The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-24
KILLED BY ELECTRICITY.


ana PaInIess-ItS Legal Use.
Pal Mall budget.
Now that it is proposed to substitute
an electric stroke for the services Of Mr..
Berry, perhaps my experiences in that
line, writes Mr.. @. AIostyn, Of Hudders-
field, may be of some interest. Long
ago, when farming in remote district
Of Herefordshire, l beguited the leisure
hours by researches and studyjn various
branches OF electricity, and had what
was considered in those days tolerably
complete outfit. Among other apparatus
| had fine "Rhumkortf col" capable
OF giving, when excited by five or seven
cells Of Grove battery, a spark in air"
-"yolt" and potential" were unknown,
nj least to me, in those days-ofover five
inches. With this instrument, aided
occasionally by a Leyden battery, | RE
moved" ut various times all the animals
and birds whose death was necessary on
the farm-sucking pigs, my Christmas
turkey, and so forth. The turkey was
rather troublesome subject, and had a
marked aversion to being placed in po-
stiOn.
The largest subject | operated on was
calf. l had always an objection, on
humane and other grounds, to the usual
ableaching,' the veal. And death by
electricity has the peculiar effect OF pre-
venting the coagulation OF the blood, so
that the animal can be bled afterward.
As good many people came to see "the
calf struck by lightning" l made my ar.
rangements with great care, to avoid all
chance Of liascO. The primary coil
was connected With seyen.cell Grove
battery, and each side OF the Contact
breaker with condenser OF about fifty
square feet of tinfoil. The terminals OF
thesecondary coil were led to the coat
ing OF Leyden battery OF nine largIsh
Jars, and also to two discharging rods
with long ebonite handles and plates OF
metal on the ends.
All being ready, the calf was led up
and held by halter. A friend-not
without fear and trembling-held one OF
the discharging plates at the insertion OF
the tail. Pressing the button that put
the coil in the circuit with the battery, |
brought the other discharging plate rap
idly to the calls forehead and the calf
was veal without q struggle. never
observed any efusion oil blood or other
symptom oil the shock such as have
read OF in other cases. Death seemed
instantaneous and painless. Unjust be
remembered that an animal body is
good conductor and that it is absolutely
necessary that the current shall pass
through the brain and spine. 1t is as
tonishing what powerful currents may
be passed through the limbs, &c, appar-
emily with slight danger, us long as the
nervous centres are not involved.
| think that even with our improved
dynamos, which require considerable
power to drive them, the older Undue
ton col" excited by primary battery,
will be found the most convenient, port
able and Economical source OF current
for judicial purposes. | should pinion
the condemned man and either let him
stand barefoot, on n metal plate, or sit
in n chair with metal plate in the seat,
one pole of the coil CONNECTED to such
plate and the other to plate or skull
cap applied to the head. Coils are now
made capable OF giving flash eighteen
inches or two feet long. Such a flash,
rightly directed, would, | should say,
kill a mammoth instantly, as the "ten-
sion" OF the induced current is very
high.
merely adds to the quantity" not to
the Observation-Disclosures this is OF conse-
0uence cannot say. ! much wished to
experiment on fat "beast," but the
butcher who had bought 1t objected,
thinking no doubt it was uncanny and
ont OF the regular order OF things,
as it certainly would have been. be-
lieve he was quite right to object, though
lie did not know why; because in ami
mails killed by electricity decomposition
| is said to set in with great rapidity.
Mr.. r. Farquharson, NJ. p, writes
from the House OF Commons as follows:
"Your recent article on execution by
electricity awakened an interest in the
subject which has been heightened by
the latest hanging scandal and by Mr..
Matthews replies. tits admitted by the
lion. secretary and by Berry-a SUI
perior practical suthority-that under
the present system certain accidents are
inevitable under certain conditions, and
that the swiftness OF Geath may be COM
plicated in n way which grievously Of
lends deCency, Professor Houghton
pointed out long ago that in order to
dislocate the neck long drop must be
used, and unhappy experiences show
that in old people, or when the tissues
are in a pliable state, the head may be
wholly or partially severed from the
body, whereas, il the short drop is pre-.
| ferred, strangulation is slow and painful
"Mr. Matthews is no doubt technical
" right in answering that since 1915
only TWO accidents have occurred; but
what have we to say OF those cases whert
the rope has been too long or too short
or has snapped in the middle, or where
the executioner has been obliged tolenC
his own weight to that OF his victim to
insure a successful result? The fact Il
that, II it is really necessary to take away
life iudicially, hanging is an antiquated
barbarous and cruelsway OF performing
the operation, We treat even our dog
now-a.days better for half-crown fee
and a short journey through the letha
chamber sends the canine walt and STRAY
painlessly out OF the world ;and thinl
the time has come for reconsidering on
position towards ourselves. Let us sc
DR.. Richardson to compound some dead
ly gus, or let the short, sharp shock o
electricity do that with humanity an'
certainty which the clumsy rope SO otteI
bungles."