Hours leading to execution go 'as planned'
By Suzanne Risley
Tribune-Star
A drunken driving arrest in front of the U.S. Penitentiary, Terre Haute, captured the interest of the media early this morning, briefly diverting attention from protesters who gathered there for the execution of Timothy McVeigh.
Several police cars with lights flashing surrounded a small maroon car around 1:30 a.m. in front of the anti-death penalty protest area on U.S. 63. Witnesses near the scene said the driver had cut off a bus dropping off protesters. Eurnie Garver, 55, of 3203 N. 13 1/2 St., was arrested by U.S. Marshals for driving while intoxicated. He was taken to the Vigo County Jail, where he will remain without bail until his first court appearance on Tuesday. He could not be reached for comment.
Protest and media activity on prison grounds was less dramatic.
"Everything is going as planned," said Mary Beth Cully, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Prisons.
Sunday night began with an 11 p.m. news conference in which Bureau of Prisons spokesman Dan Dunne told reporters that McVeigh ordered two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream as his last official meal, which was served at noon. The ice cream was an unknown brand from a community store, prison spokesman Jim Cross said later.
"Inmate McVeigh's activities for the past few days have included sleeping normally, watching television, talking with his attorneys and meeting with the warden and institution staff," Dunne said.
Press pool selection for who would witness McVeigh's lethal injection at 7 a.m. Monday started at 4 a.m. Monday. About 80 media representatives showed up for consideration outside the training center.
After the briefing, media scattered to broadcast vans, trailers and protest areas in anticipation of the first busload at midnight.
Against the amber glow of prison lights, golf carts darted between protest and media areas. The anti-death penalty and death penalty supporter areas were separated by about 400 yards, making golf carts the preferred transportation for the media.
Buses ran back and forth between Fairbanks and Voorhees parks, where protesters were headquartered. Each bus was accompanied by police escorts at the front and back. Once off the bus at the prison, protesters walked down an aisle to get to the protest area.
Around 1 a.m., about 40 anti-death penalty protesters had arrived, among them Ron Rowe, a Roman Catholic deacon from Burton, Mich., who drove to Terre Haute by himself after mass on Sunday to quietly protest the execution. He was somewhat disappointed by the low turnout.
"If this were a rally for the abortion issue, there would be 100,000 people here. If it was to raise money for the poor or raise money for the homeless, this is about what you'd get," he said, motioning to the protesters, whose number increased to around 100 around 3 a.m.
The death penalty is another situation where it seems nobody cares, Rowe said, his eyes welling up with tears.
Participation among the death penalty supporters was even lower. Only about 40 supporters had arrived by 2:30 a.m.
Prison officials expected more protesters to arrive closer
to 4 a.m., said Cully, the Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman. A Circle
of Silent Witness was scheduled for 4:12 a.m. Those participating
in the circle would observe 168 minutes of silence in memory of
those who died in Oklahoma City.
Mark Coffman of Monovia, Calif., drove to Terre Haute to support
the death penalty after visiting Oklahoma City this weekend.
"This is a very unplanned side trip," he said, adding that he felt compassion for the victims of the bombings. These were people who were completely chosen at random by someone who really didn't care, he said.
McVeigh should die for his crimes because letting him live
would only prolong the pain for the victims, Coffman said.
Jim Frierdich of Hamilton, Ohio, said the law requires that McVeigh
pay for his crime.
"The law of the United States of America says if you murder someone - capital murder - then you must pay with your life. It is the law," he said.
Despite the differences of opinion, everything remained peaceful, which is what Cher Farrell of Kalamazoo, Mich., wanted.
A member of the Michigan Peace Team, her prime objective is to help create an atmosphere of calmness and peace during protests and rallies.
"We don't take either side. We are neutral. We are impartial," she said.
She did admit that being on the grounds of the federal prison where America's most notorious criminal lived was weird.
"It's chilling to be here, I have to admit, on the grounds on something of this magnitude," Farrell said. "Not just what's happening here, but you think of the other people who are in prison.
"It's difficult."
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