The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-28
ELECTRIC CHAIR
 ENDSLECAL FIGHT
tcontinued from Page 1.)


 Keep your chin up. Eva" Scar nici replied, barely interrupting hia conversation with the priest.
 Although Mrs. Coo prayed fre- quently during her last days, she did not send for the Rev. Anthony N. Peterson, the prisons protestant chaplain, until yesterday. He and two matrons, Carrie Stevens and May Creighton, walked with her to the chair. After she had been strapped in she said to the ma- irons, whom she knew well:
 Goodbye, darlings."
 Few Minutes of Sunshine
 A few hours before, Scarnicl had had last view of the world of sunshine and free men. His attor- neys had applied for wrti of hab. eas corpus in New York city fed- eral court and he was taken there while Judge William Bondy lis- tened to arguments that his consti- tutional rights had been traduced. He stared curiously at the crowded streets, drank in the sunshine, and finally was taken back to the death-house where he had spent two years. Judge Bondy said his rights had been respected.
 Eleven relatives left him at 9:30 D. m. and Father McCaffery came in. He swaggered into the death chamber, chewing gum, smoking Q cigarette, and whisperding a wise crack to one of his guards. Warden Lewis b. I.awes stood impassive, his arms folded, against one wall.
 "Is that okay, warden?" asked Scarnici, pointing to the cigarette. The warden nodded, Scarnici took deep puff, said to the witnesses:
 His Last Words
 "All I want to say is to give out 6 message to them people up in AL bany-them double-crossers. I'm a better man than they are and I thank you warden. I'm all set"
 He sat down.
 "Not too tight, boys" he said to the guards strapping him in. The priest, praying, giving him absolu- ton, held tlie. crucifix at his lips. He kissed 1t perfunctorily, saying:
 "okay, father"
 The mask then was put in place and he died.
 Mrs. Coo and Mrs. Martha Gift, one of her hostesses, killed Wright by knocking him down and rum ming an automobile back and forth across his body. He had several insurance policies of which Mrs. Coo was the beneficiary. Mrs. Gift. now serving 20 years to life, saved herself by turning states witness.
 Scarnlcl Much Implicated
 Scarnicl was implicated in a score or more gangster killings and robberies. He was believed the "heavy muscle man" in the kidnap- ing of John J. O'Connell, nephew of the Albany political boss. Trying to save himself from the chair, he told detectives the intimate details of his life of crime, duplicating an unknown number of persons in an unknown number of crimes. Gov ernor Lehman granted him five re- prieves while he talked, but appar- ently did not wish to reward fur ther his belated willingness to aid society.
 In his last moments, Scarnici signed and swore to statement that exonerated Arthur Plentl. serving q term in Wethersfeld. Conn.,, state prison for Q hold-up.
 1T took part in the crime" he said, "and know Plentl was not there. I do not want to sec an. other innocent man suffer-. Exoncrates PlentI
 ossining, N. r., June 2s-(UP) Before Leonard Scarnici, gang ster and killer, was executed nj the Sing Sing electric chair last night. he signed and swore to a statement exonerating Arthur Plentl, now serving term in the Connecticut state prison at Wethepsfield.
 His statement follows:
 1T, Leonard Scarnici, being of sound mind and not looking for anything, testify that Arthur Plentl, now in tho Wethersfield prison, Is innocent of tho Lesnow shirt factory hold up. I took part in the crime and know Plentl was not there. I do not want to see an- other innocent man suffer-"