Evening star., 1942-08-08

ments after all the lights in the
building had been extinauished. A
guard reported that six Army chap
lains and three doctors also bad en-
tered the Jail which was closely pa
trolled by helmeted troops. Several
Army officers arrived at the same
time as the coroner.
Activity started early at the Jail
Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox, provost
marshal of the District, and a group
of aides took the elevator in the
direction of the execution chamber
shortly after 9 am. After that,
there were numerous conferences
among military and Jail officials.
and the guards within and without
the building were intensely vigilant.
About 1915, a priest ran up
through the rain to the Jail entrance
nearest the execution chamber. He
was admitted at once. A jail at
tache said the priest was a chaplain
at Lorton Reformatory and had
come to give spiritual solace to any
of the Germans who might desire it.
Watches SynchroniZed.
During the morning Maj. Thomas
M. Rives. assistant provost marshal
of the District and former superln-
tendent of the District Jail, went to
the jail switchboard with other Of
Ff1cers and each of them compared
his watch with an official Jail clock.
After that, newspapermen who
were waiting at the Jail door were
told that they could not use the
iail telephones for an indefinite
time. The switchboard was kept
open strictly for official business.
The execution area in the Jail was
brushed and aired out yesterday, al
though high official said that this
was done on the possibility that the
men would be ordered put to death
in the electric chair and not on any
suggestion from the military author
tiles who have custody of the
prisoners.
Two dozen shiny aluminium chairs
were placed in rows before the Win
dows in the witness room which look
on the plain wooden chair. The
chair itself had been cleaned and
covered over. It stands in the center
of a room about IL by 18 feet.
Extra Fans Set Up.
The regular exhaust fan was run
ming late yesterday and several ex-
ira fans had been set about the
floors to blow out the musty air OF
the little used, top floor quarters.
A Jail executive said no outside
help was needed in the operation OF
the chair. The crew of four-their
names were not disclosed-include
an executioner and his first assist
ant. each Of whom gets $50 for each
person put to death, and two assist
ants, each getting $25.
q. The suite of rooms surrounding
the chair includes one for taking
care of witnesses who cant take
It," In addition to the witness OBJ
serving room, which is separated
from the death chamber by glass
and screen, there Is row OF four
cells, an exercise room, a shower,
and a small booth into which visi-
tor can be locked while he talks,
through a complex mouth piece, to
q doomed man.
One incident marked the night at
District Jail. Three American SOL
diers and British sailor banged on
the heavy door and demanded that
they be permitted to execute the
saboteurs-at once and personally.
Their request was politely refused.
One source at the Jail told re-
porter that the prisoners would have
a hearty breakfast at 7 o'clock and
might not learn Of any execution
plans until after eating.
Appetites Good.
The Nazis' appetites have been
good. For lunch yesterday all eight
had fried fish, boiled cabbage, corn
on the cob and bread and water
standard fare for all inmates-and
sent their plates back empty.
A late checkup yesterday showed
that the prisoners were still in their
widely separated cells on the second
floor of the south wing of the Jail
and that they had received no
visitors.
Soldier in Each Cell.
An unarmed soldier sat in the cell
OF each prisoner to prevent pos
sible attempted suicide.
Armed soldiers patrolled the cor
ridor outside the cells.
Jail records show that there have
been IS executions there since 1864,
either on the gallows or by electro
clution.
The electric chair was substituted
for the gallows in 1925 and since
then there have been "a electrocu-
tions.
The electric chair at the Jail was
made at the District repair shop
and is not regarded as the latest
type In the States which prescribe a
death penalty by electrocution.
It is located on top floor of the
million dollar Jail addition accepted
after an ipSpectiOn tour on Decpm-