The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-06-20


They listened for long mo-
ment. Then DR.. Kipp said, 81 pro-
nounce this man dead"
The body was lifted onto the
white table and wheeled out of the
room.
A guard moved to the door
leading to the corridor. He left it
open an inch or two and stood
there, listening.
About three minutes later, Rabbi
Koslowe's voice again came from
beyond the door. The guard pulled
it open.
The rabbi entered, holding the
prayer book almost on level with
his eyes. He read both the 18th
and 31st Psalms, who shall
sojourn in Thy tabernacle. :"
Ethel Rosenberg, 81, walked be-
hind him.
She wore a shapeless green dress
with small white pattern. 1t had
no belt. The sleeves we're short and
the neckline was high and round.
She also wore Slippertype shoes.
Unlike her husband, she looked
around the room. Her eyes flick
cred from face to face, across the
row of witnesses and down the
line of guards.
She had stopped in front of the
electric chair, and she started to
turn toward it. Suddenly, she
stopped.
Two women had followed her
into the chamber. One was Mrs.
Helen Evans, prison matron, and
the other Mrs. Lucy Many, form
er matron and now a telephone
operator.
Ethel Rosenberg whirled back
from the chair and extended her
arm toward Mrs. Evans. Her hand
was outstretched.
Mrs. Evans took it between both
of hers. Mrs. Rosenberg pulled the
short, white-haired matron toward
her, and the two women kissed.
Each murmured, but the words
we're unintelligble to the witnesses.
Later, Mrs. Evans said she only
recalled saying Goodbye"
Again, the black helmet, straps
and leg contacts were set in place.
Just before the gear was placed
on her head and face, Mrs. RoSen-
! berg closed her eyes.
She WINGED, slightly, as the cleo
trode was fixed on her head. Her
hair was black and short-cropped.
The chamber was hot. There was
no sound except the half-whispered
words of the rabbi. He kept his
eyes on the prayer book, and his
head was partly bowed.
Then, the switch was thrown and
the metallic rattle sounded again.
Mrs. Rosenberg had stretched
her arms along the arms of the
chair, with the PAINS of her hands
turned upward. Now, her hands
clenched.
Then, as before, the straps were
taken from her chest and the doc
tors examined her. This time, the
decision was not immediate. They
moved the stethoscopes several
times, and there was brief con-
Sultation in whispers.
They stepped away, murmured
| to Warden Demo, and the warden
signaled the guards to replace the
straps. Twice more, the switch was
thrown and a buzzing hum, more
vibration than sound, filled the
chamber.
Then il was finished. With the
second examination, DR.. kipp
! looked up and said, Il pronounce
this woman dead"
The second execution had begun
at 7:l1lz and ended at 7:16.
So closed the story of Julius and
Ethel Rosenberg which began more
than three years ago with the ar
rest of DR.. Klaus Fuchs, German
born atomic scientist, who was
working in an atomic laboratory in
Great Britain.
That was in February, 1850.
On June IS of that year, David
GreenglaSS was arrested in New
York. He was the younger brother
of Ethel Rosenberg. The trail fol-
lowed By detectives on both sides
of the Atlantic led from Fuchs,
through several other men, to
Greenglass and from him to Ju-
Illus and Ethel Rosenberg.
julius was arrested July II, his
wife August II, 1850
Each denied before God and
man" the story that GreenglasS
told-that they had all been units
of an espionage netWork, designed
to ferret out the secrets of atomic
energy. and relay the information
to the Russians.
GreenglaSs testified that his Sis
ter. Rosenherg's wife, told him.
Julius finally got TO the point
where he was doing what he al.
ways wanted 10 do-give informa-
ton 10 the Soviet Union -
The Rosenbergs called it "a mon
StruuS frameup,
They were convicted in March.
1851. and sentenced 10 death on
April 5. 1851. In sentencing them,
Federal JuYlpp irving Kaufman