Chapter 8 the executioner Joseph Francel
In the execution room the executioner Joseph Francel is getting the electric chair ready for the serial killer Dr H.p kill to be executed in and to go into more detail the executioner Joseph Francel is middle-aged and about 6 feet tall and has black hair and is wearing a long white lab coat and for obvious reasons shoes that are made of rubber and at the moment the executioner Joseph Francel is talking to the electric chair as he is getting it ready for the serial killer Dr H.p kill to be executed in it and the executioner Joseph Francel does not know that Walter and his fiancée are watching him.
Out of interest today you are going to execute the serial killer Dr H.p kill like how you have executed so many people in the past especially with my mentor Robert Elliott in the last decade and the decade before that and out of interest the last time you executed someone was last month on the 12th and that person's name was Benjamin Ertel and he was executed to do with murder and the Governor of New York at the moment Herbert H. Lehman did not even bother allowing him to get away with the execution which obviously you know because as you know the Governor of New York at the moment Herbert H. Lehman was in some way involved with the last 105 executions officially and at least 110 unofficially which will include today's execution starting with the execution of the murderer Charles Bates on the 12th of January 1933 and as you obviously know that was with my mentor Robert Elliott and out of interest I have worked with many electric chairs in this great state but you are my favourite 1.
Then Walter and his fiancée both walked over to the executioner Joseph Francel.
Then the executioner Joseph Francel turnaround from the electric chair and started a conversation with them.
Hello young man and hello miss disease.
Hello executioner Francel.
Please call me Joseph.
Okay Joseph this is the reporter who is here to interview you to do with executed the serial killer.
Okay.
When do you want the interview to take place said Walter.
Right now is fine but I cannot do it for long because obviously I have important business to do because this prison will practically fall down without me.
Then Walter and his fiancée both sat down on the floor and the executioner Joseph Francel sat down in the electric chair which is not on at the moment because the executioner Joseph Francel always sits down in the electric chair when he is working.
Then Walter looked at the executioner Joseph Francel and continue talking to him.
Okay executioner Francel these are the questions and what is your name?
My name is Joseph Francel.
When was you born?
I was born on the 2nd of September 1895.
What is your job?
My job is I am the state of New York's executioner.
When did you start your job?
I started my job last year after my mentor Robert Elliott died.
Do you remember when you got the job for the 1st time?
Yes I do.
In a flashback it is slightly after the 10th of October 1939 and Joseph Francel is walked into his new office which used to belong to his old mentor Robert Elliott and to go into more detail it is a small room and the walls are covered with pictures of the people who his old mentor Robert Elliott executed and there are a number of cupboards that are covered with pictures of the people who his old mentor Robert Elliott executed and filing cabinets that are covered with pictures of the people who his old mentor Robert Elliott executed and Joseph Francel is in his new office get ready for his new job which once belonged to his mentor Robert Elliott and he might have a hard time because his mentor was the executioner at the prison for a long time before he died and Joseph Francel must take over where he left off.
Later that day some prisoner is in the electric chair getting ready to die for his crimes and he cannot be seen because the execution Joseph Francel is not describe what he looks like to Walter and his fiancée and behind the room with the electric chair in it where the warden Lewis Edward Lawes and some other people are standing and watching the leading up to the execution and at the moment the warden of Sing Sing prison Lewis Edward Lawes is having a conversation with Joseph Francel about the yet to happen execution.
This man will die because he deserves it.
Yes he does Warden Lawes.
Please call me Lewis.
Okay Lewis this man does deserve to die because he is a criminal and all criminals deserve to die and that is why he will burn in hell.
Yes he will burn in hell after we send him there with the electric chair.
Yes we will.
A few minutes later the execution of the prisoner with no identity is starting and because of that matter the execution Joseph Francel walked over to the switch and pulled it which turned on the electric chair which electrocuted the prisoner with no identity.
After a few minutes the prisoner with no identity was dead.
Back in 1940 and that was my 1st day in 1939.
Out of interest you said that you got the job after your mentor died.
Yes.
Can you tell me about him?
Yes I can.
In a flashback it is somewhere before 1927 in the execution room and Joseph Francel is sitting on the floor and his mentor Robert Elliott is sitting in the electric chair and to go into more detail Joseph Francel's mentor Robert Elliott is a little old man who is wearing a long white lab coat and at the moment he is talking to Joseph Francel.
1 day you will be a good executioner because this is an easy job because all you have to do is put the man or the woman in the electric chair and pull the switch and a few minutes later he or she is dead and you will be famous and you have got rid of some scum who deserves to die which makes the world a better place.
Yes it does because these men's and women's are the scum of the earth and they will be destroyed and they will burn in hell for all of eternity for the crimes that they did and that is why this is the world's greatest job because there is no job as good as this 1.
That is the right way of looking at it and out of interest very soon I am going to get ready to execute a former police officer called John Brennan for murder and would you like to help me to execute him?
I would be delighted to.
That is the right idea to have when it comes to execute in the scum of the earth.
Back in 1940 and out of interest on a number of occasions in 1926 and 1927 I help my mentor Robert Elliott to execute people mostly unofficially which included the executions of the former police officer called John Brennan for murder on the 2nd of December 1926 and the execution of a man called John Maxwell for murder and robbery on the 9th of December 1926 and the executions of 2 people called Casimir Barszyouk and William Barszyouk for murder and robbery on the 9th of December 1926 and the execution of a man called Charles Goldson for murder and robbery on the 6th of January 1927 and the execution of a man called Edgar Humes for murder and robbery on the 6th of January 1927 and the execution of a man called George Williams for murder and robbery on the 6th of January 1927 and the execution of a man called Benjamin Bradley for murder and robbery on the 13th of January 1927 and the execution of a man called Michael Kosmowski for murder on the 20th of January 1927 and the execution of a man called Paul Hilton for murder on the 17th of February 1927 and the execution of a man called Tony Parretti for a double murder on the 17th of February 1927 and out of interest my mentor Robert Elliott loved to execute people from when he started in 1926 to 1927 when his heart was no longer in it so from 1927 to when he died in 1939 he just did it because he was told to and no longer loved it.
Why what happened in 1927?
In a flashback it is somewhere in January 1927 and Robert Elliott is in his office surrounded by pictures of the people that he executed in 1926 and 1927 and when he was a employed in the prison service as a regular electrician in that capacity when he assisted Edwin Davis when he was the state electrician in the 1910s especially when it came to Dannemora State Prison in upstate New York.
Then Robert Elliott started thinking to himself about the pictures of the people who he executed and assisted in executing.
These are the men and women who I killed because I sent a load of innocent men to hell and I only did it to make me rich and to make New York a safer place again but I no longer care about that because I sent to many innocent people to hell and because of that I no longer care about killing any more people but I still will anyway because I cannot give up on my job so easily because New York still needs me.
Later in the day in the execution room and Joseph Francel is sitting on the floor and his mentor Robert Elliott is sitting in the electric chair and at the moment he is talking to Joseph Francel.
Out of interest young man as you already know I have been doing my job as the 3rd state electrician for the State of New York since last year to do with my predecessor John Hulbert resigning and in the 1910s I insisted the 1st state electrician for the State of New York Edwin Davis especially when it came to Dannemora State Prison in upstate New York but I feel bad about the people who I executed.
Why is that?
I am about to have a book that I wrote published.
What is the book about?
My experiences in a book which is called Agent of Death and I am kind of nervous about the publishing of the book.
Makes sense apparently that is enough to make you nervous.
Yes it is and I feel kind of bad about the people who I executed but do not worry I am not going to have a nervous breakdown like my predecessor John Hulbert last year.
Back in 1940 the man called John Hulbert committed suicide in 1929 from shooting himself in the head and that book was successful but he was nervous and out of interest the book was published on the 6th of January 1927 and at that point he carried out the electrocutions of 6 inmates in 2 states officially by the book and about another 20 that was not in the book because they was unofficial and none of those 26 executions was a problem.
What was the problem?
Shortly after a particular execution a newspaper reported that my mentor Robert Elliott executed a woman called Ruth Snyder in 1928 and that her ghost haunting him and it was reported that my mentor Robert Elliott had problems sleeping because he was paralyzed with guilt.
He believed he was haunted by the ghost of a woman who he executed.
Yes but he probably was not.
Out of interest do you believe in ghosts?
No I do not but he did.
So you are saying that he believed he was haunted by the ghost of a woman who he executed.
Yes I am saying that.
In the executioner Joseph Francel's scenario it is 1928 after the newspaper report and it is night time and the executioner Robert Elliott is leading in bed asleep and to go into more detail everything to do with the bedroom of the executioner Robert Elliott is hidden in shadows because the executioner Joseph Francel it not establishing any information about the bedroom of his mentor Robert Elliott because he is only concentrating on his mentor Robert Elliott and nothing around him.
Then suddenly the executioner Robert Elliott woke up because he heard a noise.
Then the executioner Robert Elliott sat up in bed and saw the ghost of Ruth Snyder who is completely unrecognisable because the executioner Joseph Francel it not establishing anything to do with what she looks like because there is no point really because he does not believe in ghosts.
Then the ghost of the unrecognisable Ruth Snyder looked at him and started talking to him.
Robert Elliott Robert Elliott you killed me.
Yes I did but you deserve it.
You murdered me.
I did not murder you and if I did have you never heard that expression what comes around goes around and because you was executed for been a murderer.
In a flashback in a scenario it is earlier in 1928 before the newspaper report and right before the execution of Ruth Snyder.
The still unrecognisable Ruth Snyder is sitting in the electric chair and is having a conversation with the executioner Robert Elliott.
How does it feel?
How does what feel?
Knowing that you are executed an innocent person.
You are not innocent and you are getting executed for the murder of your husband.
My husband was scum.
You and your lover murdered him so you and him could get the life insurance money.
In a flashback in a flashback in a scenario it is 1925 and the still unrecognisable Ruth Snyder is talking to her lover Henry Judd Gray a married corset salesman who is unrecognisable.
We must kill my husband so we can be together with a load of money and after that we will probably kill your wife.
That sounds like a good idea.
Yes it does.
Back to normal.
And we tried to get together because later I assured him and then it was the day of the murder.
In a flashback in a flashback in a scenario it is the 20th of March 1927 after she made at least 7 attempts to kill her husband all of which he survived obviously.
Her unrecognisable husband is standing in a room and then his unrecognisable wife and her unrecognisable lover grabbed him and his unrecognisable wife Albert Snyder stuffed his nose with a chloroform-soaked rag and then staged his to death made the murder looked like a robbery.
Back to normal.
And we try to make the murder look like a robbery but unfortunately a detective at the scene noted that the robbery had very little evidence of a robber breaking into the house and because of that it didn't look much like a crime saying.
In a flashback in a flashback in a scenario it is the 20th of March 1927 after the murder was committed a detective who is completely unrecognisable is looking around at the evidence which is a broken window and nothing else so because of that the detective is talking to a police officer who is unrecognisable.
This is not a robbery.
What do you mean there is a window broken and a dead man so it is a robbery.
Yes but nothing has been stolen so because of that this is a murder and not a robbery.
What do you mean murder?
I mean the wife murdered her husband.
For what reason would she do that?
I don't know yet but I will soon find out the reason why she murdered her husband and when I find out the reason she will go straight to the electric chair at Sing Sing prison for murder.
Back to normal.
And later the detective established I was guilty especially because my lover admitted to it all and because of that I was thrown into Sing Sing prison because the detective who established that I was guilty and established that I would escape if I would be given the chance to so that was why I was thrown into sing sing prison and made to wait there for my trial and later I had a giant trial and it was considered the trial of the year and the trial was at the Long Island City Courthouse which was visited by a number of famous celebrities who were the actress Peggy Hopkins Joyce and the female writer Mary Roberts Rinehart and the Evangelism Aimee Semple McPherson and the movie director D. W. Griffith and the newspaperman and author Damon Runyon and the writer Will Durant and the singer Nora Bayes and Damon Runyon disparaged the crime's status as a clever attempt at a murder and he nicknamed it "the dumb-bell murder case" because "he was so dumb" but unfortunately for me and my lover the defence was so cut-throat and me and my love was each contended the 1 who was responsible for killing my husband Albert so because of that me and my lover was both convicted and sentenced to death and here I am waiting for death to take me away for a murder I did not do.
If you are looking for pity you are looking in the wrong place so just get ready to die because you deserve to die for murdering your husband.
A few minutes later it was time for the execution and Robert Elliott walked over and pulled the switch and the chair turned on and a few minutes later the unrecognisable Ruth Snyder was dead and Robert Elliott said good riddance to bad rubbish.
Back in 1928 still in the room where Robert Elliott is still talking to the ghost of the unrecognisable Ruth Snyder.
And that is why I do not feel bad about executing you because you was a murder and now you are burning in hell and out of interest you made a man called Tom Howard very happy but there is no point explaining that to you.
I don't understand what about the newspaper report?
The newspaper report about me caring about people like you is completely wrong I have never cared about people like you and I never will care about people like you because the world is better off without you and the world is better off without you thanks to me executing you.
Back in 1940 and that was my mentor Robert Elliott in a particular occasion in 1928 and out of interest young man in the end of the last decade me and my mentor Robert Elliott went to England and met an executioner called Albert Pierrepoint and we assisted him with some of his executions
Then the phone on the wall started ringing.
Then the executioner Joseph Francel stood up from the electric chair.
Then the executioner Joseph Francel walked over to the phone on the wall and answered it.
A few minutes later the executioner Joseph Francel walked back to the electric chair. Then the executioner Joseph sat back in the electric chair. Then the executioner Joseph looked at Walter and continue talking to him.
Out of interest young man the interview must be finished later because I must do other duties now so goodbye young man and goodbye to you miss disease and then he walked out of the room.
Then Walter looked at his fiancée and started talking to her.
He was a nice man and everything he said was interesting apart from the stuff he said about his mentor Robert Elliott because that just sounds crazy.
Really I established that they was really good storys and I thought his mentor Robert Elliott sounded like a great man.
Do you really think the mentor Robert Elliott sounded like a good man?
Yes I do because he loved what he did and what he did was execute people and a good man loves what he does and that is a reason why I love you because you love your job and you stop serial killers as well the differences you do not personally kill them like people like Joseph Francel and Robert Elliott.
Everything you are saying makes complete sense.
Yes it does because it is the true and the truth always make sense.
Out of interest what is the next interview?
The next interview is a bunch of people who help with the execution.
Okay let's go then.
Then Walter and his fiancée both walked out of the room.
Outside of the room Walter and his fiancée both walked down a corridor to a room where the bunch of people who help with the execution are waiting for the interview.
And Walter and his fiancée both stopped at the door.
The female prison guard knocked on the door.
Then somebody inside the room said come in.
Then they both walked into the room.
In the room there are 5 assistants to the executioner Joseph Francel sitting around a table waiting for the interview.
Then Walter started talking to the 5 assistants to the executioner Joseph Francel.
Hello gentlemen I shall doing the interviews 1 at a time in a separate room.
Then Walter and his fiancée both walked into a different room.
End of chapter 8
