the death chamber. As he|
|entered he glanced about, seemingly surprised. His |
|face had the expression of a person coming from |
|darkness into sudden light, but there was no hint of|
|hesitancy to meet death in the stride with which he |
|approached the chair which had already claimed the |
|lives of four others in payment for the Rosenthal |
|murder. |
| |
|The doomed man held a black crucifix in his left |
|hand. It was about ten inches long, and as he calmly|
|took his place in the chair, he raised it to his |
|lips. Following the chant of the priests, he |
|entoned, "Oh, Lord, assist me in my last agony. I |
|give you my heart and my soul." |
| |
|When all was ready, the executioner stepped back and|
|in full view of the witnesses calmly shut the |
|switch. As the great current of electricity shot |
|into the frame of the former master of gunmen, the |
|big body straightened out, tugging at the creaking |
|straps. For a few moments it stretched out. A slight|
|sizzling was heard and a slight curl of smoke went |
|up from the right side of Becker's head, rising from|
|under the cap. When the shock was at its height, his|
|grip tightened to the crucifix, but as the |
|electrocutioner snapped the switch off the cross |
|slipped from the relaxed fingers. A guard caught it.|
|The whole body dropped to a position of utter |
|collapse. |
| |
|Becker's shirt was then opened. As the black cloth |
|was turned back to make way for the stethoscope, the|
|picture of Mrs. Becker was revealed. It was pinned |
|inside. The doctors pushed it aside impatiently, |
|evidently not knowing what it was. They held |
|stethoscopes to the heart. Another shock was |
|demanded of the cool young executioner. He stepped |
|back and swung the switch open and shut again. The |
|crumpled body clutched the straps again. Once more |
|the doctors felt his heart. They seemed to argue |
|whether there was still evidence of life. Once again|
|the exe