The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-01-30
WENT OUT OF
LIFE SMILING
Gordon FaWcett Handy, a
Notorious Criminal, Exc
cuted at Sing Sing
LEFT THREE LETTERS
TO .BE DELIVERED
"Good Bye, Fellows, | AL
ways Like to Try Every
thing Once!" He Cried

s------
Ossining, n. ", Jan. 30.-.The body
of Gordon Fawcett Handy, notorious
murderer and bandit, who was electro
cuted in Sing Sing prison late last night
for the murder of two officials of a
Brooklyn savings bank in December,
1918, will be buried in a local cemetery
to-day No one claimed the body and
the mystery surrounding his parentagc,
which he had studiously guarded, re-
manned unsolved.
An autopsy disclosed that the brain
Of the youthful criminal was normal
and we'll developed.
Handy maintained his composure to
the last, smiling as he was strapped to
the chair and making brief oral state
ment to the warden and witnesses just
before life was snuffed out.
As he left the death house he called
out to his companions:
Good bye, fellows. | always liked
to try everything once.
The murderer gave three letters to
the warden, asking him to mail them
and keep the addresses secret.
Strange Career of Crime.
Handy was arrested in Tacoma,
Wash, last June under the name OF
"Jay Il. Allan" after killing man
there in a revolver fight. He was later
identified as one Of the two robbers
who. on Dec. %. 1918, held up the East
Brooklyn Savings bank and, after kill
ing two of its employees, escaped in an
automobile with $4,000.
Extradited TO New York and tried
for this crime, Handy stood revealed
as self-confessed participant in the
robbery of ID banks and two trains and
many killings He steadily refused TO
tell anything about his family. lie
said he preferred to be known as AL
Ian" and that he was born in 1893 in
Alberta, Canada He declared bis par.
ents were dead and that The had two
brothers whom he had not seen for five
years. He said he was college grad
uate and had specialized in. Psychology
After Hamby's conviction here, his
attorney, against the prisoners wishes,
appealed his case. He obtained the APP
pointment of IA commission to deter
mine 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 Francisco and
other places. After the Brooklyn rob
berry. Handy said he met girl in New
York and that they went successfully
TO Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Pittsburg, Chicago, California ana Ia
coma.
81 was surprised the California police
did not get me-" he said, shortly after
being brought east. Then in Tacoma
I got in that political row with Bob
Davis and killed him, Bob was a
oame fellow and I'm sorry ! shot him
but | was afraid he was going TO get
me. After that | was all ready 10 beat
il 20 Shanghai, China, and now here !
am.
II expected to get $4,000 out OF the
BROOKLYN lob" he confided, and ] was
greatly disappointed at the little we
did get. This was because my partner
did not carry out my instructions. !
had ordered him TO jump over the ran
the minute we entered the place but
he was an amateur and wasted too
much time. 1T took him about four
minutes To pick mp what money we did
get when IL should not have taken more
than minute
"Who was your partner ~ the Brook
lvn robbery :" he was asked.
Il don't care to say. ! don't want
to implicate him He is married and |
think bv this time has left the country.
met him first in Norfolk. Va. short
time before the Brooklyn job.
Handy said he had never had any
women accomplices in any OF his ron.
berries because they talk too much.
The dav he was brought TO Sing Sing
the prisoner was asked what Interest
he had in life. He lighted cigarette
and watched the match burn Itseli
down and 90 ont before he replied;
"The only interest have Is TO see
that / spend the time from now untii
| 90 to the electric chair in smoking
reading and making myself comfort
able. know there is no possible
chance Of acquittal. am guilty ana
that is all there is TO it," At another
time he said Nothing ever bothers
me at all. The sooner the end comes
the better. It's immsterial to me. ia
sooner have it all over with than have
this fuss. This place is nice. Every
thing here is very nice. There ism
ANYTHING / want that ! haven't got
here
Judge Faweett Of Brooklyn. who
sentenced Handy. said he Was the
worst" criminal of 5000 who had come
before him in his entire career on the
bench. Hamby's philosophy of Ire
was embodied in the following state
ment he made just before being sen
fenced To die:
1T is nothing for me to DIE because
am coming back. II may take lew
wears or it may take several thousand
wears. of course. but time does not
count. Being brought into this world
Is like being placed in class OF small
children. with each trying to compete
with the other. Some Of US arc sue
,oaaf,,l aud snu,c are not. As for nv