ELECTROCUTION IN NEW YORK

Grey River Argus, 30 May 1914, Page 7

ELECTROCUTION IN NEW YORK

FOUR HIRED ASSASSINS . executed. ..; : THE POLICE SCANDAL. \ (Per Independent Cable Service). SAN FRANCISCO, April 27. ' Four professional assassins, rejoic•ng (respectively in the picturesojue names of "Gyp the BJood" Horowitz, Dago Frank" Cirofici^ "Leftie Louie" | Rosenberg, and "Whitey^' Lewis, were electrocuted within the space of forty t> mutes at Sing Sing Prison, New I York, at daybreak on the morning of the 13th April. It was the first quadruple execution since the introduction of the eletric chair into Nwe York ? s nenal system. There were none of the revolting scenes that sometimes make bungled hangings nauseating. Each of the four men .died without a struggle and within'from six to sixteen: seconds after the application of the current. All walked Quietly to the chair, praying incessantly, and only their Quaking knees and the sickly green pallor on their faces showed their realisation that death was upon them. "Oh, God; I meet my God," were the last words gasped by Cirofici, an Italian. Horowitz, a Jew, mumbled in Hebrew, "Listen, Israel. There is only one God." Rosenbergs also intoned a supplicaion in Hebrew, clasping tightly a Jewish prayer book. The execution of this quartette of hired gunmen is almost the ; final chapter of the sensational exposure of June, 19 1 2, of the partnership that existed between a corrupt element inthe New York Police Force and a coterie of professional gamblers. They were convicted of the murder of Herman Rosenthal, a gambling-house proprietor, who had bribed the police in return for freedom to fleece the unwary. Rosenthal had threatened to make a confession 'to the Grand Jury, involving high police officials, but !he was riddled with bullets and left dying in t-he street before he could carry out his intention. It is the theory of the District Attorney that the assassins were hired by Police Lieutenant Becker to murder Rosen'al Becker was tried on this theory, convicted of rmirder, and sentenced to deatih by electrocution, but the Appellate Court granted him a new trial, and he will fare another jury next month. In the few days before the gunmen went to deaths in the electric chaithere was much interested speculation as to whether or not any of them would confess and implicate Backer, Cirofici is the only one who is known to have made a statement. He asserted himself to be guiltless, and also said : "So far as T know, Becker had nothing to do wih the case; it was t. gamblers' ifight." According to Cirofici, the murderers were "Gyp the .Blood" Horowitz. "Leftie Louie" Rosenberg^ and Harry Ballon. The last-mentioned was an informer, upon whose testimony the prosecution largely relied in the trial of the gun•non. Cirofici admited that early on fhe night of the murder he was' in the grey "murder automobile," from which Rosen ft »al was shot, but insisted that he left it before the gamblerwas murdered. "WKitev" Lewis, while present in the machine, did not fire any shots, according to Cirofici. The Lieutenant of Police, Becker 5 will take the wit-ness-stand in his own behalf when placed 6n trial the second time- In the first trial he did not testify. The Warden of Sing Sing, Clancy, after the execution of the four murderers, expressed the hope that no man would ever again pay the penalty of death in the electric chair in New York State. "I hope," he said, 'to see the next Legislature pass a law permitting juries to fix life peralty, and that this reform will .ucc^d in doing away with capital punish -jient.