New Britain herald., 1926-04-06
) stand trial for murder.

ders loose from the light grasp Of the guords. Other guards closed in swiftly behind him and the door closed quietly
 Chapman took ono look about the chamber, His pale eyes held no vis- ioie emotion. His lips were in the same contemptuous cury which men with wonder. have seen him main- tain under the most exacting clrcum- stances. He flung back hls head.
 At the instant guard pulled down over his pale. drawn face. with Its hard, defiant lines, a black hood, like an empty pillow case. Starr stepped forward with the moose It dropped on the black hooded head. the knot was fixed in a fraction Of second back of the left ear.
 Chapman Dies
 There Vas q faint hustle in the corner where were grouped the standing witnesses in front Of the warden. There was the grunt-like noise Of the dropping weight. Chap mans body, which had stood for that brief instant relaxed still as if death were something 10 be regard ed with complete cquanimity, vas ierked ]? feet In the a.r. its black hooded top bending forward like that of an old rag doll. The rope slackenod. The body dropped as If in a groove, and swung idly like a thing of cotton and cloth.
 Dr. P. B, Battey, prison physician, stepped forward, his fingers lightly on the limp wrists. The men scat tered about the room were caught as If by camera in fixed poses, and held there lest by some movement of theirs they become too much par ties in that awful. grotesque manner of death.
 Men who went expecting horror found only absurdity. The moment the body was flung aloft all idea of it as that of a human uas gone; if vas only a scorecroW; it seemed no life could have been in it.
 For one moment the muscles tautoncd, The dooth spasrn shook the long rope until it rattled against the wall and ceiling, making the only noise In that chamber. There remained only the long wait in si. lence thereafter. Seven minutes and five seconds after the warden had pressed the metal plunger, releasing he weight, Chapman was dead. His body was lowered into 3 huge wicker basket and carried away by an un- lhrtakers man In a derby nat
 Gov, TrumbuIrs Home Guarded.
 Two extra state policemen re- on wa"c.l on the grounds the home Of Governor 'Trumhuli all night.
 Since the Chapman case vas put into his hands for clemoncy or such other action as might delay the ex- ncution of Inc bandit, Governor rrumhui had received letters of warnns and the guards at his home were prepared 10 meet any contin- gtncy that might arise as the result Ht the executives refusal 10 inter. E"ye,
 K. k. X. Gi1es Scare.
 Reports of meeting O. the ku XIX K!an and the burning Of thr fiery cross iu Befyidcre. New Britain. .jdel 10 the excitement around the prisou two hours before Chapman vas schodu.nd to star. his march 10 thh death chamber
 Officers were de.ailad from? among me state poIic@ who were acting as guards around the grim walls, 10 in yos.igate.
 Chief Hurley had a large flores at york nnlcr his personal direction, however, and there remained 8 for nidahle ar3v Of officers 10 take harge 0. any un'oHari incident.
 frroehl On Hand.
 His face grim anl haggard, clear y showing evidence of the strain by the long and determined light 10 save his cleiut from the moose, Judge Frederick J. Groehl, he condemned mans chief counsel, accompanied by Attorney Nathan Freedman, joined the witnesses shortly before midnight in the same loom where during the afternoon ho mad" his last stand before the board }: pardons
 Judge Groehl had previously bid 'areWell 10 the condemned man and ne was "isiby affected as the state vas about to demand the price Of he murder ot Patrolman Skhly
 To the newspaper men he had no ,urthcr statement 10 make. He re- ported that Chapman had no final message for them and that he be- ieTed that "Charpie" would go 10 !is death without flinching
 He stated that neither he or AL orney Freedman would enter the !tath chamber, but that he had ar 'anged to see that the body was de- 'ently buried.
 Hart and McCuc Absent.
 Chief Of Police W. C. Hart and 7, Detective Sergeant ". P. McCue Of (e| Britain, who had heen assured # place among the witnesses. | were not present, Warden Scott de- 'lding 10 limit the number in the l ieath chamber 10 the newspaper ! nen and what few others are allow .d al executions under the law.
 Detective Edward J. Hickey, who las been The right bower Of the ! tatc's attorney in handling the case, vas on hand, however, acting as q ieputy sheriff, and all who were l present. when the frail little bandit lopt his appointment with death. 1 were scrutinized carefully by him ,efore they were permitted to enter he death chamber.
 Hickey took up vantage point in . he execution room and his alert lcss left no room 10 doubt that i 'oth he and his chief would be on watch for a possible prison delivery IT other unexpected happening that night cheat the hangman of his