Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-08-29
'EXECUTIONER OF
FELONS WILL NOT
SPEAK OF TASKS
r. C. Elliott Shuns Publicity,
Looks on Work as Just
Another JOB.

Charleston, Mass.-A knotted, power
full hand, encased in a rubber glove
reached up to drive home the blades
of giant switch in the prison here
Three times the hand reached and each
time man died. The hand was that
of Robert G. Elliott, official execution
er for the states of Massachusetts,, Del
aware, New York. Pennsylvania. and
. New Jersey.
The hand took the lives of Murton
and Irving Millen and Abraham Faber.
All three men had been convicted of
numbering policeman while engaged
in bank hodup. Elliott's hand threw
the switch which caused their electro
cution.
Once before Elliott carried out a
triple execution in Boston. Those cleo
trocuted then were the two car barn
bandits, Nicolo Sacco, and Bartolomeo
Vanzetti, anarchists convicted of MUIR
dering a paymaster and his guard, and
Celestino Medeiros, who died for the
murder of bank cashier.
Ten years ago Elliott branched out
from his electrical supply business In
TO the position of official executioner
when his predecessor, John Hilbert,
committed suicide.
Just Another Job.
His job does not bother the sixty
one year-old Elliott. The only time his
nerve has been shaken was the time he
threw the current through the body of
Mrs. Ruth Snyder for her completely in
the window weight murder of her hus-
band who was killed by Judd Gray, her
corset salesman lover.
He looks upon it as just another job.
By his philosophy some one is guilty
of murder and when the law discovers
that some one he deserves to die. IT'S
the law and some one must do It," Is
his way of looking at things.
Elliott shuns publicity. He. lives
quietly and modestly in cottage house
at Richmond Hills, N. Y, with his wife,
a son, and a daughter. His only abb
sences from home are occasioned by
his frequent trips to the prisons of his
own or nearby states to carry on his
| grim task
There is good reason for his reluct
ance to appear in the public eye. Ev-
cry effort was made to keep his iden-
| tity and his address a secret but gang
| sters found where he lived few years
ago and bombed his home. The bomb
| ing occurred shortly after the electro
| cution of Sacco and Vanzetti and il
| was thought that their friends we're
attempting to seek revenge on the
| executioner. The case has never beer
solved. Ellott's home was wrecked
| but he and his family escaped without
injury.
$3.50 Per Death.
There is nothing about the grim
visaged, sunken checked and spare
| framed eXecutioner's demeanor or ap
| pearance to mark him as the man who
has sent the current of death through
an uncounted number of convicteG
criminals. He refuses to reveal how
many he has executed, though there
is. little doubt that the figure is well
over one hundred.
For each person that dies by his hand
he receives $3.50, plus his travelling eX.
penses. His routine varies little FROM
prison to prison. In some states he
throws a switch, in others he spins
a wheel
Arrived in the town in which the
execution is to be held, he registers at
hotel, unpacks his bag, lays out his
working Clothes to be ready for the
nights grim task.
When the execution is over he dons
his coat goes back to his hotel. and
after steaming hot bath goes to bed
and sleeps soundly until it comes morn
ing and he goes back to his home or
to some other prison where his services
are required.