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Show GUNMEN PUT IN THE DAY ASKING GOD FOR MERCY OSSINING. N. Y., April 12. Harry Horowitz, Louis Rosenberg, Frank Cirofici Ciro-fici and Frank' Seldcnshner have spent their Ia6t day on earth. As the gunmen whose picturesque aliases were flung across tho continent after the murder of the New York gambler, Herman Rosenthal, Rosen-thal, they die at dawn in the electric chair at Sing Sing prison, convicted of that murder. To relsJJves who bade them good-by today and to their spiritual advisers, the four condemned men again asserted their Innocenco and as night settled down over the prison and tho death watch stood about, their cells there was nothing to indicate that they would not deny their; guilt until the end. Which would go first to the chair was a secret that only the worden know. It would depend, tt was raid, upon their demeanor. Ho upon whom the ordeal bore heaviest, wIiobc j nerves gave evidence of snapping, would he first dispatched, thus to obvlato a Beetle. Warden Kept Silence. Prison gossip has it that "Lefty Louie" (Louis Rosenberg) was the most erratic of the four and that he would march to tho chair. Others thought the first to die would he "Dago Frank" (Frank Clroflcl), the Italian of the quartette, quar-tette, -who liaB declared In statements to Governor Glynn that he was far from the scene of the murder when Rosenthal was .shot down. James Clancy, warden of the prison, rigidly observing conventions surrounding even electrocutions, shook his head and turned away wnen tho subject sub-ject of the order of death was mentioned. This Easter Sunday and the night that followed was almost one continuous prayer for the condemned. They were on their knees practically all of the time that they were not talking with relatives. A prUoner In a distant cell now and then blew from a battered cornet the quavering- notes of "Nearer. My God, to Thee," and In the deathhouao a phonograph played sacred music. On tbe walks in front of the prison the curious townspeople townspeo-ple passed to and fro, whispering, and every now and then a party of dusty au-tomobollsts au-tomobollsts swung down from their car to survey the buildings. All Joined in Prayer. Of the scenes in the deathhouse corridors corri-dors today that which stood out boldest concerned the visit of two nuns. An Father Fa-ther Cashin. the Roman Catholic prison chaplain, led the four gunmen in prayer, two .Italian Franciscan sisters, who had come from New York to see "Dago Frank," whom they had taught In his boyhood, knelt outside ins cell. Raised curtains, showing the cells bare and immaculate im-maculate after yesterday's cleansing, disclosed dis-closed the four gunmen, also kneeling. Suddenly the spirit of devotion spread to tho wholo death chamber. Every one of the sixteen condemned, among them Huns Scbmldt, slayer of Anna Atimuller, Joined In the Lord's prayer, whloh concluded con-cluded the services. To the boya of tho East Sldo in New York tho JewlBh trio of gunmen sent a final message through Rabbi Jacob Goldstein. Gold-stein. "Whitey Lewis" wrote: "Thefrs are many boys who are well brought up and who have good parents who do not look out for the company they get Into. Bad company Is the cause of their fall. Keep away rrom bad company com-pany Is the best message I can send." Lefty Louie" said: "Add what I said the other day about bad company. A fellow who honestly earns $6 a weak is better off than he wbo gets $1000 a week if he does not got It straight. "We were supposed to have as many friends as any fellow that was on the East Side, but when it cama to a showdown, show-down, It was only the. 'shool' (synagogue) (syna-gogue) that stood by us. outside of our parents. Stick to the 'ehool' and to your parents. If I had llfo to livo over again I would surely follow this advice." "Gyp the Blood" said ho had nothing to add to what had been said. Mrs. Rosenberg, "Lefty Louie's" young wife; Mrs. Horowitz, wife of "Gyp the Blood": Mr. and Mrs. John Clroflcl and Paul Clroflcl, relatives of "Dago Frank"; Morris and Joseph Seldenshner, brothers of "Whltcy Lewis," all spent the early part of tho afternoon in a last visit to the death chamber. Tho women walled aloud na they went out of the prison. On the way to tho station they said that tho men about to die had never maintained their Innocence so strongly as In this last remonstrance. They wore culm and resigned, re-signed, however, und It was the gunmen who played lhi part of consolers. "I must die somo time," "Lefty Louie" told his wife; "If It pleases God that 1 die now I am ready." "Whitey Lewis" asked his brother to tell their mother that she was not the mother of a murderer. " have never hoen more than a little wild," he said. Near tho railroad station a photographer photogra-pher who tried to take a plcturo of the weeping wives of "Gyp" and "Lefty Louie" was set upon by the Seldenshner brothers, Morris and Joe. He was knocked down. The prisoners woro not left alone for a single Instant during the day or night. Until the moment of the electrocution, they will bo under the observation of Dr. Fan and Dr. Mersemo, the prison physicians, physi-cians, in addition to the guards. At 3 o'clock In the morning tho final prayers will bo said. Father Cashin will kneel with "Dago Frank" und receive his final confession. The rabbis, Goldstein and Koplcsteln, will prepare the other gunmen for the end. The condemned men's laat word from their chief counsel, C. G. I. Wahle, came In tho form of a telegram from Albany telling of the governor's final refusal to Interfere. |
