Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-12-21
First Execution by Electrocu.
tion In Nebraska Is Carried
Out In Death Cell at
Prison.
GRAMMER is FIRST
TO co TO THE CHAIR
Last Minute Appeal In Behalf
of Cole by Attorney Priest
Denied by Federal
Judge.
. By GUY ALEXANDER.

- Wo young HlcH--naTaly HleH, AT J.
that. one Is and the other 24-found
by jurors and judges to have been
companions in crime premediated,
brutal and cold-blooded almost be-
yond parallel in Nebraska, went to
death at the penitentiary this after
| noon, companions tstill
The youths gave the balance of
their earthly lives, by exactiof o.,
that justice which the law prescribes,
i'll exchange for the life they took.
Though the one denied the truth
of the others nfession-which cost
them both their lives-their last meet
ing was one of comrades and friends.
"Be Brave"
With a grip as of steel, hands taut
with its strain, with eyes looking
straight each to each, the two shook
hands just before the warden came
to call them to their fate.
We'll, be brave, boy" said Allen
Y. Grammer to the man who, he
steadfastly claimed, had sworn away
his life.
II will; do your part" replied
Alison B. Cole.
They stood moment, silent
Tears came to Coles eyes. Then
Grammer walked away.
Thirty Minutes later beth were
dead.
Grammer. was electroeuted at $40
p. m. and Cole at 5:35.
Wife Waits Nearby.
Among the witnesses was Thomas
Vogt. son of Mrs. Lulu Vogt, Gram
mer's rnother-i -ir-law, whom Cole
murdered at Grammer's urging and
in return for $500 promised by
Grammer.
Less than 20 feet from the death
cell was Vogt's sister, Grammer's
wife, who defed her own brothers
as we'll as the world at large, to
stand stannchly by her husband.
even to the very door OF a disgrace
full and ignominious death.
First Electrocution
The execution of Allen Vincent
Grammer and Alison B. Cole, was
the first double execution ever held
i'll the state and was likewise the
first electrocution held since, by an
act of the legislature of 1918, the in
Fiction of capital punishment was
changed from hanging to electro
cution.
The expiation by Cole and Gram
mer for their crime needed but three
minutes and S. seconds. ThiB brief
ly closed legal fight extend lhg over
period of more than 80 Months
a legal fight. the like of which is un-
known in the judicial procedure OF
the courts of the United States.
Since the imposition of the death
sentence by Judge Bayard H. Paine
OF St. Paul, upon the two youths.
following the conviction of one and
the plea of guilty OF the other, in
March, 1918, the battle of attorneys
ragged from the lowest to the highest
court of the land, and it was not un-
til l2;l5 today that Judge T. c. Nun
ger of the United States district
court in Lincoln blocked the last
legal avenue of escape for the two
condemned men.
Cole Breaks Down.
To Granmer, his mind at ease.
the news of the last failure occa-
stoned no surprise.
To his companion, Cole, the re-
moval of the last obstacle to the
carrying out of the death sentence
of the Howard county district
court came as severe blow.
Up until the minute of the an
nouncement of Warden Fenton,
made to the condemned men at
1880, Cole had maintained his in
nocence and likewise his belief that
something, either some judicial ac-
ton, pardoning or the ciemency
power of the chief executive of the
state, would be exercised TO save
him from the chair that had been
held III readiness in small room
adjoining his death cell on the sec
ond floor of the hospital building,
for>mor than two years.
The rejection of his application for
a writ of habeas corpus by Judge
Munger shortly after noon today had
its effect. The Spartan-like stoicism,
which has characterized his every
movement left him. Not once. how
ever, did he lose entire control OF
his feelings, but his detected spirit
was plainly visible to those who have
known him best.
Grammer Gives Flowers.
nesses, the presence of the latter
being mandatory, left the Office of
Warden w. T. Fenton at 2;25 for
the march across the court yard TO
the hospital building where the
execution of the two condemned
men was to take place The party
entered the building at $50
They were kept in room in the
building until 2:4S, when Grammer
requested Warden Fenton to call
newspapermen into his cell for
final word.
AS the men fled into the small