Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-24
HOW TO DIE EASY.
MYSTERIES INTO WHICH THE GERRY
COMMISSION HAS BEEN INQUiRlNG.

| COMMISSION HAS BEEN iNQUIRlNG.
How Shall We Execute Our Criminals:
Tho Garrote and the Guillotine-Death
by Prussic Acid-A Flash of Lightning
! Is best.
| How shall we execute cur criminals!
To certain degree distressing question
to inquire into, but in reality most humane
| investigation. Experts are divided in their
| opinions upon the subject, and when experts
di.agree-why, experts disagree Some hard
| shelled experts of 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 'scravat," is the proper
thing when in the proper place.
! Others of more advanced frame of mind
suggest the garrote. The guillotine also has
/ its advocates, especially among the inhabi-
tants of sunny France, and there are those
| who favor prussic acid or some other violent
! poison. Gas comes in for share of favor;
water has its 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 a 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
| physicians were consulted and asked in the
| interest of science to answer a series of ques-
| tons upon the subject of capital punishment.
Among the physicians consulted were DR.. E.
j. Kaufman, a graduate of Berlin, Paris
Edinburgh Toronto and New York and a
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 miniature fash of
lightning or continuous electric spark twelve
/ inches long, and calculated to produce death
in the two-hundredth part of q second
This may seem to be-quick work, but it is
comparatively slow when we take into con-
sideration that the genuine article, ''real
lightning" produces the fatal result in the
ten-thousandth part of second-at least that
gagged up to this writing.
One of the first questions asked by the
commission wts in regard to death by prussis
acid or any other strong poison. Taking
prussic acids 6 basis, Dr. Kaufman replied
that there was case on record in which
man Swallowed an ounce of prussic acid and
yet only expired twelve minutes later. after
suffering great agony. DR.. Kaufman thus
lo1 fbot :ol.
enough and could not be relied upon, and in
addition that prussic acid and its salts were
Used in commerce, and that it would not be
advisable to teach the public mode of death
which wonld be comparatively painless.
The second question referred to the garrote
and guillotine, and, according to the doctors
replies, these systems are comparatively an
cient and barbarous, and nations employing
them were seeking for more humane and
scientific method of executing criminals.
The garrote, says DIR. Kaufman, is worse
than hanging, as by its use death is only
caused by strangulation or suffocation. 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 of
the rope. In fact, if DR.. Kaufman remem-
bers rightly, statistics show that over 50 per
cent. of persons hanged die from suffoca-
ton.
One of the last questions asked the physi-
clans by the commission, said DR.. Kauff-
mann, was:
"'What would you suggest as better way
of death in criminal cases. and what would
YOU. suggest to compensate for the difference
in effect upon the criminal casesg or words
to that effect"
Death from electricity, replied the doctor
in substance either by shock or by a CONVEX
sion of the animal fluids into gases, causes
very little change in the body. Indeed, the
greater the shock the less change there is in
the body. Therefore death from an intense
shock, which would kill a man in say the
one-hundredth part of second would make
no visible change in the body. Now, as there
is an insuificiency in this country of bodies
for the purposes of scientific research, Dr.
Kaufman suggested that the bodies Of all
executed criminals should be turned over to
the proper authorities for the purpose of sci
entific, pathological and physiological re-
search.
In DR.. Kauffnann's opinion criminals
would dread such disposal of their bodies
more than death itself. Naturally it is adj
nlitted that there are so few executions that
the bodies thus furnished would not supply
the demand, but it is claimed that bodies of
criminals killed by electricity will be in such
q good condition for scientific research that
they will prove of incalcuhable value to
physicians.
The miniature fash of lightning outlined
by DR.. Kaufman could be applied 10 the
criminals either standing or sitting down,
and the base Of the skull is suggested as the
most suitable spot, though other physicians
favor the back of the neck +. has also been
suggested that the criminal might be placed
in a room and that the air should be gradu-
ally withdrawn, thus giving the condemned
man painless death This system is objected
to as being quite as painful as hanging, for
death would be caused by sufRcc,tion
The fumes of charcoal have also been advp
Gated, but are opposed on the plea that they
range with chlorine gas, one of the most
pungent gases, and accordingly charcoal
would cause a painful death. Carbonic gas
has also been talked of as comparatively
desirable form of inficting death, but it is
opposed on the plea that it is not quick
enough.
After reviewing all the suggestions made
there would seem to be no doubt that cleo
tricity will be the executioners weapon in
the future, and that, combined with deliver.
ing the bodies of executed persons to physi-
clans for the purpose of scientific research, it
will strike quite as much terror into evil
doers' hearts as that wei termed ''reiic Of
barbarisrn," the hargn,an's noose.-New
York Herald
Packing Boxes for Soldiers.
Tho packing Of boxes bEog the war be-
came almost fine art. To crowd the great.
est possible amount into given spare was