The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-22
CROWLEY DIES,
CLASP|NG GIFT
FROM MOTHER
Rosary From Woman He
Had Never Known Comes
as Killer Goes to Doom.
CALM IN LAST HoURC
Walks Firmly to Chair;
Final Wish Is Love to
ReCreant Parent.
BY SANDOR S. KLEIN
United Press stan Correspondent

OSSINING, N. Y, Jan. o.
Francis Crowley, boastful, hateful,
-year-old killer, who fought only
when armed, died calmly in the
electric chair Thursday night, his
hands clasping a rosary, his last
words for the woman who sent him
that rosary-the woman who bore
him, deserted him at birth, and re-
manned a stranger until death.
MY last WISH" he said clearly
and without a trace of his habituai
bravado, is to send my love to my
mother"
Who that mother is, Crowley did
not know. Where she lived, he did
not know. Why she bore him, he
did not know, except that he had
heard of her love story. 1t has en-
FILTERED him, made him a cop hat
er" from grade school days.
Crowley's father was policeman.
His mother a houSemaid. He was
unwanted.
Mother Sends Rosary
Today his mother, the story goes,
is remarked. Her husband does
not know of her child who paid the
extreme penalty for the murder of
patrolman Frederick Hirsch, want
only slain when he found Crowley
and his sweetheart, Helen Walsh,
parked in their automobile on Long
Island. Police we're seeking the
youth for another crime.
The mother until the last day
held aloof from her son-and even
then she withheld her identity,
Eight hours before the young gun
man died, her message arrived at
Sing Sing prison-the only message
he ever received from her.
1t was in brown package inclos-
ing a rosary infolded in note on
which were scrawled these words:
From your mother"
Visited by Foster Mother
A few hours later Mrs. Crowley
the foster mother he had called
''Mom," left him alone with the
rosary. She wept as her two daugh-
tiers, Mrs. Margaret Kennedy and
Mrs. Alice McNally, walked with her
through the dimly lighted, steel
barred corridors out of the great
prison doors.
An automobile whisked the family
away in pouring rain. Crowley
called guard, asked for news
paper, wasn't interested, then called
for Warden Lawes.
'Try to see me again" Crowley said
as they clasped hands in parting.
Don't know if I'll be able to,
LaWes responded.
"You come back or 1 won't 60"
Crowley told him.
The warden sent some ice cream.
Crowley shared it with Ruth Brown,
Negro woman sentenced to die later.
Sweetheart Is Scorned
At $50 p. m, Crowley told guards
he would make no fuss" when he
went to the chair. Father John Nc
Caffrey had advised him to pay the
penalty without the bravado that
had marked his life,
At 10 o'clock, Helen Walsh, the
sweetheart who turned states wit
ness and whose testimony helped
send Crowley to the chair, ended
her vigil outside the prison gates
She had pleaded in vain for a
goodbye kiss"
Crowley would have none of her.
"She wants to sell the story to a
! newspaper" he cried
At II, the grim procession en-
tered the execution room where
the instrument of death stood ten
PAGES from the silent, swinging door
Beside Crowley were Chaplain Nc
Caffrey and Chief Keeper T. c.
Sheehy.
Crowley spurneu the aid proffered
He walked firmly toward the silent
spectators. He reached the chair
and of his own accord started TO
unbutton his white shirt.
Enters Last Message
He saw Sergeant Stephen LYONS
one of his guards. Hello. sarge .
he called cheerfully. Hello. Crow
ley" the sergeant responded. al
most inaudibly.
Then the killer, known as 1.-TWO
Gun" sat down ~ the chair. Guards
adjusted the cap to his head. The
smile faded and he uttered his dra-
matte message to his mother.
A strap seemed to have Ioosened
The guards frightened it at Crowley's
request.
At 11:01 the current was thrown
on, just few seconds after the
group entered the room, although
to spectators it seemed almost a life
time. Father Mccartney droned his
prayer.
At 11:06 the physician, DR.. c. c.
Sweet, stepped to Crowley's form,
which had relaxed against the frame
of the chair. He listened through
the stethoscopes.
Il declare this man dead" he
said.
And Francis 1.-TWO Gum Crowley,
whose long criminal record and sue
cessful evasion Of its penalties had
been his pride, had paid the penalty
for murderl