Gas Chamber Story 9: Last Show of the Show Girls
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The supervisor of the state women’s reformatory long with another middle-aged woman entered the isolation unit in the summer of 1964. They stopped in front of two adjoining cells which house two former Vegas show girls, sentenced to die in the gas chamber for the murder of a casino owner. She looked at the tall red head who occupied cell number one. “How have you been holding up Roxie?”
Roxie walked over to the cell door and grasp the bars, “I’m trying not to go insane. I take it you’re not here with good news?”
“No, I’m sorry. There is no word on a reprieve, but don’t give up hope. However, we have to start the transfer proceeding. Is there anything we can do for you that is within reason?”
“I wish I could get my hair done,” Roxie said. “I haven’t been able to get it done sine they locked me and up. I like mine cut like Audrey Hepburn’s.
“Me too,” Gina said as she stepped toward the cell door. “I like that new do, order one for me.”
“I will arrange for the women who are studying to be beauticians to do something for you,” the supervisor said. “We won’t let you go out looking shabby.”
“Thank you so much,” Roxie replied.
As the supervisor walked away Roxie leaned against her cell door and called out to Gina. “I never knew your real name was Gertrude.”
“That’s my legal name, but I took Gina as my stage name. You’re scared, aren’t you kid?”
“Yes,” Roxie answered. “I’m afraid to die. We’re too young to die.”
“We got to die sometime, might as well be when we’re still on the young side and still good looking. I have a confession to make. I’m not 28, I’m 37. I kind of lied about my age.”
“I don’t know if I can keep calm when they put us in the chamber. I might freak out.”
“You got to hold yourself together. Don’t let those mob bastards who frame us for Rocco’s murder see us wilt as they savor in their moment of making us the ultimate scapegoats. Keep your head high.”
Roxie looked down at the floor and then looked back up as she heard the sound of people approaching the cells.
“Ok girls,” the supervisor said. “We’re going to take you to get your hair done and then you have to get dressed. Wear your own clothes and then we’ll take you to the penitentiary in an unmarked wagon. We want to be as discreet about this as possible.”
It was an hour later, both Roxie and Gina were in skirts and heels with stocking as they were handcuffed to female guards and led to two waiting station wagons. One wagon was white, and one was black, each with no marking. The women’s clicking heels echoed as they were escorted across the parking lot and placed in the back of the wagons. Soon, they out of the women’s reformatory compound and on a highway, heading toward the state pen and the gas chamber.
The long ride to the death house ended over an hour after it started. Roxie and Gina were ushered out of the station wagons and into the State Pen to two holding cells beside the gas chamber.
“Strip, everything off,” a female guard ordered. “Both of you, down to your birthday suits.”
Cardboard boxes were placed inside the cells by other women guards. “Put your clothes in these,” they said to the two former show girls.
They were then each handed a white sleeveless button up blouse, a pair of black shorts and a pair of black nylon footlets. “Put these on,” the matrons ordered.
“How much longer do we have?” Roxie asked nervously as she finished changing her clothes.
“One hour,” the matron answered. “Do you want a Chaplin?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll tell him to stop by anyway.”
“Hold yourself together kid,” Gina said as she sat down on the edge of the cot in her cell. “Don’t let them see your fear. There is nothing left but our dignity. Die like a woman and don’t let them see you’re afraid.”
“I hope I can,” Roxie said as she sat down. “How long have we been here now?”
“About fifteen minutes, forty-five to go. You probably won’t see the priest until we start walking out last mile.”
The clock continued to click as the minutes passed, soon less than a half hour remained. Both Gina and Roxie looked up as someone entered the cell block. Roxie’s door opened first as the priest entered her cell, “Do you wish to confess?” He asked.
“How can I confess to something I didn’t do?”
“I can not help you unless you confess,” he said. Then he looked through the bars toward Gina, “How about you? Are you ready to confess?”
“I don’t need your help, besides you’re probably not a priest anyway. You’re working for the ones who framed us. You’re going to run to them and say we confessed to you so they can put it in the paper. If I want to see a priest, I want a real one. You’re not fooling me, I saw you in the casinos before.”
The priest left Roxie’s cell and then turned and walked away.
“Was he really a fake?” Roxie asked.
“I don’t know,” Gina said as she shrugged her shoulders. “I just have a problem with someone saying that I must confess my sins when other people can do far worse than I ever did, and they are so called good, upstanding people. Now, I’m going to die without bowing down to anyone except God, no human.”
The clock continued to click until less than ten minutes were left. Again, the door to the cell block opened, this time the prison doctor entered. First, he entered Gina’s cell. “Unbutton your blouse,” he said to her as he took the end of a stethoscope and waited for her to open up her shirt.
Gina stood from the cot and undid the button of her shirt, exposing her bare breast.
The doctor located her heart and place the stethoscope diaphragm on her chest and then secured it with medical tape. “Button your blouse back up,” he said as he finished with Gina and then moved to Roxie’s cell.
Roxie nervously stood and her hands trembled as she unfastened her buttons. The doctor placed the stethoscope on her in the same manner as he did with Gina. As he left Roxie’s cell he whispered to one of the guards, “The red head is very nervous, you had better take her to the chamber first.”
The guard nodded as the cell doors for both women were again slid open as the clock reached the last two minutes of Gina’s and Roxie’s lives. Two female guards entered Roxie’s cell. One gently grabbed her left upper arm and the other took hold of her right. They then led Roxie out of the cell and toward the gas chamber.
As they approached the gas chamber a matron knelt down as Roxie approached. The guards stopped Roxie and the matron grabbed Roxie’s left ankle, lifted her foot off the ground and then removed the nylon footlet. She lowered Roxie’s left foot, then lifted her right and removed the footlet from her right foot. The matron stood up, leaving Roxie’s footlets laying on the floor.
The guards then shuffled Roxie into the gas chamber and strapped her into one of the two chairs which faced the glass and the witnesses. She trembled as the straps were placed across her body. She stared at the witnesses as they looked through the thick glass at her. She looked down as her feet and noticed that her toes were extending past the narrow foot rest that was attached to the chair.
Gina stood up as she heard the guards coming for her. “I can walk on my own,” she said as she stepped out of the cell. She kept her head held high as she walked toward the gas chamber.
As they neared the door the matron stepped forward. “Stop right there,” she said and then knelt down and removed the footlets from Gina’s feet. As the matron stood up, she picked up both pairs of socks she had removed from the women’s feet.
Without saying a word Gina stepped into the gas chamber where she was strapped into the chair beside Roxie.
The door made a loud creaking sound as it was shut and sealed.
“Hang in there girl,” Gina said. “Keep your head high.”
Suddenly, a slight wisp of a cyanide cloud began to rise from beneath each chair.
Roxie closed her eyes and looked down as Gina looked upward and silently started to count to ten. Gina took one deep breath and then another as Roxie puckered her lips tightly together. Gina’s head quickly fell forward and her body slumped, only held in place by the straps.
Roxie could hold her breath no longer. She opened her mouth and she was hit full force by the cyanide. Her eyes popped wide open as she gasped for air. Her head short backward and her toes arched downward over the footrest. Her head jerked backward several times as she curled her toes tighter. Her wide open eyes were now looking at the ceiling of the gas chamber and then suddenly her head fell forward. Her body twitched and jerked several more times and then she was still.
Gina was declared dead first and then Roxie several minutes later.
The next morning the newspapers were passed around the casino with the headlines, ‘Two former Vegas showgirls put on their last show in the gas chamber for the murder of casino owner.’
Roxie walked over to the cell door and grasp the bars, “I’m trying not to go insane. I take it you’re not here with good news?”
“No, I’m sorry. There is no word on a reprieve, but don’t give up hope. However, we have to start the transfer proceeding. Is there anything we can do for you that is within reason?”
“I wish I could get my hair done,” Roxie said. “I haven’t been able to get it done sine they locked me and up. I like mine cut like Audrey Hepburn’s.
“Me too,” Gina said as she stepped toward the cell door. “I like that new do, order one for me.”
“I will arrange for the women who are studying to be beauticians to do something for you,” the supervisor said. “We won’t let you go out looking shabby.”
“Thank you so much,” Roxie replied.
As the supervisor walked away Roxie leaned against her cell door and called out to Gina. “I never knew your real name was Gertrude.”
“That’s my legal name, but I took Gina as my stage name. You’re scared, aren’t you kid?”
“Yes,” Roxie answered. “I’m afraid to die. We’re too young to die.”
“We got to die sometime, might as well be when we’re still on the young side and still good looking. I have a confession to make. I’m not 28, I’m 37. I kind of lied about my age.”
“I don’t know if I can keep calm when they put us in the chamber. I might freak out.”
“You got to hold yourself together. Don’t let those mob bastards who frame us for Rocco’s murder see us wilt as they savor in their moment of making us the ultimate scapegoats. Keep your head high.”
Roxie looked down at the floor and then looked back up as she heard the sound of people approaching the cells.
“Ok girls,” the supervisor said. “We’re going to take you to get your hair done and then you have to get dressed. Wear your own clothes and then we’ll take you to the penitentiary in an unmarked wagon. We want to be as discreet about this as possible.”
It was an hour later, both Roxie and Gina were in skirts and heels with stocking as they were handcuffed to female guards and led to two waiting station wagons. One wagon was white, and one was black, each with no marking. The women’s clicking heels echoed as they were escorted across the parking lot and placed in the back of the wagons. Soon, they out of the women’s reformatory compound and on a highway, heading toward the state pen and the gas chamber.
The long ride to the death house ended over an hour after it started. Roxie and Gina were ushered out of the station wagons and into the State Pen to two holding cells beside the gas chamber.
“Strip, everything off,” a female guard ordered. “Both of you, down to your birthday suits.”
Cardboard boxes were placed inside the cells by other women guards. “Put your clothes in these,” they said to the two former show girls.
They were then each handed a white sleeveless button up blouse, a pair of black shorts and a pair of black nylon footlets. “Put these on,” the matrons ordered.
“How much longer do we have?” Roxie asked nervously as she finished changing her clothes.
“One hour,” the matron answered. “Do you want a Chaplin?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll tell him to stop by anyway.”
“Hold yourself together kid,” Gina said as she sat down on the edge of the cot in her cell. “Don’t let them see your fear. There is nothing left but our dignity. Die like a woman and don’t let them see you’re afraid.”
“I hope I can,” Roxie said as she sat down. “How long have we been here now?”
“About fifteen minutes, forty-five to go. You probably won’t see the priest until we start walking out last mile.”
The clock continued to click as the minutes passed, soon less than a half hour remained. Both Gina and Roxie looked up as someone entered the cell block. Roxie’s door opened first as the priest entered her cell, “Do you wish to confess?” He asked.
“How can I confess to something I didn’t do?”
“I can not help you unless you confess,” he said. Then he looked through the bars toward Gina, “How about you? Are you ready to confess?”
“I don’t need your help, besides you’re probably not a priest anyway. You’re working for the ones who framed us. You’re going to run to them and say we confessed to you so they can put it in the paper. If I want to see a priest, I want a real one. You’re not fooling me, I saw you in the casinos before.”
The priest left Roxie’s cell and then turned and walked away.
“Was he really a fake?” Roxie asked.
“I don’t know,” Gina said as she shrugged her shoulders. “I just have a problem with someone saying that I must confess my sins when other people can do far worse than I ever did, and they are so called good, upstanding people. Now, I’m going to die without bowing down to anyone except God, no human.”
The clock continued to click until less than ten minutes were left. Again, the door to the cell block opened, this time the prison doctor entered. First, he entered Gina’s cell. “Unbutton your blouse,” he said to her as he took the end of a stethoscope and waited for her to open up her shirt.
Gina stood from the cot and undid the button of her shirt, exposing her bare breast.
The doctor located her heart and place the stethoscope diaphragm on her chest and then secured it with medical tape. “Button your blouse back up,” he said as he finished with Gina and then moved to Roxie’s cell.
Roxie nervously stood and her hands trembled as she unfastened her buttons. The doctor placed the stethoscope on her in the same manner as he did with Gina. As he left Roxie’s cell he whispered to one of the guards, “The red head is very nervous, you had better take her to the chamber first.”
The guard nodded as the cell doors for both women were again slid open as the clock reached the last two minutes of Gina’s and Roxie’s lives. Two female guards entered Roxie’s cell. One gently grabbed her left upper arm and the other took hold of her right. They then led Roxie out of the cell and toward the gas chamber.
As they approached the gas chamber a matron knelt down as Roxie approached. The guards stopped Roxie and the matron grabbed Roxie’s left ankle, lifted her foot off the ground and then removed the nylon footlet. She lowered Roxie’s left foot, then lifted her right and removed the footlet from her right foot. The matron stood up, leaving Roxie’s footlets laying on the floor.
The guards then shuffled Roxie into the gas chamber and strapped her into one of the two chairs which faced the glass and the witnesses. She trembled as the straps were placed across her body. She stared at the witnesses as they looked through the thick glass at her. She looked down as her feet and noticed that her toes were extending past the narrow foot rest that was attached to the chair.
Gina stood up as she heard the guards coming for her. “I can walk on my own,” she said as she stepped out of the cell. She kept her head held high as she walked toward the gas chamber.
As they neared the door the matron stepped forward. “Stop right there,” she said and then knelt down and removed the footlets from Gina’s feet. As the matron stood up, she picked up both pairs of socks she had removed from the women’s feet.
Without saying a word Gina stepped into the gas chamber where she was strapped into the chair beside Roxie.
The door made a loud creaking sound as it was shut and sealed.
“Hang in there girl,” Gina said. “Keep your head high.”
Suddenly, a slight wisp of a cyanide cloud began to rise from beneath each chair.
Roxie closed her eyes and looked down as Gina looked upward and silently started to count to ten. Gina took one deep breath and then another as Roxie puckered her lips tightly together. Gina’s head quickly fell forward and her body slumped, only held in place by the straps.
Roxie could hold her breath no longer. She opened her mouth and she was hit full force by the cyanide. Her eyes popped wide open as she gasped for air. Her head short backward and her toes arched downward over the footrest. Her head jerked backward several times as she curled her toes tighter. Her wide open eyes were now looking at the ceiling of the gas chamber and then suddenly her head fell forward. Her body twitched and jerked several more times and then she was still.
Gina was declared dead first and then Roxie several minutes later.
The next morning the newspapers were passed around the casino with the headlines, ‘Two former Vegas showgirls put on their last show in the gas chamber for the murder of casino owner.’
A great story. I think that was the first about a dual execution in the gas chamber. Great work.
well done nice job I would have had them in stockinged feet giggle but thats just me lol.......
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