OH, WHAT A PAL!

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 55, 5 March 1921, Page 19

OH, WHAT A PAL!

IX)OMED MAN SIXGS ON" WAY TO HIS DBATII.

I Five men were executed in flXty-two i minutes in Sing Sing Trison, New l'ork, after a day of vaiii lope that they would have a new trial. The doomed men were Joseph Usefof, Charles Mclaughlin, Joseph "Siilano, and James I. Cassidy, convicted ol killing a ticket agent at a Bronx uuder--1 ground station; and Howard Bilker, the j twenty-year-old father of three small chillircn, wlio inurdercd a nlgJit wntcliiiiiin, unci who went to the death chair on the fourth anniversary of his -wedding. I The four Bronx prisoners lad been in the death house nearly two years, and had ibeen 'reprieved five times. Baker had been there lts.s than a year. The .Bronx quartet did not entirely lose hope when ordered to put on the black "death" clothes, as they had donned these on April 23 last, and were within three hours of their execution when they were granted a reprieve, this being because Mllano hnd confessed that Usefot was innocent, and that Cassidy and McI.nughlin were mentally unsound. The confession, says the "Central News" correspondent, was repudiate*!. l>ut there was a feeling that it might be repeated on the threshold at the death chamber. Cassidy "was illiterate, tout Bad been learning to read and write. lie had written a dozen words on the wall, and, pointing to these, Kald to the warden — "Isn't it hell, warden, when you get bo that you can write words like that, to have to be bumped off?" It was not until night Tliat it was known there would be no reprieve. Usefof went to his death first, as It was thought he would be the most likely to break down. The executions proceeded rapidly. I-sefof entered the death chamber at five minutes after eleven, and was dead at 11.in. Baker was dead nine minutes I after entering. M< Laugblin called to his i remaining loos a.g 2ie It ft Ills eell — "God bless you, boys! I got the old smile on my fare!" 'He was dead seven minutes from tb« ti:ne he went Into the chamber. Mllano w:is alive for nine minutes In the chamber. Cassidy, whose mentality was helji'ved to be feeble, began to sing "Oh, what a pal was Mary!" as Milano walked to his death. "I know I have done wrong," said Cassidy, as he sat in the death chair. "I know I'm paying for It. Hello, warden. I see you, back there, old timer. Tighten her up!" he added as the attendants began to fasten the straps. His last words were ■Give her the gas, kid! I'm taking It with a smile!" He was dead nine minutes after going into the chamber. The largest number ever executed, at Sing Sing was on August 12, IJU4, when seven men went to their doom for the murder of