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TERRE HAUTE, Ind., June 10 — Timothy J. McVeigh spent his last full day of life today in a 9- by 14- foot holding room, writing letters, and waiting. "His temperament is very even," said Robert Nigh Jr., one of Mr. McVeigh's lawyers, after spending time with his client this afternoon. "He is calm. He is himself. He is prepared. Quite frankly, he is ready to die."
Mr. Nigh said Mr. McVeigh, although only steps from the death chamber, was in "amazingly good spirits."
Mr. Nigh and Nathan D. Chambers, another McVeigh lawyer, said they did not know if Mr. McVeigh would read a statement or speak to the witnesses — some of them victims of his bombing — when he is strapped to the gurney on Monday. They said they did not know if he would apologize, but they said they did not believe Mr. McVeigh would say anything to intentionally wound the people of Oklahoma City, where he killed 168 people on April 19, 1995. "He doesn't want to do anything to cause any further pain," Mr. Chambers said.
But for his victims, who are wary of such assertions about Mr. McVeigh's finer nature, there was still no apology from him. A series of letters written by Mr. McVeigh to a Buffalo newspaper fell short of that, as he blamed the United States government for their deaths.
"He tried to express as best as he can that he is sorry, but that does not mean to say that he does not believe that he was right," Mr. Nigh said. "He does feel for people. He is sorry for the suffering."
But, Mr. Nigh said, "in his mind, it was a military action."
Mr. McVeigh's execution, the first carried out by the federal government since 1963, is scheduled for 7 a.m. (8 a.m. Eastern time). He spent his last day sleeping normally, watching a small television, writing letters and talking to his lawyers. He had his last meal at noon: two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream. "He maintains his sense of humor," Mr. Nigh said. "He slept last night. He expects to sleep again tonight."
Mr. McVeigh was moved early this morning from his cell on death row to the holding room just outside the death chamber. Prison officials said he went willingly. It was the first time he had been outside, in the darkness, in years. "He was able to look up in the sky and see the moon," Mr. Nigh said, "and that was valuable to him."
Although Mr. McVeigh's last day on earth was viewed with intense interest by journalists, who have swarmed this city of 60,000, and by the people of Oklahoma City, it seemed to be of only passing interest to the people here.
They are tired of the whole thing.
"It doesn't make a difference to me if it's tomorrow or the next day or the next day," said Jared Clapp, a manager at the Rally's hamburger restaurant in Terre Haute.
The people who did care one way or another were not sympathetic to Mr. McVeigh, and said lethal injection was too good for him.
"If I say what I'm really thinking, it's mean," said Tonya Smith, a preschool teacher in Clinton.
Some people here expected Mr. McVeigh's death to come and fade into the past with little lasting effect on this city or its people.
"He needs to die for killing all of those people, and I think we'll all be glad when it's over," said Bruce Laubert, a clerk at Toys "R" Us. Mr. Laubert does not expect riots or even significant demonstrations. "I don't think that's going to happen," he said. "I don't think much of anything is going to happen."
Helen Evans, 75, did not let the impending execution impede her daily routine. As the clock ticked down on Mr. McVeigh's life, as so many others rehashed his crime and pondered his legacy, she went to a store to buy some geraniums.
"People are staying inside, or going about their regular day, like me," Ms. Evans said.
Police officials expected 500 to 1,000 protesters against the death penalty
to gather by this evening. As of this afternoon, only a small number of
protesters had gathered near the prison. One of them held a sign with the words,
"Our Jesus loves Tim, even if we don't."
No Taping of Execution Allowed
WASHINGTON, June 10 (AP) — The Supreme Court without comment today turned down a request to allow the videotaping of Timothy J. McVeigh's execution.
The request had come from lawyers for a Pennsylvania man, Joseph Minerd, who could face the same method of execution. His lawyers argued that the videotape could be helpful in their effort to show lethal injection as a cruel and unusual punishment, and therefore unconstitutional.