The New York herald., 1922-01-13
THREE PUT TO DEATH
In sing SINGS CHAIR
Marweg, Persons and Milford
Pay Extreme Penalties
for Murder.

Edward Persons of Jamestown, N. Y,
ford of Buffalo were put to death in the
electric chair at Sing Sing prison last
night after every effort to have the
courts intervene in their behalf had
failed, and after Gov. Nathan L. Miller
had refused TO grant either of them a
respite. Marweg was the first of the
three TO die. entering the death chamber
at IL o'clock. He was followed by Null
ford. and then Persons walked down the
corridor of the death house and beyond
the little green door. None of the three
showed much emotion while being
strapped into the electric chair, though
as he sat down Persons shouted that he
was innocent
Marweg, who was put to death for
his share in the murder of George
Weltz, a Buffalo jeweler, three years
ago, apparently had intended to COM
nit suicide yesterday, as the keepers
found when they went to his cell TO
dress him in the black suit that con-
victs wear when they enter The death
chamber that he had stuffed the lock-
of his cell. But he seemed to have lost
his nerve or abandoned the idea, be-
life. Inside the cell the keepers found
an iron bar which Marweg had
wrenched from chair. but he made no
attempt to use it. Additional guards
were posted near Marwegs cell.
Mulford was put to death for the mur-
der of Abraham Yellen, clothing mer-
chant Of Seneca street. Buffalo, on
Thanksgiving Day. 1920: while Persons
died because he and another man killed
George klingcr. a taxicab chauffeur
near Jamestown. on Christmas Day.
1920. hiding his body in straw stack
and setting fire to the stack. Extraor-
dinaiy efforts to obtain a new trial or
a respite for Persons were made ~ his
sister. Miss Margaret Persons Of Cleve-
land, who has been in Ossining for sew
eral weeks. She interested the Wonl-
ems Club of Ossining in her brothers
case and the club helped defray the ex-
penses of hiring Attorney Thomas G.
Barnes.
Mr.. Barnes went before Justice Sears
OF the Supreme Court several days ago
and obtained an order to show cause
why Il new trial should not be granted
to Persons. This order was argued be-
fore Justice Sawyer at Palmyra, but
the Justice refused to grant the new
trial. holding that the newly discovered
evidence was not sufficient. This evil
dence was the statement of Personss 8
accomplice, now serving a term In Au-
burn prison, that neither he nor Per-
sons had anything to do with the crime.
Miss Persons went to Albany yester-
day morning and pleaded with Gov.
Miller to grant a respite to her brother.
but the Governor refused, as he did
also in the cases of Marweg and Null
ford. The Governor said that care
full examination OF the case left no
doubt in his mind that Persons was
guilty Of most brutal murder. lie
said the decision Of Justice Sawyer in
denying the motion for a new trial ade-
quately disposed of the new statements
of Harry Wilson. the accomplish of
Persons.
MarweS was sentenced TO death
twice for the murder OF Weitz. but the
first time he obtained new trial. II
was alleged that Weitz was shot by
another man after the jeweler had
caught Marweg. The Governor held
that those engaged in an enterprise in
which murder is likely TO be committed
must be held fully accountable for such
crime If It occurs. even though the In
strument Of death may be, held in the
hand OF another.