The Washington times., 1922-03-04
CHURCH CARRIED.
To GALLONS To
EXP|ATE CRIME
Is Strapped to Chair as Conn.,
pIete Collapse ovsrtakes
Him on Scaffold.
BY international News Service.

CHICAGO. March +.-HarVey W..
Church. who killed two men that ne
might gain possession Of an automo'
bile, was hanged in the courtyard OF
the county jail late yesterday after
noon.
The execution took place after
day Of desperate diminishing by his
attorneys in q final attempt to save
Church from the gallows. All ap'
peals to the court for writs OF error,
writs OF habeas corpus. or other acts
Of executive clemency were fruitless,
Just before the death march start
ed Judge David. In superior court.
refused q plea for q writ OF habeas
corpus.
Meets Death In Chair.
Church went to his death In the
same lethargic state that marked
his condition for more than five
weeks. He was strapped to a chair
and his weight sagged inert against
the bonds that held him.
The doomed man apparently was
unconscious OF what was transpir-
ing. Asked by Sheriff Peters IL he
had anything to say. he gave no
sign that he had heard and made no
statement on the gallows.
Church had literally to be dragged
to the gallows. II was necessary to
raise his head, which sagged against
his chest. in order that the hang
mans moose might be adjusted.
Two deputy sheriffs. Herman
Kruckstein and John Oils, carried
Church to the scaffold. II took them
nearly five minutes to get him from
the death cell to the gibbet. At no
time during the execution did he
manifest the slightest sign Of life
Church's legs were strapped TO
the chair and his hands were hand.
cuffed behind him.
Mumbles Prayer.
While Church was being dragged
to the gallows. Brig. w. G. Anderson.
Of the Salvation Army. walked by
his side and intoned the Lords
prayer. After the execution the
deputy sheriffs who had carried him
said he had mumbled the words OF
the prayer after Mr.. Anderson.
Have you anything to say.
Harvey church," asked Sheriff
Peters.
There was no response. The hood
was placed over the doomed mans
head. Sheriff Peters and Deputy
Sheriff Laubenheimer tilted the
chair and stepped back. The trap
was sprung. The chair clattered TO
the floor: its fsstenings had been
loosened, and the trap clattered
against the wall. Church's body
dropped to the end OF the taut
strung moose.
The body hung. quivering. at the
end Of the moose, but even In the
death agony Church gave no indica-
ton that he knew the fate that had
overtaken him.
At 4l2 p. m, sixteen minutes
after the trap was sprung. Church's
body was cut down and he was
officially pronounced dead.
Church, who was twenty.three
years old. paid the penalty for the
staying Of Bernard ]. Daugherty
and Carl Ausmus, automobile sales
men. The crime was one Of the
most revolving in the history OF
Chicago.
After his arrest. which followed
soon after the discovery Of the
crime, Church assumed an air Of
braggadocio which he maintained
during his trial. After his con-
viction. however, he lapsed into
lethargy, which as II advanced. was
described as hypnotic catalepsy. self.
imposed. Doctors said that he had
been mentally dead for several days
before he was hanged.
Needless Of Parents.
During the day. Church reused
from his inertness long enough to
call for his father and mother, but
when they were brought into the
death cell for q last goodbye, he
did not respond to their pleading
that he speak to them. His aged
mother collapsed as she left the
narrow cot on which her son had
lain for more than forty days. The
father made brave show and
stoutly maintained his son was IN
nocent.
Church's case was called by
physicians one of the most puzzling
that ever came under their notice.
Coroner Peter Hoffman announced
he would ask permission to hold
an inquest over the body in the
hope that a postmortem examina.
ton would reveal the physical and
mental state that was responsible