Condemned: Inside the Sing Sing Death House

Stay

Stay Pending a successful appeal, a finding of insanity, or clemency, the most an inmate could hope for was to receive a temporary stay or respite from the governor, delaying the scheduled execution. Without it, nothing would stop the clock from reaching its fatal destination. In the waning hours, prisoners and wardens alike nervously awaited a lastminute reprieve. Sometimes word arrived by telegraph or telephone, announcing either that hope was lost or that the execution was postponed. June 28, 1954 Dear Mother: . . . As it stands now it looks like I got 6 lawyers and getting a seventh. . . . I’ve told you time and time again that the stay is the most important thing. Going back to the court of Appeals is nothing compared to the stay. . . . Your loving son Emile H. Scott 114658CC 98 C O N D E M N E D name: number: age: physical: occupation: marital: crime: claims: judge: sentenced: received: executed: Emile Scott 114–658 20 6'1", 183 lbs. Builder Married, 2 children Shot Patrolman John L. Pendergrass, street, night Merely an innocent bystander Streit, New York Court of General Sessions 10–30–53 10–30–53 7–15–54 WESTERN UNION --SYMO45 SY.CAA075 PD=CA ALBANY NY 334P HON WILLIAM E SNYDER= WARDEN SING SING PRISON OSSINING NY= CONFIRMING OUR TELEPHONE CONVERSATION CLERK OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT ADVISES THAT STAY OF EXECUTION HAS BEEN ORDERED BY SAID COURT FOR JULIO RAMIREZ PEREZ. CERTIFIED COPY OF ORDER IS BEING MAILED BY CLERK OF SUPREME COURT=GEORGE M SHAPIRO ASSISTANT COUNSEL TO THE GOVERNOR. Stay 99 name: number: born: age: occupation: physical: crime: judge: sentenced: received: executed: Julio Perez 107–645 Ponce, PR 36 Laborer 5'6-¾", 142 lbs. Stabbed w/screwdriver and strangled Vera Lotito, day Donnellan, New York General Sessions 11–23–48 11–23–48 5–25–50 WESTERN UNION MRS M RICHARDSON 456 MADISON ST BROOKLYN 21, NY DEAR MOM. RECEIVED TWO WEEK STAY. SEE YOU LATER. YOUR SON VIRGIL RICHARDSON 120833. 100 C O N D E M N E D name: number: age: physical: occupation: crime: judge: sentenced: received: executed: Virgil Richardson 120–833 28 5'5-½", 122 lbs. Clerk Shot Patrolman William G. Long, parking lot, as he caught defendant tampering with car in parking lot Impellitteri, Queens County Court 5–3–57 5–3–57 11–20–58 Stay 101 name: number: habits: crime: claims: arrested: marital: judge: sentenced: received: executed: Woodrow Miller 126–142 User of cocaine, heroin, marijuana Shot Joseph Graber in liquor store robbery, night No reason given 11–27–57 Separated, 2 children Samuel Liebowitz, Kings County Court 6–10–60 6–11–60 6–8–61 Newspaper clipping, 4–26–61: His last appeal denied, twice-convicted killer Woodrow Miller, 33, formerly of 783 Prospect Place, Brooklyn, will die in the electric chair for the shotgun slaying of Joseph Graber, 31, who was the father of seven including quadruplets. JUNE 4, 1944. MR. W.E. SNYDER WARDEN INSTITUTION 103–095 DEAR SIR: AT 12:53 AM MR. SABBATINO ATTORNEY FOR PARISI CALLED AND ASKED IF HE, PARISI, HAD BEEN EXECUTED. I INFORMED HIM THAT THE EXECUTION HAD TAKEN PLACE AS SCHEDULED. RESPECTFULLY, J.P. SULLIVAN, LIEUTENANT 102 C O N D E M N E D name: number: age: marital: crime: claims: judge: sentenced: received: executed: Louis Parisi 103–095 24 Single Shot Vincent Roppa, night, 7–30–42 Denies guilt Wallace, NY General Sessions 7–1–43 7–1–43 6–3–44 From the New York Herald Tribune,October 20,1958: Slayer, Already Executed, Loses High Court Plea wASHINGTON, DC. Oct. 19 (AP)—Ralph Dawkins, already executed , was the loser today in a Supreme Court order that didn’t matter to him. Convicted of killing a South Ozone Park, Queens, N.Y., grocer in a 1957 holdup, Dawkins appealed to the high court and was turned down last April. He asked reconsideration but filed to request a stay of execution and was put to death July 16. There was no official notification to the Supreme Court that the case had been disposed of with such finality when today it denied his request for a rehearing. Stay 103 name: number: age: occupation: marital: physical: crime: accomplices: claims: judge: sentenced: received: executed: Ralph Dawkins...