The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-20
Death Penalty For Fla. Youth Is Delayed
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fessed and took them to the places where the booy and the ransom money were hidden.
 He had young and pretty wife he said, whom he had married less than Q year before. He longed tc provide her with the pretty" things to which he felt she was entitled and had plotted Kidnapping for ran- som. He had considered Kidnapping the child of one of three well-to- do persons Of the Princeton neigh borhood and finally decided on the cashes. He then sent his wife te visit her relatives and carried oui his plans.
 He first insisted that he had beer merely the accomplice of R. A. Cash the baby's uncle, who, he said, had stolen the child and collected the ransom. The federal agents ques. toned R. A. Cash and exonerated him so completely that Hoover de- nounced Mccall for an extremely unjust and untrue statement" Me- Call then acknowledged that he had had no accomplices.
 Guilty to Kidnapping
 On June 14, he pleaded guilty to Kidnapping and not guilty to murder, and Judge H. P. Atkinson heard the evidence without 8 jury and found him guilty. Mccall repeated his con- fession in open court to the judge, and, in conclusion, said: T just want to make the plea that nobody ever let money tempt him that way"
 Under Florida law, Kidnapping for ransom carries a mandatory death sentence, and Judge Atkinson accord- ingiy sentenced him to death. He naver passed on the question of whether he was guilty of murder.
 The first reaction of McCall'f young wife to the Kidnapping was one of inexpressible horror. She and his widowed mother, whose other sons were preachers like their father. ral- lied to his defense and there fol- lowed a long battle through the courts to upset Atkinson's findings on the grounds that he should not have been permitted to plead guilty that he should have been tried before jury, that he had not been prop erly represented by the counsel whom Judge Atkinson appointed for him.
 Confessed Under Duress
 Two weeks ago, the Rev. E. H. Crowson wrote the Florida supreme court that Mccall had told him he had confessed to the G-men under duress. Attorney Ayriett immediate Iy petitioned the court for a new hearing on this contention. The court ruled, "the record of his tes- timony and of corroborating physi- cal circumstances shows beyond any doubt that he did commit the crime of which he stands convicted and that his present belated denial Of guilt is false and untrue"
 Ayriett appealed again 10 Gov Fred P. Cone and to the board of pardon and paroles and they again refused clemency. So last night he called on his client and told him to reconcile himself to die. A few hours before he mad re- ceiyed the pretty young wife who tried to comfort him in the one story, fat-topped building on the prison farm which contains the death cells and the electric clair ir which Joseph Zangara, the assassin who attempted to murder President Roosevelt and did murder Mayor Cermak of Chicago, died. She wal accompanied by his mother and the two of them left. sobbing.
 Clashes Await Execution
 In their home at Princeton. the Clashes awaited the execution ol their baby,s kidnaper in silent se- clusion. They had attended all oi NcCails court and clemency hear ings, offering no evidence. but, by tfeir presence, insisting on the su- preme penalty. At one of these hear ings. McCall;s mother pleaded with Mrs. Cash to intercede in her son'i behalf. Mrs. Cash and Cash wept bui they refused to intercede.
 When he awoke this morning. Nc. Calls head was shaved, as was that of Paul Fried Bunge. a small anc elderly poet who killed his wife anc two children in Tampa last May ana who will die immediately before oi immediately after him, depending or the Last minute decision Of prisor officiaus.
 Mccall will see other relatives thil morning. but it was not certain whether his mother and his wife would be permitted another visit Attorney Ayriett. saying he had con- fidence in McCall's last minute re- pudiation of his confession. said hi was hoping something would hap. pen
 Franklin told me again that hl was innocent. that he had nothing al all to do with the Kidnapping. and that the confession he made to G. men was obtained by torture and duress." he said.
 The chair was prepared by tech- nicians but Sheriff D. C. Coleman oi Miami will throw the switch on Mc- Call. The sheriff of Tampa was here to execute Bunge. Florida law re- quires sheriffs to execlte persons convicted of capital offenses m theii counties.
 Mccall buried his head in his arm