The Washington times., 1936-04-04
8 WITNESSES
IN CHAMBER
OF DEATH

assembled in the room. There
were 80 newspaperme1. six doc.
tors, three legislators. two police
officers, two ministers, seven
civilians" and two prison Of
ficialS.
The ministers already had been
admitted within. Among those
in the room, looking pale and
concerned was Robert Hicks, the
Washington Cd. c. criminologist
who had done private investigating
for Gov. Harold G. Hoffman, the
man who didn't think Hauptmann
did the kidnapping alone.
Ate pretty Well"
The clock struck 8. It was like
q shock. The assembled witnesses,
their nerves on edge, looked
around. Reporters began asking
q few questions of officials. They
were told by Edward l.. Mare,
chief comnissary officer Of the
prison, who was acting as escort,
that the condemned man ate
pretty well" Of q substantial
meal.
Hauptmann's last meal, Marie
said, consisted Of celery, olives,
salmon salad, sliced cheese, corn
fritters, coffee and milk, cake and
fruit salad.
The gruff voice Of George L.
Selby, deputy warden, suddenly
snapped everybody to attention.
He instructed witnesses to form a
line in pairs, with doctors first"
Everybody faced the barred door
leading in toward the death cham
Der.
Silence fell over the room.
Selby sat on q table, swinging
his right leg in cadence with
the movement of the pendulum
Of the clock. One Of the guards
stood back from the line, twirling
his club. Eight guards stood at
attention at strategic spots along
the line.
A buzzer rang in the glass
enclosed cubicle. A uniformed
man answered.
At sos everybody was still wait
ing for Col. Mark o. Kimberling,
principal keeper Of the prison, to
put in an appearance.
The clock licked on. It seemed
to be a noisy clock.
Finally, at S:14 p. M, somebody
whispered Here comes Kimber-
ling!"
The buzzer signalled again.
What was delaying Kimberling?
Oh. he was being "frisked," too, in
plain sight of those at the end Of
the line.
And then in walked the warden,
looking solemn. He addressed the
witnesses:
1--WE have heard rumOrS that
an effort would be made to take
pictures here tonight. This must
not happen. That is one reason
why you have been searched.
II also have heard there is q
possibility Of q demonstration.
will not stand for any out
bursts Of any kind. If Haupt-
mann wants to make q state
ment when he comes into the
death chamber I will be there
to handle that matter"
DEATH MARCH BEGINS
And then. at 8:1S p. m. the
barr I'd door leading inside was
swung back and the march to the
death chamber was begun. The
witnesses silently filed through
the mess hall, with its rows Of
wooden benches and metal trays
piled high in a corner, and on into
an open yard.
Warden Leads Way
Warden Kimberling led the pro-
ceSSion. No one was saying a
word. We passed into the cool.
fresh air. An airplane droned
high overhead. We entered a
large door. There we were stop
ped by guards and our special
press cards and invitations to the
execution examined and taken
up. To the left was a low, red
brick one-story structure, the ex-
ecution chamber.
Over our heads, peering from
lookout towers atop of the walls,
were guards with rifles.
In we went through q door,
over which were two bright white
q 4