Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-22
SACCO T0PRECEDE
vANzETT|TOCHA|R
Final Plans for Executions
Laid in Boston-CroWd to
Be Kept From Prison.
By the Associated Press.

| By the Associated Press.
CHARLESTOWN STATE PRISON,
Boston, August 22.-All details of the
plans for the execution of Nicola
Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, due
to die in the electric chair some time
after midnight tonight, were com.
pleted at the prison today. Unless the
| last -minute moves of their counsel
serve to bring them another stay. the
respite which saved them from death
barely a half hour before they were
| to start the march to the death cham.
Der on the night of August 10 will
expire at exactly IL o'clock tonight.
Despite the international interest in
the case, the steps in carrying out the
law will differ in no particular from
those surrounding the least known
murderer from whom the law exacts
the highest penalty. There will be
the customary number of witnesses.
the same executioner, the usual prison
guards.
Only in the arrangements outside
| the execution chamber will there be
any difference. Outside guards, State
| and city police, will keep crowds a
block or more from the prison gates.
! Within the gates the largest crowd OF
| newspaper men who ever gathered for
an execution in Charlestown will be
stationed to flash the news to every
corner of the world where the case
has attracted attention.
Rest Near Death Chair.
| Sacco and Vanzetti and Celestino
Madeiros, due to die at the same time,
| though for another crime, rested to-
day in their cells approximately 40
| feet from the chair in which they are
| to die, though shut off by brick walls
| that hid the knowledge of it's pres
ence. There they will remain until
the guards summon them, one after
| the other, to start the march to the
chair. Customarily this occurs within
a minute Of the stroke of midnight.
| The official witnesses invited by
Warden William f. Hendry will gath.
er in the warden's office shortly after
| II pm. The group will include, be-
sides the warden and deputy warden
James L. Hogsett, the medical exam
liner of Suffolk County, DIR. George
Burgess Magrath: the prison physi
clan. DIR. Joseph I. Mclaughlin; the
surgeon general of the Massachusetts
National Guard. DR.. Frank p. VIII
liams; Sheriff William II. Capen of
Norfolk County, and w. Z. Playfair
of the Associated Press. The law per
mits two other witnesses, at the dis
erection Of the warden, and two physf
clans may attend. Five prison guards
will be in attendance.
The witnesses will start for the
death chamber soon after 1870. They
will walk within the prison to the
lighthouse, a small one-story brick
building which houses the death cells
| and the chamber with the chair.
Occupy Adjoining Cells.
/ Sacco, Vanzetti and Madeiros oc
cupy adjoining cells. facing a corridor
| On the opposite side of the corridor
a door leads into the death chamber
| The chair stands at one side of the
| room; a few feet away is a small
niche in the wall. in which are hid
den a series of electric switches
There the executioner, Robert Elliott
/ will take his position. The witnesses
will find places opposite the chair.
The order in which the three mer
| will be executed lies in the discretion
of the warden, and it may be altered
up to the final minute, although it Is
likely that Madeiros will go first. il
that is the case he will start from his
cell within a minute or two after mid
night. On each side will he guard
Thirteen normal steps will take hin
across the corridor through the door
of the death chamber to place il
front of the chair.
Vanzetti to Die Last.
Sacco probably will be the second tt
go to the chair and Vanzetti last
From % to 80 minutes is expected Il
suffice for the execution Of the three
After the executions the witnesse!
viii return to the prison office, where
the Associated Press representative
acting as the representative of all thu
press, will describe the execution t.
all of the newspaper men so that thu
story may be sent out Simultaneous!
over the dozen or more telegraph ant
press association wires that have beef
installed for the purpose.