Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-02-14
Rron The ssienslHe AmericAa
ELECTRICITY As An EXECUTION
AN

n
The teachings Of Science are needed
and sought for in the building Of prisons,
in the management and care Of conviets.
and in every modern correctional system;
and yet in so simple aud easy process
as the extinguishing Of human life, they
are utterly ignored.
The most certain and painless death
known to Science is caused by the light
ming stroke. or by. what amounts 10 the
same thing, the electric shock. When a
powerful discharge Of electricity is re-
ceived in the body, existence simply
stops. and the reason is obvious. Helm
holtx has proved that, for any vibration
which results in sensation to reach the
brain through the nerves. one tenth of
second Of time is required. Further
more. time is also needed for the mole
cules Of the brain to arrange themselves
through the effect Of that vibration.
through the motions and positions nee.
essary to the completion Of conscious
ness, and for this an additional period
of one tenth Of second is expended.
Consequently. If, for example, We prick
our finger with pin, it takes two tenths
of second for US to feel and recognize
the hurt. 1t can easily be conceived,
therefore. that if an injury is inflicted
which instantly units the nerves to
transmit the motion which results in
sensation. or if the animating power is
suddenly suspended by an injury to the
brain before the latter completes con-
seriousness. then death inevitably follows
with no intervention of sensibility what
ever.
Now a rife bullet, which traverses
the brain in the one thousanth part of a
second, manifestly must cause this in
staHt stoppage of existence, and proof
Of this is found in the placid faces Of the
dead, and in the fact that there is moth
ing more common than to find men lying
dead on the battle fields, shot through
the brain, but with every member stiff
ened in the exact position it was in when
the bullet did its work. But rife ball
is slow beside the electric shock. Per-
sistence Of vision impresses q lightning
fash on the retina for one-sixth of a
second, but its actual duration is barely
one one-hundred thousandth Of sec
ond.
The effect of the shock on the system
is excellently described by Professor
Tyndall, who, while lecturing before a
large audience, inadvertently touched
the wire leading from Is charged Ley
den jars. and received the whole dis
charge through his body. Luckily the
shock was not powerful enough to be ia
tai but as the lecturer regained his
senses. he experienced the astonishing
sensation of all his members being sep
arate and gradually fastening themselves
together. He says. however, that "life
was blotted out for sensible interval. !"
and he dwells with much stress upon
the opinion that there cannot be
doubt that, to a person struck by light
ming. the passage from life to death oc-
ours without consciousness being in the
least degree implicated. Ii is an abrupt
stoppage Of sensation. unaecompanicd
by pang." SO much for the death
which, by suitable alteration of the Law.
we would have substituted for slow
strangulation. The next point is its
practical accomplishment.
Instead Of building gallows and
providing rope. the sheriff, advised
BY competent electrician. would pro-
cure a powerful Ruhmkorf coil and
heavy battery. These instruments
would rarely need replacing, and would
last indefinitely for other executions.
The battery aud coil should be Of sufi-
eient strength to deliver an eighteen
inch spark. In case Of there being more
than one person to be executed. all Of
the condemned would be conducted with
all due ceremoney to the place Of execu-
ton. the left hand Of one man hand
cuffed TO the right hand Of bis neighbor,
and the conducting wire fastened 70
bracelets on the discngaged wrists Of
both criminals. if only two are 70 be put
10 death. or TO the wrists Of the outer
men. If more than that number are to
suffer. The eulprits being seated 70 as
to be seen BY the legal witnesses. the
sheriff presses button. The eurreat il
instantly established from the coil. pass-
e. through the bodies ~ the men. and
all i over. With competent eleetri-
clan. who might. IL cities. be : member
Of the police force. aud speclally eharg-
ed With the duty. there would be 10
possibility Of mistakes. The same ig-
noaaiuy which attaches to the gailoss
would be Transferred 10 this mode u de.
struction. while the peeuliaF death BY
lightning. which. among the ignorant of
all nations and ages. has been the sub-
ject II profound superstition. would
without doubt. throagh the very iDeom-
prebensibiIity aud mystery. Undue the