The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-05-14
RICKEy HARRISON,
NOTED CANISTER,
D|ESIN THE CHAIR
Protests He Never Killed Man
| Hopes His VIII Be Last
Mf Legal Execution.
WILD FROM BOYHOOD.
Made Famous Escape From
TombS-Cantine of Pough-
keepSie Also Electrocuted.

anal tNtI nappeltu 70 num- ANSii"'N
Harrison, the gunman, whose sensa-
tional escape from the Tomlbs gave
his reputation glamor among New
York gangsteTs who knew him by the
nickname Of hickey. went TO his
death In the electric chair at Sing
Sing Prison shortly before midnight.
Although he protested his inno-
CenCe and pleaded against capital
punishment, Harrison made good his
boast that the caIlous Indifference
he called his "iron nerve" would be
with him at the end as it was during
, his notorious career in the under
world
Harrison was one Of two men
executed at Sing Sing last night
The other, who preceded him in the
+ death chair by less than five minutes,
was Chester d. Cantine OF Pough-
keepsic, who shot and killed an aged
4 storekeeper while robbing him.
Shouts OF encouragement from
other prisoners in the Death House,
who called Good boy, Hickey" Keep
zap Your nerve. Hickey" could be
heard in the execution chamber when
Abe door opened to admit guards
escurting CIntine to the chair.
"Can | say few words, Warden ?"
Cantine asked Warden Lewis h
Lawes. and then, as the cap with its
visor was pressed over his face, he
laughed and in high pitched voice
asked;
Are we going to play baseball?"
"Goodby, boys" he suld and a
second later the electric current was
turned on.
Within five minutes from tho time
Canine was pronounced dead by the
phy siciuus present. Harrison was led
in, the Rev. William +. Cashin,
Catholic Chaplain Of the prison, walk
ing beside him.
. Cantine had shown his nervousness,
despite his keyed up courage, by his
quick gait, pallld face, and his re-
( quest at the last moment that the
Z Rev. A. y. Peterson, Protestant Chap
Jain, should not accompany him.
Harrison showed no sign. lie made
his responses to Father Cashin in q
, low pitched voice and took his seat
in the chair. This is the best ;hing
ever happened to me-" he said. While
the straps were being adjusted Father
Cashin thrust into his hands cru
ci6A. With this grasped between his
fingers, Harrison continued MS re-
eponscs, interrupting occasionally
with remarks to the witnesses.
81 am innocent OF this crime, gen
llemcn," he said,
81 never killed u man." he sad an
instant later.
"You sec what they are doing tc
! me"
81 hope they never do this to any
body again" said Harrison, and said
no further word except his responses
10 the priest.
When these we're completed the cur.
rent was switched on, and q few
minutes later the physicians pro.
nounccd him dead,
Il Tho last hours of the condemned
men were passed within hearing o.
music and gayety in an improviseC
theatre where conYicts were giving &
vaudeville show for The entertainment
OF 500 guests from New York. Will,
John Hubert. the electrician, made
his final tests of the wiring and ap
paratus, Paul Chapman, the youthful
committed to life Imprisonment, wa
entertaining the visitors.
Few OF these were aware OF tn,
scene being set close at hand.
Cantine was in his cell with Dr.
Peterson. His mother, Mrs. Charles
Cantine OF poughkeepsie had pale
him a farewell visit late in the after
noon.
At 10 o'clock, Just an hour befor,
the time set for the executions, Hat
rison's wife and yoar-old daugh
ter, two uncles and two cousins ap
pbared at the prison and begged
Warden Lawes TO permit them a las
visit. They were admitted and saw
Harrison for five minutes,
According to police records. Harri
son was twenty-siN years old. II
was born in the old Ninth Ward, tn
real greenwich Village, His parent
died When he was n Chud and a
uncle gave him shelter. When abou
twelve years old he became inCor
rigible. He fell in with a gang q
young thieves who were robbinG let
ter boxes.
In 1918 five men fleld up the Knicl;
erbOckcr Walters Club, No. 7S7 SiNt
/. Avenue. Fifteen men were lined u
against the wall and Harrison ha
collected 500 in cash and $1,000 4
iewelry when one OF the victims pu
up a fight, Shooting started. Geurg
Gritfiths, an invalided Canadian sol
der, was killed. One OF Harrison
companions was killed by the police
Harrison jumped from a window
but sprained both ankles and wa
caught,
on Nov. 4. 1918, while being take
across the Bridge OF Signs into IN
Sombs, Harrison broke away, dashe
Through Judge Wadham's court an
escaped: The police trailed n youn
woman he had been friendly with an
7ne led them to Newark, where Han
rison was rearrested. This youn
woman hrst declared Harrison innC
Cent, but at his trial testified again'
him.