. We send him our
oranges, the top layer from the box
of cigars one has purchased. We do
anything, everything we can to please
him. Has there been a quarrel be-
tween him and another, it Is COM
pletelY forgotten. On his part, he
must make the CHASTITY regulation
jokes during the week. These are two
in number, one with the keeper about
the new suit of clothes: II suppose
you will be wearing this week after
Number two is with the bar
Der: Don't forget to cut my hair
short on top" From now on the
death watch" (two keepers) sits in
front Of his cage every night. During
this week occur the greatest horror
we are called upon to bear, l. e., to
hear the last farewell Of our COM
panion to mother, wife, sister or child.
While listening to their cries we an
ticipate the agony in store for those
we love. My heart bleeds when 1
what 1 have heard in the
death chamber. 1t is unspeakable. !
cannot write of it.
Then comes the last night. Every
thing must be done very exactly now.
Our code prescribes for everything;
nothing must be omitted, no custom
be violated. The early evening
passes as usual. Generally he asks
for songs, perhaps he will sing n
himself. That is as it may be. But
at midnight the last rites among us Of
the death chamber take place. The
keeper comes to my cell carrying,
perhaps. the little paper box my de-
parting friend has kept his tobacco
in SO long; one that he made and
himself.
Keep that to remember me by" I
hear from the direction of the little
door.
Thank you," 1 reply.
"Good-by. 1 hope you have luck
and get out" is the next part of the
ritual.
1 must respond, Thank you. Good
by and God bless YOU"
This is repeated with each one sep
arately. He gives everything away,
books, pipe and all. For six months
he has just been turning over in his
mind just what treasure each Of his
companions shall receive when the
last night comes. The responses new
er vary. They are now as they were
ten years ago; they will be the same
twenty years from now if hal hell on
earth is still in existence.
No one speaks to him or to any one
else after that. He is reading and re-
reading each Of those letters for the
last time and destroying them. We
hear him tearing them up n by one.
Swish, swish, swish" Then it is
quiet, very quiet in the death cham
Der. 1 am not sleepy; the other fell
lows do not seem to be sleepy. They
reading. I sit UP and write this;
tomorrow 1 will write the other half.
1 have often read in the newspapers
of the supposed meal partaken Of by
the departing guest furnished from
the warden's table," No newspaper
reporter seems able to resist a de-
Scription of the last breakfast, and no