12 TENNIS TOURNEY DRAWSB[G CROWDS 22 Matches Played Off in Men's Singles; Women Play Fast Matches Preliminary rounds In the annual city tennis tournament are attracting large crowds dally. To date the matches have with few exceptions been close. In the men's singles twenty-two matches nave been played. Charles Pollock, who Is in charge of the tournament. Is at the Reservoir Park tennis courts early and late. The scores to date are as follows: Women's singles, preliminary rounds —Miss B. Starry won from Miss B. Scholl. 6-1, 6-2; Miss Ford won from Miss F. Scholl, 6-0, 6-0; Miss Martin won from Miss M. Pollock, 6-0. 6-0. First round—Miss Katherine Sweeney won from Mra. Runkle. 6-3, 6-0; Miss Sheesley won from Miss Martin. 8-6, 5-3. Women's doubles, preliminary round -—Misses Katherine and Anne Sweeney lost to Misses Sheesley and Martin. 6-1. 6-2: Mrs. Ru-kle and Miss Ford wen from Misses B. and F. Scholl. 6-1, 6-1; Misses Sheesley and Martin von from Misses B. and R. Starry. 6-0, 6-2. The finals were scheduled for this afternoon. Mixed doubles, preliminary round— Frasch and Miss B. Starry won from G. Shreiner and Miss K. Sweeney, 6-1. 6-2: KoOns and Mrs. Dunkle won from Dasher and Miss F. Scholl, 6-4. 6-1: Lightner and Miss Anne Sweeney won from H. Shreiner and Miss Pollock, 6-1 and 6-0. In the first round Lightner and Miss Anne Sweeney won from Jackson and Miss Ford, 6-3, 6-1. The scores in the men's singles, preliminary round, fol low: Lightner won from Koons. 6-3, 6-0: G. Beard won from P. Richards, 1-6, 6-S, 6-S; R. Clark won from George Beard. 6-4, 9-7: Etter won from Royal. 6-2, 7-5: Jackson won from G. Shreiner, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; Lemer won from Bevan. 6-4. 6-3: Kunkle won from Fellow. 6-1, 6-0: Messinger won from Frasch. 7-5. 6-4: E. Clark won from Widder. 6-3, 6-2: H. Shreiner won from Esterly. 7-5, 6-3: Yahn won from D. Moyer. 6-0. 6-0: Black won from Phelps, 6-1. 6-2: Beck won from Zeigler. 6-3, 6-1; Pollock won from Merkle. 6-0. 6-0: Rutherford won from Brandy wine, 1-6, 6-4. 7-5; Sherman won from L. Mover. 6-0. 6-0: March won from Grahm. 6-0. 6-1 H. Clark won from Storey, 6-1. 6-2: Nlssley won from Irvin. 6-0, 6-3: F. Shreiner won from Ellenberger, 7-P. 6-1, 6-3: Bortell won from Welles. 7-5, 7-5. First round—Bortell won from F Shreiner. 6-4. 8-6. Men's doubles, preliminarv round— Lifhtner and Black won from Phelps and McAllister. 6-2, 6-2: K. Richards and Meikle won from Brandvwine and Sherman. 8-6. 4-6. 6-2: Trumr. and vteidenmver won from Zeieler and Zimmerman. 7-9. 6-4. 6-3: Strickler i and Garrison won from Roval and Dasher. 2-6. 6-4. 10-8: Koons and Messlnger won from Yahn and F Shreiner. 6-4. 2-6. 6-4: F. Shaffer and I y Shaffer won from Irvin and Uncer. 6-1. 6-0: P Richards and H. Clark! won from Tennant and Gilbert, 6-2 I £5. I Prisoner Breaks Away From Cop When Taken to Alderman's Office Wheu. ."Spike" Johnson, • coolred. ac corr.panied oy Patrolman Dickev, step ped inside Alderman C. E. XlurraVs office this morning, he suddenly turned around and bolted right again. The astonished officer started in pursuit Out Strawberry street to Third and up Third the chase led. Alderman Murray cut up Court street and out Wainut to head off the fugitive. At Third and 1 vralnut spike slackened up a bit and i Patrolman Dickey handcuffed him. fcpike —or Frank, as he had been christened, has been charged with as sault and batter in that he kicked up a row in Steif Brooks' pool room, in \\ alnut street, and he was to have been heard this afternoon. Alderman Mur ray. perspiring profusely and panting hard to catch his breath sardonicallv recollected that as the officer and his prisoner were passing the Jail. "shall I take him down to vour office S°/ ve „.F an on w 'th the hearing Jud§e?" asked Dickev. "No—no. siree." still panted Mr. Mur- i ray. take him in there. ' nodding toward the jail. "We were going to go on with it to-day—but—not now— ; sometime next week." CITY CLFRK PREPARING GUIDE BOOK DATA City Clerk Charles A. Miller is com piling statistics about Harrisburg. This t valuable collection of facts and figures will be a part of the Harrisburg" book to be published by th* Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce early in the Fall. The book will be used in advertising Harrisburg:. and it is said to be replete with information of interest to tourists. ' "I AM NOT GUILTY" DECLARES BECKER [Continued From First Page.] son floor. The priests remained with him to the end. As the Hour Draws Near It was shortly after 5 o'clock when the first of the witnesses of the execu tion began to assemble outside the prison walls. Quietly their names were checked off by Deputy Warden Johnson who directed them to take their places at a gateway that led di rectly to the execution chamber. Then the witnesses were led to the place of execution in a new death house which had been built adjoining the old exe cution chamber, where the four gun men were put to death over a year ngo for killing Rosenthal. When the witnesses were seated Deputy Warden Johnson nodded to Principal Keeper Fred Dorner and they left the room through a small wooden door that led to the death cells beyond where Becker was praying with his spiritual advisers. "I am Not Guilty" Becker rose to his feet when he saw Johnson, and took a crucifix from the hand of the prison priest. To Father Curry Becker gave his last message as he took his place at the head of the little file of men that marched to the room of death. Becker's message which he uttered to the priest was: "I am not guilty by deed or conspir acy, or in any other way of the death of Rosenthal. I am sacrificed to my friends. Bear this message to the world and my friends. Amen." In the Chamber The one-time police officer hesitated as he entered the execution room. It seemed to the witnesses as if he were startled that the death chair was so near at hand. He looked quickly at ths double row of witnesse:. glanced at th£ floor, swept with his eyes the wMfiied walls of the room and then eudWnly, as If coming to himself, walked briskly over the rubber mat and seated himself in the electric chair. Behind Becker followed the prison priest chanting the prayer of death which was repeated by the con demned man. The iTayor or Death "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, have mercy on my soul," nervously spoke Becker as deputy wardens stepped forward end adjusted the electrodes Hardly a minute elapsed before the electrode was applied to the right leg. a slit hav •lng been previously cut in the trouser FRIDAY EVENING, leg from the knee down. After the electrode had been firmly adjusted qgainst a shaven spot on the back of the condemned man's head, the State executioner looked at Deputy Warden Johnson, who surveyed the figure that was still mumbling the death prayer in the chair. Johnson half turned his head and the executioner Jammed the switch. The First Shook The first shock lasted a full minute and the executioner said that It was 1.850 volts and ten amperes In strength. It came while Booker was still commending his soul to his Maker, The two prison physicians stepped forward to examine the collapsed fig ure that sat supported In the death chair by the thick black leather straps. The stethoscope was applied to the heart and Dr. Charles Fair, the prison physician pressed his finger against an artery in the neck. There was still a feeble fluttering of the heart. "Dead" The physician stepped back from the mat and again the electric current pulsed through the body. After a hasty examination Dr. Farr asked that a third shock be given. This lasted five seconds. An examination that took several minutes follow-ed. Three physicians among the witnesses then made an examination and Dr. Farr, at 5.55 o'clock quietly announced "I pronounce this man dead." During the night Becker pencilled on a piece of paper what he caption ed "My Dying Declaration." It was taken to the warden's office where two copies were typewritten, which Beck er signed with his fountain pen in a bold hand. To Deputy Warden John son. who had charge of the execution In place of Warden Thomas Mott Os borne, who does not believe In the death penalty, the one-time police lieutenant gave his fountain pen as a gift. "It Is the last thing that I have to give away and I want you to have it. I want you to give this statement to the newspapermen." It read: Declares Innocence "Gentlemen: I stand before you In my full senses, knowing that no power on earth can save me from the grave that Is to receive me. In the face of that, in the teeth of those who con demned me, and In the presence of my God and your God, I proclaim my absolute Innooence of the foul crime for which I must die. You are now about to witness my destruction by the State, which Is organized to pro tect the lives of the innocent. May Almighty God pardon everyone who has contributed In any degree to my untimely death. And now on the brink of my grave I declare to the world that I am proud to have been the husband of the purest, noblest wo- \ man that ever lived—Helen Becker. | This acknowledgment is the only leg acy I can leave her. I bid you all i good-by. Father, I am ready to go. j Amen. (Signed) "CHARLES BECKER His Wife's Photograph After his wife had said farewell shortly after midnight Becker main tained a casual conversation with Deputy Warden Johnson who sat be side the screen in front of his cell. Sometimes he smoked cigars, after which he would let his head fall upon his hand and gaze reflectively at the concrete floor for minutes at a time. D%wn found him seated on the edge of his cot. carefully pinning a photo graph of his wife on his white shirt just over his heart. Then, as if he desired to have her all to himself Becker put on a thin black alpaca coat, which he tightly buttoned. The photograph was not seen by the wit nesses until the prison physician open ed his coat as he sat In the death chair. Becker was put to death by the State executioner whose name is un known to the public. This man suc ceeded State Electrician Davis, and he said he would not take the job unless his name was kept secret. He lives In a little town up State and he went about his work briskly. Becker's executioner said that in his opinion the man had died instantly at the first contact. An autopsy on the body of Becker was performed, according to law, im mediately after the execution. S'egro Follows Becker After Becker's body had been re moved from the electric chair Samuel Haynes. a negro murderer, was brought Into the execution room and electrocuted. One of Becker's last re quests to Warden Osborne was that he be put to death before the negro Haynes. A statement credited to Mrs. Becker was given out here shortly after her husband's death. "I shall never rest. " she was quot ed as saying, "until I have exposed the methods which were used to convict my husband. Whether he was guilty or Innocent there was no justification for the means employed to convict him. "I would rather lose all the mem bers of my family, as dear as they are to me. than lose Charlie. No one can take his place. In all of the ten years of our married life. I never had occasion once to regret that I was his wife. "Charlie was no angel. He made no pretense of being one. He was just an ordinary human being—and per haps that is why I loved him so." Dr. W. O. Stillman, of Auburn, who assisted in the autopsy, said that Becker showed unusual resistance to the electric fluid. After the autopsy Dr. Stillman said: Becker a Powerful Man "I noticed no unusual effects upon Becker's vital organs. The way he resisted the strong current was re markable, showing him to be an un usually powerful man." It was expected that Becker's body will be removed some time to-day to New York, where funeral services will be held probably on Sunday. Becker was affected greatly by the parting with his wife, who stood stead fastly by him until all hope was gone. Wife's Appeal Fruitless Mrs. Becker's last effort to save her hrsband was made yesterday and she appealed personally to Governor C. S. Whitman, who, as district attorney of New Tork. had prosecuted the case against Becker, for a reprieve so that an appeal might be taken to the State Court of Appeals from the decision of Justice Ford. Missing the Governor at Albany, Mrs. Becker met him at Poughkeepsle. The appeal was fruit less and the untiring wife hurried to Sing Sing to bid her husband farewell. Mrs. Becker was with her husband for an hour, leaving the death house at 12.30 o'clock this morning. She left the prison at 1.15 o'clock for Xew York, outwardly displaying no effects of the severe mental strain. John Becker, her brother-in-law, and John Lynch, her brother, accompanied her. Prepared for Chair Yesterday Becker yesterday was prepared for th" carrying: out of the death sentence. His hair was cut, he was shaved and given a suit of black clothes. The prison chaplain and Father Curry spent several hours with him. Father Curry gave the condemned man a marked Testament and a Prayer Book. A lengthy statement to Governor Whitman was given out bv Becker late yesterday. In it Becker reiterated his innocence and declared he never had offered to plead guilty to second de gree murder. Becker went to his death three years and a day after his indictment and arrest and slightly fnore than fifteen months after the execution of the four gunmen convicted of actual murder of Rosenthal. Becker was the first man who left the death house when granted a new trial to return there and suffer the depth penalty. All others who have 'eft Sing Sing's death house after T>e lng granted a new trial have failed to return there for some reason or other. Mrs. Becker Returns From Last Visit to the Dread Death House By Associated Press New York. July SO. Returning from her Ust vtsit to the death house l at Sin* Sing prison where she had! .taken her farewell of her husband. 1 Mrs. Charles Booker arrived at the! I Becker home in the Bronx at 2:40 a. m. to-day. She was accompanied by 1 one of Becker's brothers, who half carried her into the house. Mrs. j Becker showed evidence of the deep I distress she was undergoing. She was ] met by her sister, Miss Mary Lynch. "Perfectly Proven Case of Guilt"—Whitman Albany, N. Y., July SO. Charles Becker never made a direct offer to plead guilty to murder In the second degree, and never offered directly to ' implicate others in graft exposures. Governor Whitman declared last night upon his return from Poughkeepsle. "Becker is right in saying he never made a direct offer for X have not spoken to him since the night Her man Rosenthal was murdered," the Governor said. "He well can say that j for he personally never has made any | proposition to me. It is a well known | : fact that his counsel offered to Impll-i cate others in graft disclosures and ; ' named five persons. It was only a j short time ago that Becker's counsel in New York City said that it was 'up ! to me' to name the men." The Governor refused to discuss the assertion that Becker had offered to plead guilty to second degree murder, other than to say that Becker him self had never made such an offer. As for Becker's denial that he hadj ever sent counsel to men arrested for | complicity in the Rosenthal murder and the allegations that his first wife had died under mysterious circum- | stances, the Governor would only say | that "those charges have been pub-' lished in newspapers for three years." I After answering questions concern-1 ins the Becker letter, the Governor exclaimed: "I don't wish to say more about a man condemned to die. This man is guilty. There isn't the slightest doubt about it. It was the most perfectly proven case in the annals of criminail history." MRS. BECKER BEARING CT* WELL New York. July 30.—Mrs. Becker, according to her brother, John Lynch, was bearing up well to-day after the strain she underwent yesterday and ! last night. Mrs. Becker is resting at | her home and is not expected to see 1 anyone except members of her family, i An undertaker was dispatched to Os- | sining to get the body of Becker. The | funeral, it was announced, will take place Monday. A solemn high requiem mass will be said at the Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentine by the Rev. Nicholas J. Murray. Interment will be at Woodlawn Cemeterv. "JACK" SPEEL GOES ON RETIRED LIST [Continued From First Page.] years. He has been forty years in the! service of the United States Navy, and retires with honors and high! rank. Mr. Speel is a native of Harrisburg. j He was educated in the public schools and later took a course at the Harris burg Academy under the late Jacob F. Seiler. Soon after his graduation from the Academy he received his rirst com mission, as assistant paymaster. His advancement was rapid. During his service tn the United States Navy, he made numerous trips around the world and at times was sent with the fleets on long and short i cruises. He was on one of the moni-! tor boats during the Spanish-Amei-' ican war. For a number of years he ' was in service at League Island Navy yard. Philadelphia, and was also sta tioned at Charleston, S. C., Norfolk, and other naval stations. Mr. Speel's home, when In Harris burg, is with his sister, Mrs. Mary M. Boas. 124 Walnut street. He is mar ried and has a residence in Washing ton, D. C.. where he will reside, mak ing monthly visits to Harrisburg. as has been his custom for the past 40 years. CONCRETE DRAIN IN 13TH WARD STREETS [Continued From First Page.] forced ooncrete. $8,779. G. W. Ensign. Inc., amco seg ment block, $8,883.42: reinforced concrete. $7,387.66.' The section will be approximately 1,510 feet long and will be of the new It Happens In the Best of Regulat . . By BRIGGS ] /«?%/ ° C W O"L I V ' OU 1,0 **% '( V. / THIS SHE (- —- UJAS I I A FAVJO . I I|« OEP PF#TLV 1 CXYFL Y .. FT . , \ VOO ~ HC TI J \lf Z"il"£&'%2CL ~ U S •' / S I -.• ~„-R- I UKF. HIR-* - NE SEEWS YOU / ( I SHOOT . / I F?I TO -BE A UYJECRJ NL6HR UT 7 °* L- V —" \ J J'T O ~y NISMT-FM ALL r*\ V Y IM--B6>S.DEA %" "I 7 WHAT DO I C/VR6 G?\V V///_Y 1 ABOUR THEM- YOU/ J '£ J J I /, X)L J CALL E<M UP AMD ( /\K / I 0K \ IT Y\ N TELL CM I'M IU //M fHE 5/MO HE HEARD VOU ■ 77TV I "" N WERE A CRACK WELLY "AMD THAT YOU \A/E*£ 1 / RI£?I ?LAY6FT. AT THE CLUB AKJO VA/AS KFJOOUISJ AS V GOLFERS IIU TMC I TH(J3E TMIM«S | / U " \CA VV A GOOB 45PORR- COUWTRY CUUB- HE I «ET.AROUMD / / ALL "RISHT \\| \ - XA " —y~ — 76 ***>*] L. J / ill eo VuV^ HARRISBURG tfIKV TELEGRAPH CLOSING SALES DAY at Present Prices and Terms PARK PLACE To-morrow, Saturday, July 31st Scores of people who were unable to come last Saturday will no doubt avail themselves of this oppor tunity of securing garden plots or bungalow sites at the present prices and terms. Excellent land values at a high, healthful elevation, along one of the best improved State highways out of Harrisburg. One continuous road as fine as a boulevard from the Capitol building on for miles past Park Place. No better place for a bungalow. No more suitable location for a garden plot on which to raise the products that will reduce the cost of living and help to pay for your home. The price of one lot in the city will buy a half dozen lots in this beautiful suburban residential district, and our terms make it convenient to pay while you are enjoying a good slice of the earth. Every cent you pay goes on the purchase. $5-®? No Taxes—No Interest $1 ; W Take a Linglestown cat- to-morrow. Bring your lunch basket, if you like. There is a beautiful or chard near trolley in which you may enjoy real country comfort. Inspect the lots and location at your leisure. You will note the fifty-foot avenues; fifteen-foot alleys; oiled streets and the depth of plots. No plot less than 100 feet, some 250 feet deep. Plots 25 feet, 50 feet, 75 feet and 100 feet wide. Suitable build ing restrictions. We refuse to sell to undesirable buyers. 121 Aimed For a Suburban Home at Park Place and Have Made Their Choice. There Are 130 More Excellent Garden Plots to Choose From i Aim for a home in the suburbs—the To-morrow Is the Day of Opportunity P A "PIT PT A PT? B - F Sheesle y> owner J- JL liAvi!/ Wm. J. Sohland, Sales Manager I Harrisburg Office, Room 7, 204-206 Market Street oval type with a height of forty-eight inches and a width of forty Inches —a drain similar in every respect to the bis Spencer and Rudy street sewer that was started only on Monday. The new sewer will extend in Brook wood. Bolton. DunUle, Derry and Twentieth streets and is intended pri marily to empty the storm or surface water that collects throughout the city's baby ward. Five proposals were received by Mr. Lynch to-day and the lowest bidder was M. M. Sheesley & Son, of Johns town. the successful contractor, who has started the Thirteenth ward sewer. Parmley segment construction is the type Sheesley bid on. The drain will be constructed in six segments and fitted together in such a way as to form the oval. Commissioner Lynch will make the necessary recommendations to Council relative to awarding the contract at Tuesday's session. WORK OUT BIG WAR PROBLEM AT GRETNA [Continued From First Page.] roops of the Fifth United States l< Cavalry is deserted to-day. The sol diers marched away early this morn ing to begin the working out of a cavalry war problem on a size never before attempted in this country in the training of troops and, it is said, never equalled except in the Civil i War. It had been expected that the troops | would start last evening and bivouac I in the field, but a comoination of cir cumstances. including threatened rain, which later became a drenching I reality, and the fact that the men al ready had put in a day of severe work, i led to a change in the plans whereby they were given instruction in making bivouac near the camp. With the regular army troops ming ling among the militiamen and in structing them when advice was need i ed, the militiamen renwved their blan ! ket rolls, which include the shelter tents from their shoulders, pitched the shelter tents and cooked their evening I meal on the regular field equipment of ' folding pan and tin cup. each man j preparing his own. Then they low ered the tents, rolled them up and pre pared for the march. This was done I repeatedly until the men had ac-1 quired considerabe facility in the work. • JULY 30, 1915. They then were allowed to spend the night in their permanent camp. Col. Wood Commands Blues Colonel John P. Wood, commanding the first Pennsylvania cavalry, was designated the commander of the Blue army, with his own troops con stituting the Blue force, while Major John Bryant commanding the New Jersey squadron was rsnmed as com mander of the Red force with his army composed of his own squadron and the Maryland troop. Details from the two troops of regulars are scat tered through both armies to give the benefit of their experience to the militia. The problem was one in attack and defense and was worked ou.t over a front of about five miles. Major Mar shall, U. S. A., acted as chief umpire and he and his assistants togetner with the army instructors, accompanied the troops to point out errors of judgment ' and execution to officers and to gen j erally advise and instruct them in I strategy and field tactics. It is probable, that at some time during the day, the men will be In structed in "digging in" or trench con struction, the value of which has been ' I demonstrated by the European war. TO ASK INDICTMENTS IN EASTLAND CASE [Continued From First Page.] ities that might make it impossible to bring these men* to trial in State courts. As a result of Judge Landis' instruc tions. the investigation of the Federal Grand Jury will cover every phase of the construction and operation of tho vessel. Captain Henry Pederson, of the Eastland, declared at the county jail that he would make a fight to prove himself innocent. "The responsibility is not mine," ha said. "I often noticed the boat list, but it never was anything serious and I believed the engineer knew his duties and business. I had certain duties to perform and my power was limited to those. I carried out my orders to the best of my ability." Work of raising the Eastland pro gressed slowly to-day. This morning's figures on the loss of life in the Eastland disaster showed the identified dead 83 3; unidentified dead, 2; Western Electric Company list of missing 236; total 1071.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers