New Britain herald., 1930-02-21
O| BATTISTA DIES
 IN STATES PRISON
Youth Pronounced Dead 15 Minutes After Entering Room

Hartford, Feb. o1-F'rank A, Di- Battista, e6, of Hartford. was hanged in Wethcrsfield state prison carly this morning for the murder of Sam u"l kamaroff, grocer, on the night Of April 1, 1880.
 He went unfaltcringlv 10 his death.
 Escorted by two guards. who sup ported his tightly bound arms. Di- fattista stepped into the execution hamber q few minutes after mid right. For a moment he stood in the t"Ght light staring at prison officials nd ncWspapermen. Vho'had entered j'}s. before he was brought in from -" cell where he spent his last few taurs in prayer with the Rev George N. Grady, Catholic prison chaplain. His eyes went aloft as he searched for the moose, but he had already passed it where it hung on d hook 1oar the franc of the door through which he had come.
 Short Time Required
 Father Grady stepped aside and he two guards quickly bucklcd heavy straps above and below the youths knees. Another guard pulled black hood over the condemned mans head and tho deputy warden look down the moose and adjusted it round his neck. The deputy and the -uards drew back and simultaneous " the warden stepped on a button in he floor All this happened within d few seconds.
 There was a click and swish as ! heavy weight was released and plunged downward in it's concealed q rack. DlBattista was yanked upward md as his body hurtled down it was drought Up short three feet above he floor. A guard stopped the sway ng body
 The prison physician, Dr. Alvin rang and Dr. l.. C.. Fox. medical eX- 'niner, applied their stethoscopes. For several minutes they listened They then put their instruments esjde and whispered. "All right" The body was lowered into basket and carried away through another door, The witnesses filed out.
 Death Was Swift
 DiBattista had entered the cham Ter at 1@:03:@0. tho machinery was set in motion at 12:04 and at 12:l6 he was dead
 Until the end he kept his nerve, He ate three good meals Thursday irrI the execution Father Grady stayed with tho youth During his last day hn was visited by q relatives. most nf them women cousins and aunts His father saw him last and went -orroWfully away. The mother i@ dead,
 piBattlsla was taken 10 the death cell at o'clock last evening, dressed in q dark blue suit, white shirt and felt slippers.
 Newspapcrmen assembled in tho warden's office at II o'clock and were taken 10 an upstairs room lo wait while the minutes dragged.
 Fifty-third Execution
 The prison slept At %:55 ?. m. q bugle had blown and five minutes later the soft notes of taps. With that the lights in tho cells were cX- lmguished,
 Hardly had the visitors seated themselves before DiBattista appear ed. He was the flfty-third man to he hanged in the prison, the first being executed December is, 1S94.
 By gradual steps DiBattista dc- veloped from thief into d bandit and murderer. While working as an elevator boy in New York the lad first stole small sum of money Later he took suit of clothes. He was given short jail terms but in one case had his sentence suspended Then he stole some jeWClry from an apartment and in 1925 was sent tc Blackwell's Island for two years.
 After his release he went to work again and before returning to Hart ford early last year acquired a gun He had intended to return to New York but a friend prevailed on hln' to stay and testify in his divorce Sult Pressed for funds DiBattista decided 10 stick up a small grocery store He entered that of kamarotf Whlit 1t was empty and was caught at the cash register. In a struggle with Inc storckcepcr he shot the man and fled. A few days later he was arrest cd and confessed,