The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-01-30
NOTED CRIMINAL
WAS ELECTR0CUTED
| GORDON FAWCETT HANDY PAID
PENALTY FOR CRIME IN
SING SING PRISON

OSSINING, new OfK-lby "A. r.
The body of Gordon Fawcett Ham
| by, notorious murderer and bandit,
who was electrocuted in Sing Sing
prison last night for murder, was
buried here today.
Career of Noted Criminal.
Gordon Fawcett Handy, the bandit
who today expiated his crimes in the
death chair, was arrested in Tacoma,
Wash, last June under the name of
"Jay B. Allan" after killing man
there in revolver fight. He was
later identified as one of the two rob
bers who, on December 23, 1918, held
up the East Brooklyn Savings Bank
and, after killing two of its employees,
escaped in an automobile with
$4,000.
Extradited to New York and tried
for his crime Handy stood revealed
as self-confessed participant in the
robbery of thirteen banks and two
trains and many killings. He steadi-
ly refused to tell anything about his
family. He said he preferred to be
known as "Allan" and that he was
born in 1898 in Alberta, Canada. He
declared his parents were dead and
that he had two brothers whom he
had not seen for five years. He said
he was a college graduate and had
specialized in psychology.
After Hamby's conviction here, his
attorney, against the prisoners
wish appealed the caee. He obtained
the appointment of a commission to
determine the bandits sanity but the
higher court affirmed the verdict and
he was also found to be normal"
He freely admitted his crimes and |
said he was wanted in Chicago, San
and other places. After
the Brooklyn robbery, Handy said he
met girl in New York and that they
went successively to Boston, Phila- |
cago, California and Tacoma.
"I was surprised the California
police did not get me-" he said, short
ly after being brought East. "Then
in Tacoma | got in that political row
with Bob Davis and killed him. Bob
was game fellow and I'm sorry
shot him but was afraid he was go
ing to get me. After that l was all
ready to beat it to Shanghai, China,
and now here l am"
81 expected to get $4,000 out of {
the Brooklyn job" he confided, "and
l was greatly disappointed at the :
little we did get. This was because
ny partner did not carry out my in
structions. had ordered him to :
Jump over the rail the minute we
the place but he was an )
amateur and wasted too much time.
It took him about four minutes to q
oick up what money we did get when :
t should not have taken more than
, minute" !
"Who was your partner in the a;
Brooklyn robbery?" he was asked.
"I don't care to say. / don't want !,
o implicate him He is married and :
think by this time has left the =
ountry. / met him first at Norfolk, .
"a, short time before the Brook :
yn Job"
Handy said he had never had any =
accomplicts in any of his
obberies "because they talk too s
much" The day he was brought to
Sing Sing the prisoner was asked +
What interest" he had in life. He +
lighted a cigarette and watched the u
match burn itself down and go Sout
efore he replied: 4
'sThe only interest / have is to !,
ee that / spend the time from now +
ntil l go to the electric chair in n
reading and making myself II
ible chance of acquittal. / am guilty iu
nd that is all there is to it." An Il
ther time he said: Nothing ever
others me at all. The sooner the
nd comes the better. It's immaterial d
. me- I'd sooner have it all over q
1ith than have this fuss. This place !.
; nice. Everything here is very nice. a:
here isn't anything | want that / ii
avn't got here"
Judge Fawcett of Brooklyn, who1
Handy, said he was the la
worst" criminal of 5000 who had A
ome before him in his entire career lu
n the bench. Hamby's "philosophy Ia
life" was embodied in the follow m