Herman Dale Ashworth. Volunteer

Herman Dale Ashworth was executed for the aggravated murder of Daniel Baker. Ashworth gave up all his appeals and volunteered for execution. With his last words, Herman Dale Ashworth underscored his feelings just before being executed yesterday at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility near Lucasville.

"A life for a life," he said, his breathing ragged and chest heaving as he lay on the execution table. "Let it be done, and justice will be served." A few minutes later, the chemicals did their job. Ashworth, 32, was pronounced dead at 10:19 a.m., his life forfeited for one he took nine years ago in a Newark alley when he beat Daniel L. Baker to death.

Ashworth did not sleep at all Monday night, Ohio prisons spokeswoman Andrea Dean said. He tried unsuccessfully about a half-dozen times to phone his adoptive parents, James Ashworth and Anna Mae Dalton. They were stuck in their native Louisiana, their phone service knocked out. They were unable to travel to Ohio because of Hurricane Rita. Ashworth had no witnesses on his behalf at his execution

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