The sun., 1919-08-03

name of the deceased the words:
Murdered by the State Of New York.
He ordered the plate ripped off before
he would surrender the body.
Matthew Johnson. another murderer,
prior to being electrocuted February
rs. 1894. plotted to kill Derrenbacher.
He had already taken three lives. ad-
nittedly. so, naturally. he thought
nothing of taking the guards too. As
Derrenbacher was about to open John
sons cell he overheard a friendly
prisoner admonish the brute: Don't
do It," Derrenbacher left the cell
locked then until he could remove the
big fire shovel and heavy poker from
the stove and lock them up. Then he
let Johnson out to exercise, but
watched him carefully.
| Meserole tells how on the eve OF
his execution Fred Mcguire burlesoued
his woes by mounting his cell bunk
and auctioning off his clothes and be-
langings to his fellow prisoners. He
had slain Mrs. Gregory at Middletown
NY.
Notorious in bygone days was Dr.
Robert Buchanan, executed on July 1,
1895, for the staying of Anna Suther-
land. In the forenoon Principal Keeper
Connaughton told Meserole to take
Buchanan's mother in to see him and
that she could remain only one hour.
Meserole let her overstay several min
utes out OF sympathy Connaughton,
unsympathetic, took him to task for
it. Mrs. Buchanan sat, hysterical, in
Warden Sage's residence while her son
was being killed in the death chamber.
Marie Barberi saved From Death.
Meserole recalls the occasion when
he was stationed over Marie Barberi,
| the first woman ever sentenced to the
electric chair. She killed her wooer,
Dominica Cataldo. in New York. and
was received by Warden Sage on July
Is, 1895. Meserole, on his own re-
sponsibility, let her and the matron
out of a stuffy room they were lodged
in on the top floor of the hospital and
| gave them the freedom of the open
attic. Meserole, always a judge Of
beauty, said "She was the homeliest
woman I ever saw" Later she got a
new trial and was discharged.
Meserole was doing deathhouse duty
when the only condemned murderer
there who ever died natural death
expired. William Caesar. 80. who took
the life Of Mary Martin in New York
! succumbed Feb. /. 1896, to heart trou-
J BILE. Although an inmate doctor pro-
! nounced Caesar dead, as did an inmate
nurse and the keepers. Connaughton
was apprehensive. He removed the body
!
| Hopper to stand watch over II all
night. "He might come back to life, =
said Connaughton. Hopper, indig.
nant. protested that he hal hired his
services to the State to guard LIVING
I prisoners and not to prevent corpses
running away or attend prison
wakes" However, he had to watch
the body all night.
Sees Caesars Ghost.
A few nights later when Carl Fle,
genbaum was put in the dead mans
cell he leaped up of his cot suddenly
and. screaming with fear. said that the
cell was haunted. Caesars ghost
tried to choke mel" exclaimed the ter.
rihed murderer who had choked hi,
wife to death in New York. DIR. Rob,
ert Irvine. prison surgeon, gave tn,
frightened prisoner a stImulant anC
had him taken out of the haunted
cell.
When John II. Barker arrived from
White Plains in 1896 to await exc
cution 1t was disclosed that he used t.
work for Meserole. He was stabl,
groom and formerly looked after tn,
keepers race horse. Meserole alsC
tells how guard got locked in thu
autopsy shed, adjoining the dealt
house, and had to stay there all night
In the dingy room was a murderer
body and outside the door was tn
carcass OF another horse killed in tn,
electric chair for experimental tests.
Van wart opened the cell for Martin
Thorn on his execution day. Thor
was the slayer of William Gulden
suppe. whom he murdered in New
York in cahoots with Mrs. Mack. Thi
crime became famous because the onl,
clue 70 the perpetrators. when tn