The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, August 03, 1915, Page TWO, Image 2
BECKER'S BODY NOW f
AT HOME OF WIDOW
POLICE LIEUTENANT DIED WITHOUT
CONFESSING.
Scenes Attending the Execution of
Man Who Was Twice Convicted of
n xt ^ i%_ tr j
itosencnai s .uiiruer.
New York, July 30.?Charles Becker's
body was brought to Mrs. Becker's
home in the Bronx late today. It was
in a plain black casket. A small crowd
of neighbors assembled as the hearse
drew up before t?e building.
The funeral, it was announced, will
take place Monday.
Execution of Becker.
Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, July 30.
?Oharle? Becker was out to death in
the .electric chair here this morning
for the killing of Herman Rosenthal,
the New York gambler. The former
lNew York police lieutenant retained <
ihis composure and protested his innocence
to the last. He went to his death <
with a photograph of his wife pinned i
on his shirt over his l:eart. Three |
shocks were given before the prison
physicians pronounced Becker dead at
5:55 o'clock.
Becker led the way to <Ms own execution.
He sat up all night on the
edge of his cot, calmly talking to Dep- j
wty Warden Charles H. Johnson.
"I have got to face it," said Becker,
"and I am going to meet it quietly and
'without trouble to any one."
Tee deputy warden iiert ?secKer aoout
an hour before the time set for the
execution, and when toe priests,
Father W. E. Oashin, the prison priest,
and Father Curry of New York, came
to administer the last rites they found
the condemned man with his face resting
on his hand gazing at the prison
floor. Tfte priests remained with him
to the end.
o?uv/i tx v aiin o vuuv^a iuc ui vi
the witnesses began to assemble outBide
the prison walls. Quietly their
names were checked off by Deputy
"Warden Johnson. Then the witnesses
were led to the place of execution in
the death ibouse adjoining the old execution
chamber, where the four gunmen
were put to death over a year
ago for killing Rosenthal. When the
witnesses were seated Deputy Warden
Johnson nodded to Prircipal Keeper
j TV j ii. i i
rrea .uoriier ana iiiey ieit tue ruviu
through a smail wooden door that led
to the death cells beyond, where Becker
was praying with his spiritual adv
visers.
Becker rose to his feet -when he saw
Johnson and took a crucifix from the
hand of the prison priest. To Father
Curry Becker gave his last message as
he took his place at the head of the
little file of men that marched to the
room of death.
Becker's Last Message.
His last message was:
"1 am not gumy Dy oeea, or conspiracy,
or in any other way, of fcbe
death of Rosenthal. I am sacrificed to
the world and my friends. Amen."
The one-time police officer hesitated
as he entered the execution room. It
seemed to the witnesses as if he was
startled that the deafoi chair was so
near at hand. He looked quickly atj
the double row of witnesses, glanced !
at the floor, swept with his eyes the!
whitened wall of the room and then I.
i
suddenly, as if coming to himself, j
walked briskly over the rubber mat i
and seated ? imself in the electric chair.
Behind Becker followed the prison
priests chanting the prayer of death,
which was repeated by the condemned f
man.
"Jesus, Mary, Joseph, have mercy on
my soul," nervously spoke Becker as
deputy wardens stepped forward and
adjusted the electrodes. Hardly a
minute elapsed before the electrode
was applied to toe right leg, a slit
Vni-nnn. Kaon nnt in t+Vl ft
liaviiug i/tuu p.i v ? ivu-j* j vuv <u
trouser leg from the knee down. After
the electrode had been firmly adjusted
against a shaven spot on the
back of the condemned man's head, the
State executioner looked at Deputy
.Warden Johnson, who surveyed the
figure that was still mumbling the
death prayer in the chair. Johnson
half turned his head and the execu
tioned jammed tf:e switch.
Tre first shock lasted a full minute
and the executioner said that it was
1,850 volts and ten amperes In
strength. It came while Becker was
still commending his soul to his maker.
The two prison physicians stepped
forward to examine the collapsed figure
supported in the death chair 'by the
teick, black leather straps. The stethoscope
was applied to the heart and
Dr. Charles Farr, the prison physician,
pressed his finger against ap artery in
the neck. There was still a feeble
stuttering of the heart.
Pronounced Dead.
The physician stepped back from the
rubber mat and again tihe electric current
pulsed through the body. The
shock lasted seven seconds. After a
hasty examination Dr. Parr asked that
a third shock be given. -Tfais lasted
five seconds. 'An examination that took ,
... ? w.i
se.eral minutes followed. Three physicians
among t:e witnesses then made
an examination and Dr. Farr at 5:55
o'clock quietly announced:
"I pronounce this man dead/'
During the night BecKer penciled on
a piece of paper what he captioned
"my dying declaration." It was taken
to the warden's office, where two copies
were typewritten, which Becker signed
in a bold hand with his fountain
pen. To Deputy Warden Johnson, who
had charge of the execution in place
of Warden Thomas Mott Osborne, who
does not believe in the death penalty,
the one-time police lieutenant gave his
fountain pen as a gift. "It is the last
thing that I have to give away and
I want you to ihave it. I want you to
give this statement to the newspaper
men."
Becker's message read:
"Gentlemen: I stand before you in
my full senses, knowing that no power
on earth can save me from the grave
that is to receive me. In the face
of that, in the teeth of those who condemn
me, knd in the presence of my
God and your God, I proclaim my absolute
innocence of ti-e foul crime for
which I must die. You are now about
to witness my destruction by the State,
which is organized to protect the lives
of the innocent. May Almighty God
rardon every one who has contributed
in any degree to my untimely death.
And now on the brink of my grave I
declare to the world to at I am proud
to shave been the husband of the purest,
noblest woman that ever lived?Helen
Becker. This acknowledgement is the
Woov T nan losvo npr T hid
KSU.1J X W%ix AVM? V MV.. ?
you good-bye. Father, I am ready to
go. Amen."
Talked With Deputy Warden.
After his wife had said farewell
shortly before midnight Becker maintained
a casual conversation with Deputy
Warden Johnson, who sat beside
the screen in front of his cell. Sometimes
he smoked cigars, after which
he would let his head fall upon his
hand and gaze reflectively at fcbe con
crete floor for minutes at a time.
Dawn found him seated on the edge
of his cot carefully pinning a photograph
of his wife on his white shirt
just over his heart. Then as if he desired
to have her all to himself, Becker
put on a thin black alpaca coat, which
he tightly buttoned. The photograph
was not seen by the witnesses until
the prison physician opened his coat
as he sat in the death chair.
Becker was put to death by tJ':e State
executioner, whose name is unknown
to the public. This man succeeded
State Electrician Davis, and said he
would not take the job unless his name
was kept secret. He lives in a little
"* * * * x -1 4. v:M
town up-state ana weni auvut aiie
work briskly. Becker's executioner
said that in his opinion the man had
died instantly at the first contact. An
autopsy was performed, accordiny to
law, immediately after the execution.
After Becker's body had been removed
from the chair Samuel Haynes,
a negro murderer, was brought into
the execution room and electrocuted.
One of Becker's last request^ to Warden
Osborne was that he be put to
aearn Deiore me negru.
Mrs. Becker's last effort to save her
husband was made yesterday, when
she appealed personally to Governor
Whitman for a reprieve so that an appeal
might be taken to the State court
of appeals. Missing the Governor at
Albany, Mrs. Becker met him at Poughkeepsie.
The plea was fruitless and
the untiring wife hurried back to Sing
Sing to bid her husband farewell. She
oroe uM+ih f/\r an hrmr I^pavine' the
?? UO AV4 MM ?W V>. . 0
death house at 12:30 o'clock this morning,
she left soon afterwards for 'New
York, outwardly displaying no effects
of the severe mental strain. John
Becker, her brother-in-law, accompanied
her.
A lengthy statement to Governor
Whitman was given out by Becker
late yesterday. Becker reiterated his
innocence and declared ihe never had
offered to plead guilty to second degree
murder.
lAi statement credited to Mrs, Becker
was given out here shortly after her
husband's deatn.
Statement From Mrs. Becker.
"I shall never rest," she is quoted
as saying, "until I have exposed the
methods which were used to convict
my husband. Whether he was guilty
or innocent, there was no justification
for the means employed to convict him.
"I would rather lose all the other
members of my family, as dear as they
are to me, than lost Charlie. No one
can take his place. In all of the ten
vears of our married life I never had
occasion once to regret that I was bis
wife.
'Charlie was no angel. He made no
pretense of being one. He was just
an ordinary human being?and perhaps
that is why I loved him so."
Dr. W. O. Stillman of Auburn, who
assisted in the autopsy, said that
Becker showed unusual resistance to
the electric fluid. After the autopsy
Dr. Stillman said:
"I noticed no unsual effects upon
Becker's vital organs. The way he resisted
the .strong current was remarkable,
showing him to be an unusually
i
powerful man."
meeker went to his aeatn xnree years
and a day after his indictment and
arrest, and slightly more than fifteen
months after the execution of the four
gunmen convicted of the actual murder
of Rosenthal.
Becker is the first man who left the
death house when granted a new trial,
j to return there and suffer the death
, t\ rvr-? r\ 1+T7 All Vt or? ti'Vi/n V? o 1 nf f QS rt cr
' pciia,iLj'# ?n.i 1 viiivio >? iav>/ na ? t i^ii unx^
j Sing's death house afte"r being granted
a new trial have failed to return there
for some reason or other.
Plate on Becker's Coffin.
New York, July 31.?'A, silver plate
bearing the inscription, "Charles
Becker, Murdered July 30, 1915, by
Governor Whitman," was placed tonight
on the coffin containing Becker's
body by direction of his widow. The
nlo + o -ie fnnr Hit cover inrOiPe in civP
jjx Utt 10 1VUX VJJ WV ? v*A *uv?v? iviwv
and the letters in script are an inch
hig!:. It is securely fastened.
WILSON MAY INTERVENE.
High Nayy Department Officials Make
Admission (That lT. S. Troops
May Soon Tuke Vera Cruz.
Washington, July 31.?Although they
deny any orders had been received
that would indicate proposed activity,
high officials of the navy department
made the significant admission today
that they expect to be called upon soon
to occupy Vera Cruz.
TLey admitted also their belief that
the United States will take possession
of Mexico City and hold it until a
stable government is established in
Mexico. They attach no significance
to the lack of orders to prepare for
any emergency.
Chas. A. Douglas, legal representative
of the Carranza government, announced
today that Gen. Carranza's
troops expect to occupy Mexico City
on Monday.
After opening up the railroads and
telegraph lines between Vera Cruz
and the capital, t):us insuring free interchange
of communications with the
outside world and the bringing in of
an abundant store of foodstuffs, and
establishing order in Mexico City,
Carranza will ask recognition from
the United States.
Referring to the presidents demand
made two months ago that the warring
factions get together and arrange
for peace and tf:.e restoration of order,
Mr. 'Douglas said that there was no
organization with which Carranza
n/vn.lj-l Vi/ilH Q-nv npnpo rtprlpvs Villa
VV/Ui\i UV/^U ^/vi-rvv .
and Zapata were both, he declared on
their last legs and tottering.
"I think conditions there not only
warrant, but make absolutely necessary
official recognition by our own
government," said Mr. Douglas. "Mexico
is not wholly pacified and may not
be for some monti":s."
The state department announced today
the receipt of news that Gen. Obregon,
the Carranza commander, had
captured San Luis Potosi, and continued
to occupy Zazatecas. The capture
of San Luis Potosi is taken to indicate
that Gen. Obregon has restored
I Ihic linAcs nf mmTrmnicatinn at Vera
Cruz.
Publicity Notice From
B. F. Goodrich Company.
Dealers all over the country are
much interested in the new Goodrich
news service. The big rubber company
down at lAkron are putting out periodically
white bulletins showing photographs
of interesting happenings in
the motor world. Such a news service
is of exceptional value. There is nothing
that tells a story so quickly as a
picture, and when a person can get the
latest motor news in photographic
form by merely stopping and looking
a few mt ments in the window, the
c&ances are he is going to stop.
Prominently displayed, this news
service i" going to attract attention in
the dealer's window and call people
into his su>re who would otherwise
not have g'.ne there.
Dealers all over the country are
hooking ud with the service, and it
promises to grow to very large proportions
Indeed.
The Goodridb' company, although put
to a great expense for this service, are
not charging the dealers a singl-e penny
for it. There are no obligations
whatever?all the dealer iias to do who
wishes to ftave the bulletins in his
window, is send his name in to the
nearest Goodrich branch or direct to
the Goodrich factory at Akron, and it
will be promptly placed on the list.
The cprviVp is national?it is annear
ing simultaneously in dealers' windows
from Maine to California.
Wheaever You Need a General Tool;
Take Grove's
The Old Standard Grove's Tasteless
chill Tonic is equally valuable as a
General Tonic because it contains the
well known tonic properties of QUININE
acj IRON. It acts on the Liver, Drives
out Malaria, Enriches the Blood and
Builds up the Whole System. 50 cents.
Piles Cared In 6 to 14 Days
Yocr druggist will refund money if PAZO
OINTMENT fails to cure any case of Itching,
Blind, Bleeding or Protruding Piles in 6 to 14 days
The first application giv*.^ Ease and kest* 50c.
*"0 CO
<1 (D
5* a
I 2. Q_
3* i-d
<w o1
J? c
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3 op
5 ?
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5* ^
^ &
a>
.
to
a- <!
0 o
O
s ?r
H
N
H
p
a
I
A ?? # # #
Long Distance calls for tittcc
radius of several hundred mill
"In less than one hour h<
of flour at a total cost to us c
"Since then we have appli
^ ?.11 I nl nn A aiTAMT faotn
DC11 i CltpiluiJt iu tvuy itatu
most profitable results. T1
rates are reasonable and ther
in one Long Distance Telepl
a dozen letters"
SOUTHERN BELL TELE
AND TELEGRAPH COB
BOX 163, COLUME
I ft T7/M T ,
I ML IUU <
to the
Panama-Pacific
at
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dan francisco
Diego, Cali
by one of the
VARIABLE PREDIR]
9
If so, write the undersign*
fares, folders and all particulai
Excursion tickets permit
famously attractive and seer
T. C. Wf
General Passenger Agent,
Atlantic Coc
I The Standard Kailroad
'
Barbecues ?
pimp;
?? It st<
We will give a first class Barbecut tl0f '
3. II
at the 'Newberry Fill, near B. M. Suber's,
August 14. Come one and all
upon
and spend a pleasant day.
Dinner 35 and 45 cents.
B. M. SuDer.
7-9-td 0. A. Felker.
A
The ]
The Improvement association of will
Hunter-DeWlaLt school will give a Silve:
first-class barbecut at the school 31st <
house Tuesday, August 3, 1915. p. m.,
Mrs. Bernice Werts, President. liquic
. dissol
POLICY HOLDERS' XEETIXG. undei
The policy holders of the Farmers' Carol
Mutual Insurance Association of New- on.
berry County will meet in annual ses- s?u o
sion at the Court House on the 7tftr day dered
of August, 1915, at 11 o'clock A. M. A the b
full attendance is desired.
R. T. C. Hunter, Pre
President.
L. I. Epting,
Secretary. ^
CHICHESTER S PILLS
e*"" TIIE DIAMOND BRAND. A what
Lad lest Aafe your DrnraUt for _*ChI-ciie?-Cer
DIanioDdBraBd/#V\ pTlQtC
l*tIU in Red and Gold metallic^^/ Omni
boxes, sealed with Blue Ribbon. \J
Take no other. Buy of roar ThC <
Dranliit. AbkforCIiI.CIlTES.TER8 T?/\?
DIAMOND BRAND FILLS, for S6 Ar0*
years known as Best, Safest, Always Reliable ??
_ ou> py DRtjQcusx^apaQttigsp m
*
One
Experience
Convinced Me
of its Value
"One of our salesmen
demonstrated the
value of the Long Distance
Telephone to us.
He was at Huntsville,
Ma., and upon his own
esponsibility put in
:n merchants within a
ES.
: had sold 2100 barrels
>f less than six dollars.
ed the Long Distance
re of our business with
le service is-fine, the
m M
e ts more satisfaction
lone talk than in hall
PHONE /jjv\
kfPANY MM
tIA, S. C.
GOING
Expositions
> and San
ifornia
many
ECT ROUTES
sd for low excursion
s regarding your trip,
stopovers at many
lie points and resorts.
-HTE,
Wilmington, N. C.
ist Line
of the South.
kfi Ynnr Sick Skin Weil
you suffer from eczema, itch,
les, etc., give Zemerine a trial.
>ps the itching, allays the irritaind
soon your skin is restored to
althy condition. For sale by
erry Drug Company. Sample free
request to Zemerine Chemical
>any, Orargeburg, S. C.
NOTICE.
meeting of the stockholders of 4
farmers' Bank, Silverstreet, S. C., \
be held in tj':e bank building at
r&treet, S. C., on Tuesday,^ the ?
day of August, 1915, at 4 o'clock
at which meetine the matter of
lating, winding up the affairs and
Iving the said bank, a corporation
* the law of the State of South
ina, will be cosidered and -voted v
Stockholders may attend in per>r
by proxy. This meeting is orby
ulie terms of a resolution of
oard of directors of said bank.
H. O. Long,
'sident of The Farmers' Bank,
Silverstreet, S. C.
rive Out Malaria
And Build Up The System
the Old Standard GROVE'S
ELESS chill TONIC. You know
yon are taking, as the formula is
id on every label, showing it is
ne and Iron in a tasteless form. ^
Quinine drives ont malaria, the
builds np the system. 50 cents
2 I