The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-02
Harvey Church VIII Not Feel
Death on GallOws.
Physician Says Doomed MUIR
derer without Emotion.
HAS HYPNOTIzED HIMSELF
Two JurieS Have Declared Him
Sane, However.
Some Alienists Even Now Say
''It's a Fake"

! Springfield. ILL.,, March 2.-Depart-
ure of Governor Small at noon today
for Kankakee shattered the last hope
for Harvey Church, condemned to die
on the gallows tomorrow. according
to Judge C. H. Jenkins of the depart
ment of public welfare. to whom Mr..
| Colvin, commissioner of pardons and
paroles, made his report on Church.
Chicago. March Dead now men
| tally, Harvey w. Church. doomed
murderer and "semi-corpse" of the
county Jail, will go to his physical
death on the gaIlows tomorrow with
out suffering the slightest pain He
Will pass on without knowing what
happened.
This was the prediction today of
DR.. w. ]. Hickson. head of ChicaEo's
psychopathic laboratory, who regards
the Church case as one of the most
remarkable that has challenged the
attention of the medical world.
His Emotions Dead.
He won't feel a thing" said Doc
dead"
Church, actually 2S, but having the
appearance of a man As or SO. lies on
cot in the jail, impervious of his
surroundings. He is as near dead as
1t is possible for him to be without
being legally and. officially dead He
mas not eaten for more than forty
days His jaws are locked. He has
been forcibly fed liquid food thru the
nose. His eyes have been closed tight
for month. His body retains a
deathlike rigidness. His face is wax
nke' the face of, death. He has
grown long. black beard.
Il weigh 240," said Doctor Hickson
who examined him. 81 put my whole
weight on his jaw but L couldn't
Others who examined Church stucl,
pins in his eyeballs and under his fin
ger nails, tickled his feet and burned
the lnslue OF his nose with lighted
cigarets-toe no avail. Church was
"Church's is a case of closed per-
sonaity, explained DIR. Hickson. HE
hasfcut himself off from contact with
the outside work. He doesn't know
Wnat is happening about him He is
q Nlctim OF dementia praecox and to
nang MIN would be a blot on cfvilizs
ton and disgrace to the community
Inc doomed man is an arch-pre-
tender, in the opinion of sundry alien
lists despite the tests he has under
gone.
He is a fakir," said DR.. Douglas TT.
singer. former state aIienist HE is
suffering from lf-hypnotisn.
Says Case Is Not New.
nave examined him. He is in a
state of hypnosis resulting from
hysteria and fear. not from the eyer
ton of his will power. His case is NOT
altogether new in the medical world -
Two 1uries have found Church sane.
even tho he testified that two and
two is eight and that twenty and
thirteen equals three"
A few months Back Church. a care-
Tree youth, killed two automobile
statesmen, Bernard ]. Daugherty and
Carl Asmus, to gain possession of a
new car He lured them to the base
ment of his home. beat them over the
mead with baseball bat, buried one
aIlve and threw the other, handcuffed,
into the river
The execution will take nlaca a. A
p m instead of at dawn, as is custom
ary, an exception having been made in
Church's case.
e The hour makes no difference" !"
said Jailer today. He's dead now