Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-06-25
How 1t Feels to. be Hanged--The Ex-
pericnce of a Man who was Executed
and Resuscicated by Electricity.

pericnce of a Man who was Executed
and Reconstructed by Electricity.
A writer in the June number of the
Overland Monthly claims to have under
gone the extreme penalty of the law, but
to have been resuscicated by electricity.
He then relates his feelings on the inter
esting occasion of his execution:
1.-The final prayer was said, the usual
thanks rendered and greetings given; the
cord was adjusted on my neck, l WAS
placed upon the trap, looked for the last
time upon familiar objects, the cap was
adjusted over my face, felt an increased
heat around my heart, fullness of the
throat, slight weakness Of the muscles
of my limbs, then an involuntary shrink
ing of the nerves and a catching of tue
breath as l felt myself falling; then a
fierce, fiery pa in shot through my whole
frame; my head seemed bursting, and
my consciousness was gone.
How long l remained unconscious /
do not know, but when sensibiity re
turned it was. entirely mental. The
shock of my fall had evidently paralyzed
the nervous sensibiliiies and destroyed
the physical capacity of sense, but my
mental powers were soon resumed in a
wonderful manner, for my earliest re-
membrance of anything was the combi-
nation of all the colors of the prism
glowing radiantly before my eyes. Of
course did not see them with my eyes.
but / seemed to see them thus, as they
glowed and waved and blended, then
separated, then re. formed themselves in
new combinations, and danced and
laughed with brilliancy far exceeding
the rainbow's painting or the prism's
power.
This gorgeous scene began to fade
away, and my next transition was into
sea of light, not the light Of the sun,
or such light as is made bp any chem
ical combination, but light of dazzling,
glowing, glorious whiteness and purity,
of which my own mind seemed to be a
part. | now began TO observe my own
condition; knew that my whole body
was growing cold and rigid, the only
perceptible warmth being in my heart,
and | wondered how long it would be
before that, too, would become cold like
the balance, and l should certainly die.-
| even spcculated upon the severity of
the pain / should have 10 endure when
that spot did grow cold--but | never
knew. While l thus took note of the
physical condition, my mind with grand
ly increased power was fully occupied.
Before me, in review, and then gathered
around me, were all the transactions-of
good or evil-of life; there was nothing
forgotten, nothing absent. saw them
all, knew and recognized them all even
minute and insignificant circumstances,
which at the time had made no impress
sion on me, were now there, and | be
came fully aware of the fact that this
sentiment being which had animated my
body would not die, but would live on,
and on, and on eternalIy, and eternally
surrounded by and in companionship
with all the transactions of physical life.
Everlasting life was as conclusively
shown to me as if the spirit of him who
had been dead thousand years had
spoken to the fact. But how was | to
exist, and where should l exist? knew
was not part of my body; in fact,
desired to entirely sever the connection
with it, and impatiently waitsd until the
warm part of my heart should grow
cold. Had l been as liberty 10 accept
or reject an offer Of return to vitality, /
should have rejected it. In vain / scam
ned the light around me for revelation
of my future condition. In vain l ap-
piled all the brilliant powers of nv
purified mind to pierce the future, even
to fully comprehend the present. l re-
called my early Instructions, and sought
for yawning gulf and crystal gates, but
on the one hand found no devouring
fiends, and on the other hand | saw no
cleaning charots; l heard neither songs
of Joy nor wailings Of woe, nor found
any other being than my own. l exist
ed in my own former life, and, SO far as
! could discover, would continue to exist
there forever. This was not desirable,
but | saw no way of escape.
have no idea of the time passed in
this condition, but it must have been all
the time required by medical judgment
TO deprive me of life, for in the midst of
my speculations, became aware of the
removal and handling of my body. |
remembered thought they were about
to bury me, and, as | was not dead, |
wished to protest against it. / loathed
the idea of being incarcerated in the
grave with my body, or having any
further companionship with it. Ibid not
know what was being done, but 1 felt
myself in motion for time, then the
motion ceased; then there was a quick,
sharp, rending pain, fearful shudder Of
my whole physical powers, a writhing,
an anguish far worse than the anguish 4
death, and sensibility and sense slowly
returned to me; once more my heart,
which had never grown cold, throbbed,
my functions were partially re establish
ed, and again l became burdened with
the cares, anxieties and sorrows of life.
To me it has been one long sorrow, and
without joy or hope, await the time
when | shall once more battle 10 that sea
Of light, once more gather around me