Evening star., 1946-07-19
Mcfarland
Continued From First Pageo


to the death chamber by himself
Accordingly, the two prison chap
lains who have been visiting Nc
Farland during the last several
weeks sat with witnesses in an ante
room during the execution.
! In a statement issued through
Col. Reid just before he left his
cell, Mcfarland said:
Il want to express my thanks and
deep appreciation to every one who
has helped me. I still say am not
guilty of these crimes" Can indict-
ment is still pending against INC
Farland in the death of Mrs Mar
garet Fitzwater, So, whose body was
found on the edge of the Pentagon
lagoon on September "a, 1944)
About two hours before his exc
cution, Mcfarland ate a breakfast
which consisted of ham and eggs
two pieces of toast and two cups of
coffee His dinner last night, selected
by him, was chicken with the trim
mings. Col. Reid said the portion
was so ample that he shared his
meal with other men in the death
house, including Joseph D. Medley,
who is to die in August, with whom
he had escaped in April. Both were
recaptured soon afterWard.
The Rev. Daniel Potter, chaplain
of the Lorton Reformatory, who at
tended Mcfarland, said the con-
demned man was baptized this
morning in the Protestant faith and
took Holy Communion.
He is prepared to meet his
Maker the clergyman said. His
spirit is at ease"
Brother Refuses to Watch.
While the death sentence was be-
ing carried out, McFarland's BROTH
er, Samuel B. Dills of Forks, Wash,
sat in the shade of a tree outside
the Jail Dills paid his last visit to |
his brother at 9 am, declining to
witness the execution, as he would |
have been permitted to do by law
The death warrant was read to
Mcfarland by Col. Reid at so am
McFarland's final hours were con-
cerned with a plan for the trans
planting of his eyes to a patient who |
was scheduled for an operation in
New York this afternoon. Arrange
ments had been made to send the
eyes by plane to New York at noon,
after they had been removed imme-
diatelv after McFarland's execution. |
Col Reid said the project was can
ceied, however, because McFarland's S |,
relatives objected to the operation
on his dead body.
Brother Says Good-by.
During his visit with the con-
demned man this morning, Mr.. Dills
spent Is minutes and said good-by.
MI. Dills said he stood outside Nc
Fiarland's cell to talk to him.
| Il certainly am not owning up to
anything I never did," Mr.. Dills
quoted Mcfarland as saying.
The condemned killer had learned
through his radio in the deathhouse
that his last chance to escape elec-
trocution vanished last night when
Chief Justice Vinson refused to
grant a stay that would have per-
mitted lunacy hearing for the Pa
cific war veteran.
On the eve of his execution, Nc
Farland was sin very jubilant spir-
it's" according to his attorneys, P.
Bateman Ennis and George A. Cas-
sidy. The lawyers paid their client
final visit in the deathhouse last
night to inform him officially that
there was nothing more they could
do for him.
Asks Their Presence.
Mr. Ennis related how his client
insisted that his statements of in
nocence reach the newspapers, and
he requested both of his attorneys
To be at the Jail today, not to wit
ness the execution, but ito make
sure there is no misrepresentation
in the press"
Then he expressed his thanks
TO us, and that was ALL" Mr.. Ennis
said
Earlier yesterday, Mcfarland was
visited by his sister, Mrs. John
Emory of New Market, Tenn, and
Mr.. DlllS. McFarland's name was
Dills until he assumed his mothers
maiden name when he joined the
Marines.
Mr.. Ennis said Chief Justice Vim
son spent an hour listening to pleas
in McFarland's behalf before he
rejected the appeal last night. Also
attending The conference in the
Chief Justices chambers was At
torney James j. Laughlin, who
sought postponement of the exc
cution to permit Mcfarland to tes-
tify in the trial of Policemen HUI
bert c. Davis and Oscar C. Sander
lin in District Court on October Z.
The two officers are charged with
negligence in permitting the escape
of Mcfarland and Medley on April 3.
Last Step Open.
The appeal to Justice Vinson yes
terday was the last step in frantic
series of last-minute efforts to save
Mcfarland from the electric chair
Earlier in the week, his attorneys
sought vainly to win stays from
both the District Court and the
United States Court of Appeals.
President Truman and the Supreme