Evening star., 1934-08-10
MRS. ANTONIO DIES
IN ELECTRIC CHAIR
Last Words of Children as
Three Pay for Husbands
Murder.
~ tire Associated Press

~ the Associated Press.
ossINIRG. August 1o-Salstore
Antonio finally Is avenged FIRST 70
pay last night for his murder vas
his wife Anna Then came Sam
Faracci and finally Vincent Saetta.
Before midnight struck they were
dead. New York had exacted It's
threefold payment for a petty rack
tteer's murder.
Mrs. Antonio, 20 years old. thin
almost 10 the point Of emaciation
and weighing under. 90 pounds. had
prayed TO the last that the portals
Of mercy" which the court of last
resort had spoken Of only two days
ago as her only hope. would be
opened The Governor, however, de-
clined 10 interfere.
MusterH Final Courage.
She had said they would have to
carry her, that she could not 90 the
short way from her cell to the death
room on foot. Two guards picked her
up and took a few steps. She strug-
Rled down then, and walked the
rest of the way. a bit defantly. draw
ing on q reserve Of nerve which doc
tors had said she did not have
She sat down In the chair. The
prison chaplain stepped forward.
crucifix extended toward the mask
that dropped from the headplate
He stepped back. Watches on the
wrists Of shaky arms among the Wit
nesses said 1912 pm.
At 1915 pm. she was dead.
She died with a final word to the
warden of her love for her three
children.
Samuel Faracci. 43. came next.
The wrist watches said 1913 pm.
He entered easily, but sullenly.
Maintains Innocence.
Tin going to the chair all right"
he said, but I'm innocent That's
all I've got to say-and thank you.
for nothing"
At 1922 pm was dead
Finally came Vincent Saetta, %. He
was cheerful Hello, guard" he
called out. He was smiling He was
the worst OF the three, TO hear him
tell II, yet it was he who tried TO
shoulder all the blame. If Vincent
6aetta could have had his way, he
would have paid for Salvatore An
tonio's murder alone
The woman, she had nothing to
do with 1t. Faracci? l don't know
1t was dark. / didn't see him do
nothing But the woman. no. no"
Last night, before the death hour.
he tried to interest a prison guard
in a story that completely exonerated
Mrs. Antonio. Once before he had
made it sound real. It won one re-
prieye, and then a second. Her law
yer obtained still third reprieve.
AL were futile.
OF them all, Vincent Saetta alone
died smiling. Several hours earlier
his mother and four sisters had come
TO say good-by. One by one he kissed
them.
Vincent Saetta, gay knight of the
death house, was dead at l0:30 pm.
With his death, the books in the
case Of Salvatore Antonio were bal
anced.
Makes Last Statement.
Mrs. Antonio persisted in her in
nocence. Before she died, however,
she told Warden Lewis Lawes:
IT did not tell those men to kill my
husband for his insurance money of
5000. I could have killed him
dozen times. The house was always
full OF dope and guns. One of these
men came to me and said they were
going to XIII my husband, and I said:
Il do not care what happens to my
husband. / care only for my three
children
She had sustained herself with the
hope Gov. Herbert Lehman would
spare her. During yesterday he list
ened to lmportunings in her behalf.
He heard them through, but made no
comment.
Governor Explains Position.
After the three were dead Gov.
lehman issued a statement. He had
studied the case thoroughly, he said
He had hoped something would be
found that would give him reason to
spare her life. Nothing was found.
Court after court had turned down
her appeals. The evidence had been
sufficient to lead a jury to convict her.
Appeals have been made to me to
grant executive clemency to Anna
Antonio on account of her sex, but the
law makes no distinction of sex in the
punishment of crime; nor would my
own conscience or the duty imposed
upon me by oath of -offlce permit me
20 do So" the Governor said.
THE administration of justice must
be definite and certain, so that society
may be protected and respect and OBJ
servance of the law maintained"
Salvatore Antonio was murdered
April IS, 1882. On May Of the
same year his wife, Faracci and Saetta
were arrested and made confessions.
later retracted. On April IS, 1881
year to the day after the murder-the
three were convicted and sentenced to
death.