Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-01
DR.. SHOOK WALKS
CALMLY TO CHAIR
Tron-Nerved Professor Pays
With Life for Killing
Student Mistress.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated FTeSS
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March DIR.
James H. Shook, the iron-nerved pro-
fessor who killed his student mistress,
Theora Xix, paid with his life in the
electric chair at Ohio Penitentiary last
night.
The former instructor in veterinary
surgery at Ohio State University went
calmly to death for the crime which he
confessed, in his last hours, was DELHI
erately planned to end an affair which
threatened to ruin his position and rep
utation. It was months and II days
after he left the mutilated body of the
24-year-old girl lying on a lonely rifle
range near the city limits.
DR.. Shook, who was so, walked unas-
sisted to the chair. His manner was
cool, his eyes alert, his lips silent. A
minister from whom he had Just &C
cepted communion intoned a benediction
as two guards adjusted electrodes to
DR.. Shocks right leg and the top of his
head. Six thousand volts of electricity
passed through his body in three sepa-
rate charges. He was pronounced dead
at 1903 pm, according to the peniten-
| case.
Wife Takes Charge of Body.
Today DR.. Shocks body was at the
| disposal of his faithful wife, Helen Mar
pie Shook, who visited him daily for the
past week as the Ohio Supreme Court
the Federal Supreme Court and Gov
i Cooper refused to intervene in his be-
half. She shared his last meal with
him and stayed at the penitentiary I'M
til he had been executed. Then she
went to her home, evading the curious
crowds by ruse and keeping secret her
plans for the burial. She had nothing
to say"
Shocks self control was not shaken
| during his last hours. Except for trace
| of annoyance when the barber was late
to shave him and for signs that he
had been weeping after parting with his
wife, he was perfectly calm as he pre-
pared to die.
His last meal was of fried chicken
prepared by the wife of Warden P. E
Thomas as she always does for con-
demned men. With him were Mrs
| Shook; his pastor, Rev. Isaac E. Miller
OF the King Avenue Methodist Episcopal
Church; Rev. K. E. Wall, penitentiary
| chaplain; Oscar Roedell of Pomeroy
Ohio, DR.. Shocks close friend, and Mrs
FRANK hdnOTum OF junction City, ONO
cousin of Mrs. Shook.
Might Have Been Picnic.
I'VE might have been at a picnic, .
Rev. Miller reported later. CDR. Shook
ate heartily and we talked Of pleasant
| subjects. No reference was made to
death, murder or electrocutions.
Rev. Miller administered communion
to DR.. and Mrs. Shook and Mrs. Shook
| took leave Of her husband. Shook re-
marked later to Rev. Miller that at was
too bad 1t took bump like this to make
MN realize how wonderful she was
| Neither was historical.
Mrs. Shook went to Warden Thomas
residence to wait. Warden Thomas. toe
weak to rise from his sick bed to offici-
ate, delegated the task to Deputy j. c.
| Woodland.
Three guards and the two ministers
escorted DR.. Shook the few steps from
his cell to the chair. He walked with
| firm steps and erect head. He saio
not word. His eyes took in the crowd
and his teeth were clenched behind
tight lips. He stepped briskly into the
chair.
Rev. Miller said: ''The Lord be with
| you," and Woodward signaled to three
| guards in another room who threw
three switches, two of them blanks
Three times the current was turned
on, and after three minute wait five
physicians pronounced DR. Snook Head