Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1876-03-17
Selettcd 5}gistrllann.
Electricity to take the Place of the
GalloWs

The revolving scenes accompanying
the execution of several criminals in this
vicinity are well calculated to bring to
public notice the disadvantages of hang
ing as mode for capital punishment.
The teachings Of science are needed
and sought for in the building of prisons,
in the management and care Of convicts.
and in every modern correctional sys-
TEN 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 to 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. Hem
bolz has proven that, for any vibration
which results in sensation to reach the
brain through the nerves. one-tenth of
second of time is required. Furthermore,
time is also needed for the molecules Of
the brain to arrange themselves through
the effect of that vibration. through the
motions and positions necessary to the
completion of consciousness, and for this
an additional period Of onc-tenth Of y
second is expended Consequently, il.
for example, we prick our finger with a
pin, it takes two tentbs of a 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 ami
mating power is suddenly suspended by
an injury to the brain before the latter
completes consciousness, then death in
evitably follows with no intervention of
ipsensibility whatever
Now rife bullet, which traverses the
brain in the one-thousandth of second
Danifestly must cause this instant stop
page of existence, and proof Of this is
found in the placid faces of the dead. and
in the fact that there is nothing more
common than to find men lying dead on
battle fields, shot through the brain but
with every member stifFened in the exact
position il was in when the bullet did its
work But a rife bali is slow beside the
electric shock Persistence Of vision
impresses lightning flash on the retina
for one-sixth of second, but its actual
duration is barely one hundred thous-
aDdth Of second
The effect of the shock on the system
is excolIently described by Prof ssor
Tyndall, who, while lccturing before q
large audience, inadvertently touched
the wire leading from fifteen charged
Leyden jars and received the whole dis
charge through his body Luckily. the
shock was not powerful enough to be
fatal; but as the lecturer reganed his
senses. he experienced the astonishing
sensation Of all the members being sepa-
rate aud 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 lightning
the passage from life to death occurs
without Consciousness being in the least
degree implicated. It is an abrupt stop
page Of sensation. unaccompanied BY .
pang. So much for the death which,
by suitable alteration Of the law. we
would have substituted for slow strangu-
lation. The next point is its practical
accomplishment.
Instead Of building gallows and pro-
viding rope, the sheriff, advised by
com petent electrician, would procure
powerful Ruhmkrof coil and heavy
battery. These instruments would rare
Iy need replacing, and would last indefi
nitely for other executions The bat
terry and coil should be Of sufficient
strength to deliver an eighteen inch
spark. In case of their being more tban
one person to be executed. all of the con
demned would be conducted with all due
ceremony to the place Of execution, the
left hand If me man handcufFed to the
right hand Of his neigbbor, and the con-
Quoting wire fastened to bracelets on the
disengaged wrists of both criminals. if
only two are to be hanged, or to the
wrists Of the outer men, If more than
that number are to suffer The culprifs
being seated so as to be seen BY the legal
witnesses, the sheriff presses button.
The current is instantly established from
the coil. passes through the bodies Of
the men. and all is over With COM
petent electrician, who might be a mem
Der of the police force, and especially