The sun., 1917-08-31
TWO MILLION CHEER
$4,000 GUARDSMEN
DEPARTING FOR WAR
FAILS TO SAVE
Joseph. Mulh0lland Is Exc
cuted for Brutal Murder of
Mrs. Nichols.

While thousands Of mothers. with
pride shining through the tears. watched
their sons swing gallantly down Fifth
avenue yesterday on tho frst leg Of the
journey "over there" which might end
in "No Mans Land" one mother. frail.
pale and trembling with fear. made her
way through tho crowd to the doors Of
the Union League Club. For an hour she
had stood directly In front of the club
stand on Fifth avenue casing steadfastly
at Gov. Whitman Now and then she
would turn to the stalwart youths In
khaki marching by and q wistful. long
ing look came to her tired eyes.
Finally she reached the doors OF the
club. and in a quavering voice insisted
upon seeing Gov. Whitman. Questioned
by inspector Dwyer the little woman
said she wanted to see the Governor to
make one last plea for the life Of her
only son. whose execution in the electric
chair for murder was to take place be-
fore sunrise to-day-and did. The other
their sons would meet their end. and
thus their grief be mitigated. For her
there could be only shame.
Was Mothers birthday.
She was Mrs, Joseph Mulholland, and
yesterday was her flftieth birthday. Her
story, so dramatic and pitiful. moved In
spector Dwyer to send word to the Gov
ernor. George T. Wilson. in the Gov
ernors party, came to the door and
heard the sad hearted woman's plea. As
gently as he could ne told Mrs Mulhol-
land to go to the st. Regis Hotel and
await the return Of the Governor from
the review Of the Guard troops.
And In the lounge room Of that fash
ionable hotel. at the close Of one Of the
most dramatic days in the history Of
New York. the frail little woman. Sob
bling and on the verge Of a collapse,
made a last. vain plea for her boy.
Laughing girls escorted by gay soldiers
passed through the lobby while this
story was being told.
Gov. Whitman and his aid, Major F. ].
V. Hoppin, who listened to Mrs. Mulhol-
lands plea. were unable to conceal their
feelings. but the Governor, with bowed
head and a catch in his voice. huskily
Informed Mrs. Mulholland that the law
must take its course, that he could not
interfere. The little woman would not
a
boy-her only support. She knew he
couldn't be guilty of the brutal murder
for which he was convicted. II the
Governor could only know him and talk
to him he would see for himself that
Joe" was innocent Joe" was all she
had surely the Governor wouldn't let
him be taken from her.
There were tears In the Governors
eyes as he gently took the trembling, an
guished mother by the hand and brokenly
repeated that he could not interfere {;
that he had examined closely the evil
dence against her son and the law must
take its course.
Permitted to See Son.
With a heartbroken moan Mrs. Null
holland sank back on the lounge Con-
soling herself. she sobbed a request for
permission to see her Joe" before he
died. The Governor quickly assented,
and inquired II she had sufficient funds
to take her to Sing Sing. Mrs. Mulhol-
land said she had and then. kissing the
Governors hand. she went quickly out
OF the hotel. presumably to take a train
to Sing Sing.
1t was fully Ave minutes before the
Governor was sufficiently composed to
talk to the newspaper men. who wit
messed the tense scene from a distance
There is nothing l would rather have
done than to make that sweet little
woman happy" said the Governor. But
the guilt OF her son Is unquestioned. He
was convicted OF a most atrocious mur-
der and the law must take its course.
Joseph Mulholland was convicted of
the murder Of Mrs. Elizabeth Nichols, a
wealthy widow, who was done to death
In her home two years ago at East
Seventy-ninth street. The motive was
robbery, and the evidence clearly con-
victed young Mulholand.