Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-17
Capital PlNishsppeme.
EXECUTION BY ELECTRICITY RECOMMENDED 10 I'll
NEW NORk LEGIsLArUkE.

Cup1ta1 k'uOts0Nnemts
EXECUTION BY ELECTRICITY RECOMMENDED TO THE
NEW YORK LEGIsLATUkE.
A New York state commission, which has been
carefully investigating the most humane and
practical plan OF carrying into effect the sentence
| OF death I'm capital cases has made a report TO
the state legislature, recommending that the
present method VI innlcting the death PEN
atty be abolished, aud as a substitute.
that a current OF electricity, OF sufficient In
tensity TO destroy life insJsntaneousiy, be
passed through the body OF the convict;
that every execution take place IN a state prison.
10 be designated by the court In ITS Judgment and
death warrant. and that the time OF the execution
be not fixed by the court except by designating a
period within which IL must take place; that I'M
mediately after the execution a po,I-iuortem ex-
animation OF the body he made by the physicians
present. and the remains be then handed over 10
The medical profession for further dissection or be
buried without ceremony in the prison cemetery or
graveyard, with sufficient quicklime to insure their
Immediate CONSUMPTION, and that the public
counts or the execution be limited as regards its
details.
A proposed bill accompanies the report, which Is
composed OF thirteen sections, and instructs the
courts and custodlans OF criminals how to proceed
in fixing dates for and carrying out executions
under the new plan.
SIMPLE PLAN.
The commission thinks that the appliances for
an execution by electricity can be made extremely
simple. All that would be essential would be a
chair, with a head and foot rest, In which the
condemned could be seated In a semi-reclining
position. One electrode would be connected with
the head-rest, and the other with the foot-rest,
which would consist " a metal plate. The
penSe OF such chair would not exceed $50. III
the current OF electricity Is supplied from
Sut sight expense nscesssr,Iy incurred te
make the connection from the chair with
q the wires on the outside. IT, however.
IL Is deemed best TO have an independent wire run
ming directly from the electric light plant to the
place OF execution, there would be the additional
expense OF constructing an independent line for
ar
she length OF the line, varying from $50 TO $500.
IL, however, II Is deemed best 70 have an indie
machine, or such machine as that suggested by |
Professor Thompson, which would furnish an |
pendeEt Of any e outside communicaiion, the es
pense would be between $50 and 500
Thinks Keep H. Nos Dead.
TIE WIDOW OF THE WELL KNOWN WALL STREET HAN /
WANTS HIS ALLEGED BODY ExHUhED.
In June last Il was announced that Charles ID. l
Keep, the well-known Spectator and editor OF the
Wall Street Meas, had died rather suddenly at ,
Long Branch. His body was supposed TO have
been buried on Jnne IL In Calvary cemetery, Long /
Island City. Yesterday Mrs MARY T. Keep. who |
claims to be the widow OF Keep. applied 70 the
coroner TO have the body exhumed, ss she alleges /
that her husband felgned death, and the body 4
% | DC
body in &C. II It is that Of her husband, for the pur-
necessary In certain suits now In progresa In |
support OF her application MA Keep has made 1
an afndavft reciting that she was married /
In New York, August II, 1872, and that prior 70 /
her divorce she heard her husband say repeatedly
that In case any emergency should arise he would
feign death, with tins coliuston OF phyuciAnA ana /
escape 70 the Thousand Islands during the mock /
funeral, and she processes her belief thas he has
Ssa 20 me 70
alleges thai after she ana her husband had made L
each viii with the other damned e sole legRtee /
he threatened 'fiy1ng OF dead" 70 deprive her Of L
others 70 coerce her into applying for divorce,
which was granted shs alleges that no proof a
report Of his death was given out