Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-25
HOW TO> DIE EASY.
MYSTERIES INTO WHICH THE GERRY COMMISSION HAS BEEN INoUiRING.

How Shall We Execute Our Criminals
 The Garrote and the Guillotine-Death
 by Prnssic Acid-A Flash of Lightning
 Is Best.
 How shall we execute our criminals!
 To certain degree distressing question to inquire into, but in reality a most humane investigation. Experts are divided in their opinions upon the subject, and when experts disagree-why, experts disagree. Some hard shelled experts of q very conservative frame of mind nail their colors to the mast and hold that Jack Ketch's hempen moose, also known as Judge Lynch's ''cravat," is the proper thing when i'll the proper place.
 Others of a more advanced frame of mind suggest the garrote. The guillotine also has it's advocates, especially among the inhabi- tants of sunny France, and there are those who favor prussic acid or some other violent poison. Gas comes ill for share of favor; water has it's disciples; but the enterprising students of this country seem to be pooling their issues in favor of electricity.
 Not to be behind the times, an American physician has invented flash of lightning, said to be almost equal to the natural article In this instance it all came about through the inquiries made year ago by Commodore Gerry's commission, appointed to inquire into more humane method of executing the death penalty.
 At that time select number of prominent physlcians were consulted and asked in the interest of science to answer a series of ques- tious upon the subject of capital punishment Among the physicians consulted were Dr. E J. Kauffmann a graduate of Berlin, Paris, Edinburgh, Toronto and New York, and Q gentleman who has devoted much time to the study of electricity while pursuing his medical studies.
 Dr. Kaufman was much impressed with the barbarity of executions by hanging, and before making his report to the commission began work upon an electrical machine, which was to produce a miniature flash of lightning or continuous electric spark twelve inches long, and calculated to produce death i'll the twc-hundredth part of second. This may seem to be quick work, but it is comparatively slow when we take into con 1 sideration that the genuine article, ''real lightning" produces the fatal result in the t,n-ahousand5El 5El part of second-at least that is a. out ;s near as it has been accurately gauged up to this writing.
 One of the first questions asked by the commission was in regard to death by prussic acid or any other strong poison. Taking prussic acida a basis, Dr. Kauffmann replied l that thcco was case on record ill which a l man swallowed an ounce of prussic acid and yet only expired twelve minutes later. after suffering great agony. Dr. Kaufman thus concluded that prussic acid was not quick enough and could not be relied upon and in addition that prussic acid and it's salts were used in commerce, and that it would not be advisable to teach the public mode of death which would be comparatively painless. tn tbo and guillotine, and, according to the doctors replies, these systems are comparatively an cient and barbarous, and nations employing them were seeking for moro humane and scientific method of executing criminals The garrote, says Dr. Kauffmann, is worse than hanging, as by its use death is only caused by strangulation or sutfocation. Suffo cation, he also clain;., is the cause of death in the great majority of executions by hang ing, and is the great objection to the use o1 the rope In fact, if Dr. Kauffmann remem bers rightly, statistics show that over 80 pel cent. of persons hanged die from suffoca tion.
 One of the last questions asked the physi clans by the commission, said Dr. Kauf mann, was:
 "'What would you suggest as better way of death in criminal cases, and what would | in effect upon the criminal casesg or words to that effect"
 Death iron, electricity, replied tho doctor in substance, either by shock or by a conver sion of the animal fluids into gases, cause: very little change in the body. Indeed, the greater the shock the less change there is il the body. Therefore death from an intense shock, which would kill man in say tht one-hundredth part of a second, would make no visible change in the body. Now, as there is an insufficiency in this country of bodie for the purposes of scientific research, Dr Kauffmann suggested that the bodies of al executed criminals should be turned over t, the proper authorities for the purpose of sci entific, pathological and physiological re search.
 In Dr. Kauffmann's opinion criminal would dread such disposal of their bodie more than death itself. Naturally it is ad nitted that there SO few executions tha the bodies thus furnished would not suppl, the demand, but it is claimed that bodies o
 criminals killed by electricity will be in sucl
 good condition for scientific research tha
 they will prove of incalculable value t
 physicians.
 The miniature flash of lightning outlines
 by Dr. Kauffmann could be applied to tn
 criminals either standing or sitting down
 and the base of the skull is suggested as tn
 most suitable spot, though other physician
 favor the back of the neck. It has also bee
 suggested that the criminal might be place
 in a room and that the air should be gradr
 ally withdrawn, thus giving the condemne
 man 6 painless death. This system is objecte
 to as being quite as painful as hanging, fo
 death would be caused by suffocation.
 The fumes of charcoal have also been adve
 cated, but are opposed on the plea that the
 range with chlorine gas, one of the mo: pungent gases, and accordingly charcos would cause a painful death. Carbonic g has also been talked of as oomparativel
 desirable form of inficting death, but it : opposed on the plea that it is not quic enough.
 After reviewing all the suggestions mao there would seem to be no doubt that ele } tricity will be the executioners weapon l the future, and that, combined with delive : ing the bodies of executed persons to phys ! cians for the purpose of scientific research, will strike quite as much terror into ev Q doers' hearts as that we'll termed ''relic barbaris;n,'' the hangman's noose-, Ne @ York Herald.
 @ A Revolver Cigar Cutter.