The Washington times., 1935-02-02
I'm No KILLER
THUG Walls
TOWARDEN
Denies He Even Took Part
In Bank Truck HoIdup
Staged in Richmond
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pencil and paper. He wrote eight
letters during the night. One
was to his mother, who waged q
vain fight to secure a commute
ton of sentence for him.
Another letter was to Marie
McKeever, his sweetheart. who
was arrested with him in New
York and is now held in Phila'
delphia.
An hour before the execution
the prison chaplain, the Rev. R.
B, Lancaster, went to Mais' cell
and prayed with him.
Col. Fred Seller, Of the Saliva
ton Army, came to talk to Le-
Renza, but the gangster was Sullen
and displayed little interest, say.
ing he had lived and would die
without religion.
Warden Youell offered to sup
ply him with a pencil and paper
but he CURLY declined, saying he
had no desire to write any fare
well letters.
Wrote to Brother
Several days ago he wrote to his
brother. asking that he come here,
but the brother did not come.
AS Mais was led to the electric
chair LegenZa, stretched out on
his cot in the adjoining cell,
shouted:
$50 long, buddy. I'll be SEEM
you in just q little while. Be
game"
Mais, choked with emotion,
mumbled a "goodby" as the two
guards hustled him down the cor
ridor.
Twelve men, including . num-
Der Of police officers who trailed
the killers after their sensational
jail break here, sat in the witness
box as MaiS was led into the
death chamber with the chair in
the center. He was rushed into
the seat, the death cap and mask
placed over his face and the cleo
trodeS fixed to his legs.
He started to say something
Just as the warden gave the sig
nal, a guard threw the switch and
1880 volts of electricity Surged
through his body.
His slender body strained
against the straps as the first
shock hit him. A minute later
the current was turned off, and
then second shock was given.
Wait 20 Minutes
Although the IL official wit
nesses were on hand early and
took their seats in the death
chamber at 1880, it was 20 min.
uteS before MaiS was led in.
Close to 100 persons gathered in
front Of the prison, standing in
the snow for more than an hour.
After Mais had been taken to
the death chamber, Legenza, Grip.
pied by two broken legs, was lifted
from his cot into a wheel chair.
He moaned in pain as the
guards moved him and then
started trundling him down the
corridor.
Legenza, regarded by police as
one Of the most dangerous Grim
inals in the nation, had sworn that
he would never die in the chair.
But despite his boasts he sat in the
chair at 8:06 and two minutes
later his criminal career was
ended, in that grim chair he ex-
pected to beat.
Legenza's left leg, which carries
four steel screws placed there 20
knit the shattered bone. was badly
"Singed' by the two shocks, War"
den Youell said.
A thin whiSp of blush smoke
curled up from his leg. Mais was
also slightly burned.
The two clergymen accompanied
the men into the lethal chamber
but Mais was too nervous to talk
to them and Legenza maintained
his sullen silence.
Warden Youen said that each
man was dead after the two appi.
cations of the current Of one min.
ute each.
Bodies in MOrgue
The body of MaiS was taken to
the prison morgue, and exactly
10 minutes later that of Legenza
was placed on an adjoining slab.
Mais' body will be shipped to
Philadelphia this afternoon for
burial there. No disposition Of
LegenZa's has been made, and I'M
less it is claimed by members OF
his family he will be buried In
PotterS' field here.
1t was revealed that there was
considerable difficulty in getting
Legenza in the chair as the broken
leg was so stiff that it was hard
to bend it into a sitting position.
Despite the pain Of this, he said
nothing, moaning once or twice.
His face was drawn with pain.
The warden expressed Satisfac'
ton that the double execution
had gone off smoothly"