Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-22
Proctor CoIIapses and Is Car
ried to His Doom on a
Stretcher - Moreno and
Eagles Brave to End.
NONE MAKES CONFESSION
BEFORE LEAVING CELLS
Executions Conducted With Pre-
cision and Rapidity, Only One
Shock Being Given Each Man.
Whole Ceremony Is Conducted in
Half an Hour.

Nicholas Lee Eagles, Samuel Moreno
and John Cline Proctor today paid So
ciety with their lives for the murder Of
Policeman Leo w. K. Busch.
They died in the electric chair at the
District Jail.
Eagles and Moreno went with the ut
most bravery and composure: Proctor
was unconscious and was carried to his
death on stretcher
None of the men made formal con-
fessions of guilt before leaving their
cells, though Proctor. in one last mo
ment Of consciousness about half hour
before the executions began, blurted
out what may have been an attempt to
confess.
1.-The fatal shot," he stammered
to guard and then collapsed.
The executions were conducted with
the utmost precision and rapidity. Less
than a half hour elap9ed from the time
Eagles, chanting the ancient ELI, Eli"
Went to the fatal chair until the life
less form Of Proctor was replaced on the
stretcher on which he was carried into
the execution chamber.
Only One Shock to Each.
Only one shock was administered to
each man, the longest one, for Moreno,
lasting 2 minutes and seconds. Proc
tor was pronounced dead after . single
shock Of As seconds, and Eagles after
the current had passed through his body
slightly less than 2 minutes.
Eagles, the Oldest of the trio, was the
first to die. AS he walked from his cell
he began singing in q loud. firm voice
the Eli, Eli cob. Lord, why has thou
forsaken me.'0 There was no trace Of
nervousness or quavering In his ap-
pearance or In his chanting Of this old
Jewish lament. His voice rang through
the big rotunda and was clearly audible
In the death chamber during his long
march.
As he came down the long fight Of
steps to the corridor, at the FAR end of
which stood the chair. he abruptly broke
OF the hymn and began reading the
Twenty-third Psalm rapidly and In .
loud and clear voice from q Bible which
he carried firmly before him.
As he came abreast of the witness box.
20 PAGES from the chair. he said: 81 am
going clear-bye-bye. boys" He called
his farewell personally to his guards and
to prison officials by name. Reaching
the chair. he halted q moment, then
turned and sat down quietly and de-
liberately.
Can I Have Bihle?"
Can I have my Bihle?" he asked.
Maj William L. Peak, superintendent
of the Jail. nodded assent and Eagles
smiled his thanks As the guards re-
moved his brown leather slippers.
Eagles called loudly: well. Gods with
mel" Then he saw his attorney. Louis
D. Tanenbaum. and called. "Bye-oye.
Mr.. Tanenbaum."
A guard took the shell-rimmed glasses
of the condemned mans head and an
other promptly adjusted the heavy
black headgear, while others fitted the
straps and electrode at the calf. Eagles
watched these operations carefully. As
the mask was fitted over his face he
called through 1t In q mufiied voice,
''Ciood-by."
The guards stepped aside and the
first shock was administered at 1o:oS
o'clock The initial shock was a,ioo
volts, which tapered down. and then
was brought up again to fun charge.
Less than two minutes passed. with
the dynamo humming loudly. and the
current was shut OF. As the current
was turned on the Bible slipped from
Eagles fingers and fen to the fioor
at his feet,
Pronounced Dead.
AS the current was shut of. Or.
Stanley c. Howard. resident physician
at Gallinger Hospital. and DR.. A. n.
Macdonald of Casualty Hospital step
ped forward and in turn applied stetho-
scopes to Eagles breast. DR.. Howard
cRn v<rI e. h. x1sfNNN AsNx
said. II pronounce Nicholas Lee Eagles
dead at io:lS am. June -, 1928"
The straps were quickly removed and
the body placed on Stretcher. Eagles
went to the chair as he had promised.
neatly clad. He wore, q gray-blue shirt,
open ut the throat, gray trousers. and
brown leather slippers. Around his neck
was suspended a Jewish luck charm
and III the top button-hole Of his shirt
was u small blood-red-roSe.
Eagles was accompanied To the chair
by Robbl William +, Rosenomm. who
uttered a brief prayer as the body was
removed from the chair and carried
away. A guard gathered up the Bible
and the slipper from the ficor and car
cied them out.
After a brief wait. Moreno. with q
guard ut each side, appeared &C the
top Of the steps carrying q large gold
cruciflx and lighted cigarette, nom
which he took one last pun as he
started down the stairs Behind him
Rev. John A. Sullivan and Rev. Ed
ward J. A. NeStor, In the robes OF the
Church. recited the prayers.
for the dying,
Kisses the Crsss.
Pray for us, pray for us, pray for Us,
Moreno repeated IN q low but clear tone
of voice as he walked quickly 70 the chair
lie sat III the chair at i0:is am. ana
as he was strapped In Father sullivan
took froEn him the crucifix and held tt
70 the condemned mans lips. Moreno
tossed his cigarette 10 the floor and
kissed the cross
The helmet and mask were fitted
quickly and the current was sent S:tS9~
lng through his body at 1919 ek9&k.
The current was turned OF after two
and five seconds and at i0ssS
Moreno was pronounced dead and wAs
removed nom the chair. He were
white shirt. open &C the throat and
with sleeves rolled up. blue serge txous-
RS and black slippers.
As he sat IN the chair and througA