The Wilmington morning star., 1947-05-10
WILLIE
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a miracle had saved him so
that he could have his ''hell on
earth" Prison officials said that
faulty wiring had prevented
the full current from going
through Willie's body.
Father Hannigan said that Will
lie was in "great shape physically
and spiritually" Willie did walk
straight as he said he would.
Penned Short Notes
He had many visitors during the
morning. He penned short notes to
his closest friends, and then asked
to be left alone.
Willie wanted catfish for his
last meal, nothing but catfish
he had said.
In charge of the execution was
st. Martin Parish Sheriff R. L.
Reswebber, who said ''this is my
first execution, though it's my
second attempt" Reswebber was
sheriff when the chair failed last
May 8.
Three doctors - Bernard
Demahy, Ernest Young, and How
ard Robinson pronounced Willie
dead.
Willie's body a turned over
to his family at the jail, and
transferred later to Journet's Flu
neral home for burial at 5 pm.
(CST).
Last Visitor
One of Willie's last visitors was
Bertrand DeBlanc, his fiery attor-
ney who tried vainly to save him,
goint to the U. S. Supreme court
twice and appealing on numerous
occasions to Louisiana courts and
the governor.
DeBlanc told Willie that he
thought he had another recourse
to save him, but the attorney said
that he was convinced by both
Father Hannigan and Willie that
the Negro was "satisfied' and
ready to die for his crime.
Willie's case attracted nation
wide attention when he walked
back to his prison cell the first
time after his supposed last
walk to e electric chair. He
had sat down to die. His case
was a local affair at that time.
But to his amazement he was
still alive minutes after he waited
for death. He opened his eyes to
see the jailer freeing him from
the death-dealing chair.
Since that day DeBlanc had
pleaded against executing the
same man a second time. IN a 5
to 4 ruling the U. S. Supreme
Court, commenting On the defec-
tive wiring said that accidents
can happen ''for which no man
is to blame
Court Opinion
In the minority opinion. Justice
Harold H. Burton, who was joined
by Justices William o. Douglas ,
Frank Murphy and Wiley Rut-
ledge said that the law demands
instantaneous electrocution, not
repeated applications OF current
Eat intervals Of several days Or
even minutes
DeBlanc felt hope in the split
court verdict and made an unsuc-
cessful appeal to the state pardon
board. But that too failed.
AS the hours licked away De-
Blanc announced that he had I'M
covered new evidence to stay the
execution. He flew to Washington
yesterday to introduce in the ma
tion's highest tribunal what he
said was evidence that last years
abortive attempt to execute the
Negro was a ~"disgraceful and in
human exhibition"
DeBlanc a d another Attorney
J. Sicily Wright said they were
prepared to introduce evidence
showing that a drunken orgy was
going on in the jail at the time
Of the other execution. They said
the eXecutloner, a FORMER CollVlet,
and other officials "were so drunk
it would have been impossible for
them to know what they were do
ing"
They charged the man at the
switch sneered at Willie after ne
escaped death that he would per.
sonally kill him later, If he had
to do it with a rock.
The high tribunal however turn,
ed down a petition for review Of
the case and a habeas corpus
writ by a vote Of six to two.
This time Willie's executioner
was not a convict but an exper'
fenced electrician. A new state
law provides that no amateurs
can eve perform such a task a
gain,
/, Man