The Washington times., 1931-02-21
SOBS HALTED
AS GUN GIRL
QU|TSCELL
Dague Takes to Reading of
Bible; Throng Sees Pair
Leave for State Prison
Continued From Page -

w. VIVA
Both prisoners we're seated in
the spacious rear seat Of the
machine. AS crowd of morbidly
curious that had thronged about
the Jail and grown hour by hour
surged forward Howard Kelly,
especially employed as chauffeur,
stepped on the accelerator and
the car shot away.
Another car trailed the machine
as it swept around the corner.
In the second car were County
Detective H. M. Lee, Constable
Thomas Oliver, and Mrs. Mary
Conto and nurse, Miss Cunning
ham.
Loyal to the last, old Joe"
Crawford Immediately left for
Bellefonte in company with
Irene's brother-in-law, John Shra-
der. Crawford said:
81 want to be with my baby
rs long as I can"
He plans to bid good-by to
Irene at Rockview penitentiary if
prison authorities permit him to
do so.
With only 48 hours between her
and the death chair-and that
brief period shortening every mo-
ment-it had been reported that
the "gun-girl" had lost her nerve
was sobbing in her cell, and that
she had sought Solace in religion.
The iron will of Irene--she
had been publicized es Iron
Irene" during her trial--was re-
ported to have given way when
Governor Pinchot dispelled the
last hope by refusing q respite
until a gun Irene says she car
r1ed at the time of the Paul
killing had been recovered from
Fort Worth, Tex, pawnshop.
Everything was in readiness at
the penitentiary for receiv-
Ing the condemned pair. Warden
Stanley P. Ashe arrived in Belle
fonte last night to make final
arrangements for the double ex-
ecution.
Robert Elliott, of New York,
executioner of Ruth Snyder ane
Judd Gray in Sing Sing prison
three years ago, will throw the
switch that will send Iron Irene"
and Dague to their doom. He is
expected in Bellefonte momen-
tarily. Canvas Of the hotels
failed to disclose that he had
made any reservation.
For the grisly job of executing
. condemned person Elliott re-
ceiveS $3.50. Therefore, his pay
for Mondays work will be 300.
For years he has been throwing
switches at electrocutiOnS, having
executed more persons than any
individual in the country.
Mrs. Schroeder will be placed in
the charge of a matron upon her
arrival at Rockview Penitentiary.
A partition has been erected in
the cell block which will prevent
her from engaging in any long
distance conversation with Dague.
Whether the pair will be per-
mitted to say gOOd-by to each
other on Monday morning was a
matter which the warden would
not commit himself. Neither
would he say whether the relatives
of the condemned couple would
be allowed to see them while they
are in the death house.
Dague's Wife is Loyal
DaguePs wife, whom he left for
the love of blonde Irene, is stand
ing by him loyalty Mrs. Dague,
a former West Virginia school
teacher, and her two children,
Delmar, II, and Marlys, 7, visited
Dague in his cell at Newcastle.
The doomed man kissed his chill
dren affectionately but was re
strained in his farewell to his
wife. He merely shook hands
with her.
Irene's relatives visited her,
too. There were tears in her eyes
son, Donnie, aged years. The
little boy just could not under
stand why his mother felt SO
badly.
It was little Donnie who, un
Willingly, caused his mother and
Dague to be suspected Of the
killing of Corporal Paul. After
Paul had been shot to death
and another State highway police
man seriously wounded in a gun
duel with occupants of a sus-
pected bandit automobile on the
Newcastle-Butler highway. the
authorities began half-facetious
questioning of the boy. The tot
astounded the police when. he
exclaimed:
"HO! My mamma shot two
cops like you"
Donnie'S words sealed his
mothers doom. One of the
greatest hunts in the history of
the country was begun.
Many Suspects Seized
Suspects were taken into
custody in various parts of the
country-at Erie, Pa: at Harris
burg, at Tiffin, Ohio, and in
Cumberland, Md. All were re-
leased when they proved their
innocence.
And then. unexpectedly, word
came from Pike county, Arizona,
that the blonde trigger woman"
and Dague had been seen.
This was on January 13, 1880.