American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-10-26
Interesting Experiments.


On the 4th day of October. John
Barclay was hung at Columbus, Ohio, for
the murder of Charles F. Garner well
| TODD stock farmer in that region. A cor
respondent of the New York Herald thus
describes the death of the criminal and the
efforts made by the doctors to resusci-
| tate him:
.'IIe died very easy, the arrangements
for the execution being perfect. The
| heart of the wretched man ceased to beat
| eight minutes after the drop fell. and he
was pronounced dead five minutes after
twelve. Ten minutes afterward the body
was cut down. placed i'm a common black
coffin and delivered to the Coroner. As
the deceased had consented that ''the
Young ROOsters'' at the college could
have his body, it was placed in a wagon
and driven rapidly to Startling Medical
College, where n powerful battery had
been placed in position for the purpose of
trying the effect of electricity as medi-
um to restore life. At twenty-four min
utes to one o'clock six students carried
the body into the anatomical lecturing
room of the college, where were assem-
bled the students and ali the prominent
medical gentlemen of the city. 1t was
then taken from the coffin and placed up
on the operative table. The pupils of the
eyes were found to be dilated and the face
discOlOred. The body was stripped of its
clothing, and at thirteen minutes to one
O'Clock. thirtv-seven minutes after death,
the students began operations. The cleo
trical instrument used was one of the
most powerful known, consisting of six
cups of Bunsen's battery attached to
Ritch's induction coil of the largest size.
1t was operated by Prof. Mendenhall.
of this city, an eminent electrician, while
Prof. Wormly and Profs. Holderman and
Denig conducted the experiment. Two
currents of electricity were used-one
placed at the lower extremity of the body
and the other drawn along the arm,
neck. face and breast. The effect was
wonderful I; the eycsOpened, the face drew
up as if in pain, the mouth jerked to one
side, the arm raised as if TO strike and the
fist clenched. The limbs also raised and
the toes and fingers worked, and once the
body almost turned to one side. The arms
were next laid bare and a current of cleo
tricity introduced. The whole system
seemed to respond and the movements of
the body were at times violent. AT four
minutes to two o'clock the electricity was
removed and faint actions of the muscles
could even then be observed. The body
was afterwards left until ten minutes after
three, when the electricity was again ap-
piled, and the muscles of the body still re-
spOndcd rs before, but with less force.
The breast was then opened and current
passed into the heart, but it gave no re-
spouse. 1t was carried to the hands and
feet and all responded as before. The heart
was then taken out and found hard as
and full of blood, the lurgs not
the brain very healthy and free
from any congestion whatever. Ateleven
minutes after four O'Clock electricity was
again applied and a good response was
had; at eighteen minutes after five faint
was given, and at fifteen minutes
to six, five hours and thirty-five minutes
after death, the strongest current that
could be applied failed to move a muscle.
NJ. rI,sh how
brought to a close, the crowd dispersed
and the mutilated body Of John Barclay
was replaced in its coffin, delivered to the
Coroner and given its final burial.''