Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-07-17
GEORGE WARNER
IS ELECTROCUTED
furderer of Wife's Parents First
So Executed in the
State


innocent of this crime. do not know how
happened. Goodbye, ALL" These We're
he last words of George r.. Warner, put
o death yesterday morning by electrocu-
ion at the State prison
He was the first person to be
dectrocuted in the state of Vermont.
The execution took place, without any
lntoward incident, at three O'Clock yes
erday morning, Warner paying with his
life for the murder of the aged Mr. ana
hrs Henry Virgins of Andovcr. one of
he most brutal and cold-blooded muir
ers ever committed in the state.
The march to the chair occps-'ed scarce
a minute Warmers cell being but 10
eet away. Chaplain J. w. Rafter led
ollowed by Warden McDermott. the
prisoner walking between j. II. kimoaii
ind F.. C. Bressor, prison officials. war
Ter walked without hesitation, and was
Tot supported.
Chaplain Rafter read the 23rd fasiHh
Turing the march and while Warner was
being strapped in the chair. warner
himself assisted those strapping him by
correctly placing his arms. Then he made
lis farewell statement, by which he
meant that he was innocent of the crime
because he believed himself to have been
IRRESPONSIBLE when he committed it.
After Warner had been tightly
strapped, Chaplain Rafter, the prisoner,
and the Rev. P. C. Manner Of Jersey
City, n j., former chaplain, joined
N reciting the Lords Prayer.
And at the end of a phrase, so that
there would be no breath in Warmers
body, the current was applied
One shock of 1000 volts, 16 ampheres.
was applied. lasting one minute and IL
seconds The man was then pronounced
lead by Dr. S. II. McKewen, the prison
physician, assisted by DR.. +. L. Quigley
Of Rutland.
The current was the record amount
ever given in New England. it being two
ampheres more than usual. Warner was
short stocky man, and the electrician
Judged the voltage necessary. No
second shock was required The
body was so tightly strapped that 1t
could not lurch forward when the current
was turned on.
Warner wore the prison garb, The left
leg was slit to the knee, for the applica-
ton of the pad A second electrode was
applied to the top of the head. The
body was not dsfgured, there being
only slight burn on the left calf.
Only three minutes and IL seconds
elapsed from the time the man sat in
the chair and the time he was pronounced
dead. The current was turned on at
three, and a minute and l. seconds later
Warner was dead.
The electrician, a trained man. came
from outside the State, his name being
withheld. He said afterward that the
electrocution was one of the most sue
cessful he had ever had.
Hon
we're: Supt r. H. Walker. Chaplain
]. W. Rafter, DIR. S. H. McKewen, the
prison physician. Warden McDermott,
]. H. Kimball. F. C. Bressor prison Off
cials; the Rev p. c. Manner of Jersey
City, N. j., Superintendent Loukes of
the House of Correction, ]. C. Hibbard
Of the Windsor Journal, John T. Gushing
of the st. Adams Messenger. DR.. F. E.
Quigley Of Rutland and the electrician.
The witnesses were seated in row fac
ing the chair.
The body was removed to the Cabot
undertaking rooms and prepared for
burial. There was no autopsy.
Monday morning the body will be
taken to Simonsville to his mothers
home, where the funeral will be held
at II o'clock.
At his own request, Warner was bap-
tized Friday afternoon by Chaplain
Rafter, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Man.
GER in the presence of his mother ant
sister. He expressed his religious pref
erence as Methodism. Following hei
farewell Warmers mother returned
with her daughter to Walpole. N. H.
and will go from there to her home IL
Simonsville for the funeral.
Warner was SO years Of age. Tht
killing of the aged Mr.. and Mrs. Wig
gins on November IA, 1914, followed ;
quarrel with his wife over the divorce
Werner believed his wife's parents
had caused some of their trouble. HI
sought three victims, intending to xii
the mail carrier for reasons which h
refused to disclose.
Mr. and Mrs. Virgins were shot a
two different places, the man just a
he drove into the yard, and the woman
in the house. The bodies of both wer
dragged to the barn. where they wer
discovered. There were several bulle
wounds in the head of Mrs Virgins
An hour later the body Of Mr.. Wiggin
was found hidden under some straw.
Suspicion that all was not well a
the Virgins home was Aroused whel
phone calls were not answered Rams
dell Amsden, a son-in -law, started tn
investigation and with neighbor
found the two bodies.
A posse of 80 citizens of Cheste
hunted for Warner, who was discov
cred shortly after dark the day afte
the murder, cold and hungry and hid
den in the woods near his mother
home.