The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1888-07-14
Execution by Electricity.
IScientitic Americana

=. Execution by Electricity.
u ! & [Scientitic Americana
The State of New York may pride
herself in the fact that the gallows is to
be banished and more humane and
scieni fic method of executing crimi.
nails is to be instituted. On Juno 4;
Governor Hill signed the bill authoriz
ing that criminals should be put to
: death by an electric shock. The bill is
to 90 into effect on January !, 1883,
and the method of execution will be
applied in the punishment of crimes
committed after that date. The pas
sage OF this bill is due principally to
.the efforts of the commission appointed
lby the Legislature to investigate aud
report on this subject. The commission
consisted of Messrs. Elbridge T. Gerry,
Alfred p. Southwick, and Matthew
Hale, who deserve much credit as
having fathered and engineered this
bill at Albany and for having brought
il TO successful issue. The subject Of
execution by electricity has been long
argued before the public, but New
York State stands as the. first govern
nept that has undertaken to make the
experiment of its practicability. The
failure and barbarily Of the old system
have been amply demonstrated by the
sickening scenes that 80 often charact-
erize our public executions.
The practicability OF this method has
been studied and experiments have
been made under the commissions
directions. The result Of this has been
the method suggested by the commits
sion and recommended in their report,
and which is illustrated in the accom-
panying engraving. The criminal is
seated bound to a chair having a me-
tai seat connected with one pole of the
current. At the back of the chair
there Is an adjustable head rest, having
q metal plate on its face and a metal
Z band, which passes around the fore.
head of the criminal. The wires may
be connected with the dynamo, which,
according to the bill, may be of any
approved type, or the current may be
supplied from an electric light plant,
. or there may be q private plant ar.
ranged especially for that purpose at
the place of execution. SpOnges or
dampened clothes should be applied at
tbs points of contact with the convict
to render the connection more perfect.
At the proper moment the switch is
turned by the officer, and instant death
ensues. The current passes along the
spinal column and attacks the brain
and nerve cen,ers. The current may
be left on q few moments to bring
about complete exhaustion, and to as
sure against the possibility of resuscita-
ton. In respect to the action produced
upon the subject pbysiologicalIy, Prof.
Elihu Thomson says that Gin most
cases, death seems to be the result Of
nerve exhaustion asphyxia, and in
others may be due to rupture of blood
vessels or injury to the valves of the
heart, as a consequence Of violent con-
traction under the enormous stimulus
OF powerful currents. Broken or in
terrupted currents or alternating cur
rents, the waves of which are abrupt,
the most powerful in injurious effects
upon the animal system. l think it
would be quite possible TO construct
small machine 10 give the requisite
currents by indu2tion from a small
storage or other battery current, or
small machine run by hand or by Wa
+, ter, motor might be employed, which
iri1achine would bs designed for the
most powerful physiological effects, the
nature and strength of the current be-
ing selected in accordance with this
Object
To the end of testing the effect and
efficiency of the electric current in de-
stroyiug life, number of experiments
have been conducted upon the lower
animals, under tho supervision Of the
commission. A number of dogs were
procured, aud the general method en-
.ployed was AS follows: n pine box
WAS provided having zinc lining,
which was connected with one pole OF
the electric light current which was
employed in the experiments. The
other pole was connected With muzzle
placed over the head of the dog, and
having a copper or iron bit passing
through his mouth. AS soon AS the
switch was turned completing the cir
cult, instantaneous death was pros
5duced. The box was partly filled with
water during the experiment to render
the connection more perfect.
1t was desired to watch the effect of
the shock upon the functions of the
heart, and to that end an experiment
was made by making an incision into
the treachea of Il dog, into which
tube was inserted, connected with
bellows for maintaining artificial repi-
ration. The walls of tho throaX were
then removed, 50 that the heart and
lungs were exposed to view and their