New Britain herald., 1917-12-14
Wise Executions IS
RECORD FOR STATE
Condemned Murderer Attempts to
Speak as Hood Is Adjusted
TRIES TO SMILE AT DEATH
Slayer of Anna TObin Walks Calmly
to Death and Life is Extinct Thir-
teen Seconds After Prisoner Steps
Into Execution Chamber.

Into Execution Chamber.
Can say something's" These
words uttered in muffled tone, were
the last that will ever come from
the lips of William j. Wise, the con-
victed slayer of Mrs. Anna Tobin.
the soldier-waiter having gone to his
death in the execution room of state
prison shortly after midnight this
morning. In the annals of the Weth-
ersfield institution, the hanging was
the Quickest ever performed. Nine
minutes and fifty-eight seconds after
he entered the death house at
12:0S:28, his body was lowered into
a pine box and turned over to
Jewish undertaken for interment in
the Old North cemetery in Hartford.
Members of Jewish societies arranged
for the burial.
With the exception of the attempt
to speak on the part of the condemned
man, the affair was conducted with
out incident. 1t had been frequently
said that fears were entertained that
the murderer might collapse at the
final stage of the affair." but he did
not Walking with an unfaltering
step to the gallows, Wise seemed to
take his fate in philosophical man
ner.
AS he entered the death house he
held his head erect, and glanced
quickly at the prison attendants and
newspapermen. He then backed into
the position under the moose. AS the
black hood was about to be adjusted
Wise's lips parted and he uttered the
above exclamation. The prison at
tendants, however, paid no attention
to him and went about their work as
if nothing had occurred. Warden
Garner sprung the trap at 12:O8:41,
exactly IS seconds after the prisoner
had entered the death chamber.
Drs. E. G. Fox and r. j. Ryan.
the prison physicians, applied the
stethoscOpe almost imm ediately after
the body had been lowered slightly.
1t was exactly 12:17:3O when all
signs of heart. action had become ex-
tinct and death was officially pro-
nounced.
Tries to SIniIt.
NiSo'S final day on ear1h WAS With
out incident. according to prison ON
clalS- The prisoner spent {; very u1lict
day and the only visitors who saw him
were Rabbis Walfich, of Hartford.
and Rosenberg, Of this city. The for
mer accompanied the condemned man
as far as the door of the death house
from the steel cage, but Rabbi Rosen-
berg left the building a few minutes
before the execution. Wise partook Of
his meals with apparent relish. He
read some during the daytime. and
last evening he lay on. the small cot
as he conversed with his spiritual ad =
V1sers. The air shown by the con-
demned man up to the last did not
appear to be a forced bravado Wise
tried very hard to smile this morning.
with grim death staring him in the
face. He looked somewhat pallid
His hair was neatly combed, and
some appearances of the dapper youth
who first became known in a Church
street restaurant were shown until the
last.
None of Wise's relatives was on
hand to bid him goodbye yesterday
a sister and father of the executed
man having been at the prison, Mon
day. when the board of pardons re-
jectcd the request for a Communication
to life Imprisonment from the SEN
tence of death.