The Portland daily press., 1881-04-05
Torturing by Electricity.
The Agony which the Killers of the Gear
were Compelled to Undergo.

| ..= New ork sun. ...
| According TO dispatch from Geneva, Russa
koff and Jaliboff, the killers of the Gar, have
been mercilessly put to torture in the presence
OF Gen. Loris Melikoff. Russakoff was electri.
cized by powerful batteries, and forced by the
| intoerable agony he suffered to answer the
questions put to him
Park Benjamin, the scientific expert, said
yesterday: ''The idea of torturing criminals
by electricity is not original with the Russians.
1t is British invention, and was first suggest
ed about five years ago by an English med
ical journal, in commenting upon the execu-
tion of criminals by electric shock instead of
by hanging. The English writer wanted to do
away with the cat O. nine tails, which is ad-
ministered in England to garroters and other
criminals of certain classes, and use the cleo
trio battery, as he somewhat grimly expressed
it, so as to produce absolutely indescribable
torture (unaccompanied by wounds or even
bruises) thrilling through every fibre of such
miscreanrs. There was an American inven-
tor who had design for inhictng this species
of punishment. He fitted bracelets of iron on
the arms and thighs of the criminal, and
placed to them wet sponges. When connected
with current of electricity the shock would
by this system pass through the legs and shoul-
ders and avoid the vital parts of the body. 2
1.-The torture inflicted by electricity if of two
kinds-by contraction of the muscles at rapid
ly recurring intervals and by burning with
sparks The tortures of old days, when not
done by lire or compression were the straining
and tearing asunder of the muscles. OF this
Kind were the rack, scavenger's daughter and
the cages of Louis XIV, in which man could
not stand up or lie down. The electric shock
exactly reverses these conditions. 1t produces
an enormously rapid contraction in the body
a@rs f ,.a;,. 81 IT, intervals Tue
force of the electricity has to be nicely graded,
as too po werful shock would numb or kill
man. t..4H sa.3 ..
''The other method is by condensng num-
Der OF intermittent sparks on the fesL. This
burns the skin, and at the same time produces
contractions of the muscles. If put to the side
OF the jaw it would make every tooth ache"
A distinguished surgeon of whom questions
were asked concerning the machine, said: :
The best way to explain it is to give you actu-
al experience; then you will know exactly how
it feels. Here is a Faradc induction coil. /
pull out this tube little way. Now let ME
place this electrode TO your hand. There!'
"Oh!" exclaimed the inquirer, as a tingling,
thrilling sensation ran through every finger,
and his hand closed iD an involuntary grasp.
Does it hurt?" asked the doctor.
ga little" sa .ar Err
'Well We'll try again. Now, you see,
pull this tube further out. 1 again touch it to
your hand and" sH e.4 .'I.Il l....t -H. ..
"Whoop!'' shouted the victim; 'stake it
awayn' The feeling was as if the hand was
crushed in wise. Every nerve ached and
trembled with pain. s43Hr li
"Tnat hurt, did it? Why, that's Lothing
Here's something of a very different sort.'
He fastened to one wire small wet sponge,
and to the other wire something like paint
brush, with the brush part made of fine wire.
He put the sponge in the visitors hand, and
then touched the back of the hand with the
wire brush. The pain was unbearable. The
surface of the skin was scorched and the mus
cles of the hand were contracted in violent
| manner. 45 .ya~a.
THAT is called the electric scourge," said
the doctor. ''If it were dark you could see
sparks fly from each wire. Ina CINE the effect
if the electricity were ten times more power
ful?" m .-...s- .rf 4.
Gould any man bear that torture?"
II think not: any man would confess under
1t, but 1t question what confidence could be
placed in such confession. A man would
confess anything to escape the agony"
What could you compare the pain to?"
1T would be the same as burning alive"
Would it injure the man?'' hs d.
"No-unless the pain drove him insane. If
the battery was too powerful it would kill at
once. Applied to some parts of the body the
scourge hurts more than on other parts.''