New-York tribune., 1922-03-04
Church Hanged
Bound i'm Chair:
Dazed to Last
Three Attempts to Save Man
Who Killed Two to &c.
Automobile Fail in Last
10 Minutes Before Death
Mother Pleads for Word
Hunger Strike of Weeks
Leaves Murderer so Weak
He Heeds Not Parents

CHICAGO. March 3-Iu the same
.tate Of apparent coma in which he
lay during a hunger strike of forty-six
Gays, Harvey ". Church, who killed
TWO automobile statesmen TO obtain
POSSESSION Of an automobile, was
hanged to-day after being carried to
the Rallows IN chair in which he was
seated when the trap was sprung
Almost until the moment the trap
vas sprung attorneys were trying 20
procure stay or execution. Nine
hanged Judge Soanlan denied a stay.
four minutes before Judge Joseph
David took similar action. A petition
for writ OF habeas corpus was filed III
tho Superior Court less than ten min
'4tes before Church wa hanged Be-
fore II could be heard Church was
dead. The last minute efforts to save
Chureh's life were made on humani-
tarian grounds and or the contention
hat Church was rot in court during
sanity hearing.
Earlier in the day Church vas
visited in the death cell by his PARENTS
ard sister and spoke their names, his
'lrst words since he started the hunger
strike. He made no statement
Photographs Of the hanging were made
FOR the first time in Cook County's
history
After lying on his iail cot FOR forty
days without opening MS ewes or utter.
ing a word Church TO-DAY broke his
silence. FIVE hours before he was Sch.d
uled to be hanged. 4 plcs from hs
mother caused Church to break his
silence.
your father and mother are here.
Harvey Warden Wes'broot told the
convicted man. "N orr mother hcgs you
to talk to her. You have only fre more
hoars to live. VIII you talk to them ?''
The youthful mprdarer. whose
twitching eyeids have heer In. ONLY
outward sign cf lifs during bis soIf-
imposed period al silence and hunger
strike which caused 'he authorities 70
resort to forcbly feedin" him, turned
over on one SIDE and mumhled.
what DID you say" asked the war
den, leaning over the prisoner
"Tather and mother2' came back in
low but plainly understood words
During tho visit Of hi= parents
Church gave no heed - tnom His
mother almost TOO weak to wall. was
assisted to his heG Gside. M. ne na;d No
heed to her pleas that he sreok 70 h,r
Mrs. Church collapsed. falling ac~oss
her son S bed crying: "Harver. nv nov.
speak TO me. toll me about +. 50 thev
wont hang YOU
Ihere Wa no response and Mrs.
thuTch wa carried from The coll.
Church last summer killed Bernard
iaugherty and Carl AuSrnus a,,c
mobile soleSmrn. he lured them oae
n tlme to the basement of his horo
and beat them to death with a club.
according to Ms confession. Dough
erty s BODY re threw into a river and
ffat OF Ausmus he buried in his Gar
age. Even before the bottles sye.c dis
posed OF Church took MS mother and
nelghbor for ride in the car.
After the date for the execution had
been set attorneys filed petition a.
serting Church had become insane
since convection and there was post
ponement He was found to bc sanc
Then followed futile appeals ts +hc
State Board of rardons. = the Cover.
nor, and finally to the Federal courts.
HIS father and mother. although
broken by the disgrace expressed Their
~'llingness that he pay the penalty for
During Church's hunger strike he
was fcrcioly fod through tube.
other prisoners in the jail today did
rot stage their usual hidoous clsmcr of
ooscenlty. profanity and rsttllrg OF cell
doors. Heretofore this mas bcen one o :
mo features Of an execution, but this
time everything was silent.
The hanging o! Church is belicved to
mean the virtual end OF the "insanity"
dodge for murderers. Gene Gearv. no.
torious killcr, managed to escape bv
that route. and it was tried unsuccess.
tully by Carl O. Wanderar and Frank
Ligregni and vigorously tried by
church. but despite their best efforts.
assisted by attorneys and friendly
Judges, the three last were hanged for
thei. crimes.
Coroner Peter Hoffman, working en-
the theory that Church had an accom-
phce IN the double murder. made an
unsuccessful attempt to gain permis-
sion from Church's parents and sister
after the hanging to examine Church.s
BODY to determine whether the state of
coma IN which he has lain was not in.
duced by drugs. Coroner Hoffman en-
pressed the opinion tonight that
Church might have been given drurs
TO keep him from exposing a possible
confederate