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IS POT TO DEATHCurrent Twice Applied Before Life Is Driven OutTO CHAIR WITH FIRM STEPTRUCK WAS GUILTY.f OHTI.AMI DOCTOR SAYS UK CO\-KK«KI) SOME TIME A HO.Tlif forllonfl Cointy Homicide I’rnfemird ThnrunKli nppentiince Ilrforp MrctluK HU Kate—lny He Ilnrled Xetr C*»iIkoh/.—Story of Kin llrntnl Crime and Loan I.rsnl Kluhl l*or Life.Snfil Hr Killed Miller In n Onnrrrl nnd That Miller** lleoie Wan firpd by llir OvcrturalnK of n l.nnip—Antopny Shown Drain formal.A.urttr.v. Nov. 18.—After the electrocution of .Joliti Truck. ihi: L’ortlaudcounty murderer, ibis morning. Dr. II. T. Jnsna of Cortland, who was 0110 of Truck's export wimc-ssos upon the trial and who saw him executed to-day.gav*-out th* Information that Truck some time ago confessed to him the killing of Miller. Truck said they had a quariH and that ho .struck Miller over tii/- head. H«* n**s**-rt/*d that the houro wms lired by the ov-rturning of a lamp during the struggle.The autopsy to-day revealed noth-itacr abnormal. Th- surgeons ►aid Truck was in full possession of ids fa ell It fop and there was nothing to indicate insanity. The brain weighed 4U®4 ounces. The remains were buried in quicklime in the State lot.[SPECIAL TO Tnr HKP.ALD.1Airnncx. Nor. 1«.—.fobn Track, th* Cortland county murderer, early this morning in Auburn prison paid with his lif«- f«.r killing Frank W. Miller of Vinril, Cortland county, on March 14tb»1Mi*J. He showed no sign? of emotion to the very lust, wall'd to th* chair with a blcady step and met hia death without uttering a word.The invitation^ jurr.moned the witnesses to present themselves at the offic* of Auent nurl Warden J. Warren Mend at 6 A. M. An hour before that time the Ror. John J. Hickey, pastor of the Holy Family church and the spiritual adviser of Track, cud the Rev. Jlerhert Reg*nbogen, pastor of the Church of St. Alphonsus, entered the prison and administered the laat rites of the church to Truck, who had slept soundly during tbo night but who was awake an/1 waiting for the cler-i'rofmscd foil Repentance.To the priests Truck expressed himself as thoroughly r/*p*-ntnnt for all of his nilsdclt;-dlt;« and ready to meet hU fate. He ate a light breakfast prepared in the prison hospital kitchen.At *i o'clock State Electrician E. B\ Da vis enti-rod the prison and proceed. -I to thy death chamber. The apparatus had been thoroughly tested ye-tonlay, but it was again tested this morning l- foro the witnesses were -::nnoti/si to the cl:amber.Two Sj‘rnm»r WIlarMt*.At *1:111 in the Warden’s office Hop tiilon •’h:*-f J«»hn N. Ko-s /-ailed th* Pill of wit in-.-»■'» an-l th- following an snvn-ri to their namt-s: Dr. Louie F. O’Neill. Henry I). I’**. M. A. Man-long CJ. F. Snyder, Thomas A. Whsileu. I»r. F. II. Spencer. John Kaiser,tieorge N. Stupp, Frank J. Hi-icrk. Michael C. Hcnucssy and W. J*. Roberson of Aubuni: Dr. 11. T. Da im. Delos Raudc-r and S. K. Jones of Cortland; Dr. H. D. Hunt of Treble; Dr. I*. J. Ryrne and IV. J. Hochns of Syracuse. and C. H. Iktts of Lyon?. These, with the necessary assistants selected from among the prison of-' tio-rs rind Father? Hickey nud Hegen-bogen, constirm-d the *1c tvltn-t-sws to the execution.The calling of the roll had scarcely -l-'*»n finished when Principal Keeper Tuppor announced that all wa? ready. Th- witness-? formed Hour's fil* and Warden Mead in forme/1 them that no one was to leave the prison after the execution until the certificate of denth had been ?icnnd.The Denth Mnrch.At «»:24 the march to the death chamber was begun. the usual custom of going through the south wing being abandoned nnd the witnesses marching from tlie keepers* hall to the prison yard and thence to the death cham-iex. Truck could hour them plainly, as they passed the cells.Thcr.» wap no delay in the chamber. Electrician Davis had arranged tho customary hank of incandescent lights across the arms of the chair and ho turned on the current to show that the apparatus was nil right. It wna the work of but an instant to remove the lights nnd ut t:27 Electrician Davta indicat ini that he was ready.Warden Mead gnv* the signal to the officers, the door leading to the corridor in front of the cells of the condemned man was opened and Truck appeared in the death mnrch. TTo curried in his cropped hands, which were extended before his breast, a small crucifix. Directly behind him walked Fathers Hickey and Regeo-bogen. reciting the litany for the dying. and behind them came Keeper* Martin. Patterson nnd Murray, who have officiated nt nearly all electrocutions in Auburn. ,lie Speak* Xol a Word.Truck was very pale but walks with n firm step, though slowly. J] was dressed in u dark suit of prlaoi made material, with white collar an black tie and colored shirr. The rigl leg of his trousers was slit to the kn* lo permit of lhe speedy application • tln» electrode.As Truck was nhout to sent hlr self in ilie chair he glanced around , Father ilickcy. who stood dose behit | him. He then turned, nnd. prcsstr ■ the crucifix to his lips, kissed it nr handed it to Father Ilickcy without word. The prison officers wero speci I with their work, hut they hud n lift difficulty in adjusting the ?eg olectroc because lhe onlf of Truck’s leg vr, small and peculiarly shaped. Eleoti cinn Davis attended to this matter.Th« lleati, Shock lt;i\rcn.Prison Physician florin watch u nt 0:110 when Warden Mead guve 1 signal that all wan ready. Just second prior to that there wan a i tiocablc tremor of Truck's right 1 but that wag accounted for by the ft that his foot was not squarely on t rest. . At the signal Electrician Da riirndd oh-thq full current, of LIrnl/u
Newspaper Details
Syracuse Evening Herald
Syracuse, New York, US
Tue, Nov 18, 1902
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
Onondaga C.
NY, USA 22 Jan 2018
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